1116 East Ponce De Leon Ave.
Decatur, GA 30030
p 404.377.7669
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3430 Highway 20
Conyers, Georgia 30013
p 770.922.4482
f 770.922.4640
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Monday - Friday 6am until 11am
Saturday - 7am until 10am
Monday - Friday 6am until 1pm
Closed Sunday
What To Do When You're Pregnant
Pregnant women have safely taken methadone for many years. Methadone has not been shown to directly cause any birth defects. However, your child may experience some side effects such as withdrawal syndrome. This is typically not life threatening and the hospital will provide your newborn child with the proper medication to relieve any withdrawal symptoms.
If you suspect you are pregnant, you must inform the staff here at Alliance Recovery Center immediately. You must provide documentation of your pre-natal care and authorize our medical staff to communicate with your obstetric physician. It is absolutely necessary that our medical staff know that you are pregnant and that your prenatal care team knows that you are taking methadone or Buprenorphine. Early pre-natal care, keeping your dose stable, and avoiding all other drugs are important procedures to follow to enhance your chances of delivering a healthy baby.
If you become pregnant, there is not a particular dose that you should stay under. Research has shown there is not a connection between a mother’s dose and withdrawal symptoms in the child. However, it is very common for pregnant women to need a dose increase, especially during the third trimester when the pregnant woman’s blood volume has almost doubled.
It should be noted that if you are feeling withdrawal symptoms during your pregnancy, your child is feeling withdrawal symptoms. It is important to keep your dose stable during pregnancy because severe withdrawal can lead to miscarriage. This is why withdrawing from methadone during pregnancy is not recommended.
Breastfeeding is also safe while taking methadone. A small amount of methadone is contained in breast milk and will be consumed by the nursing child if you choose to breastfeed. However, the nutritional benefits and the bonding that occurs during breastfeeding are so important that physicians encourage breastfeeding.
Healthy babies have also been delivered while taking Buprenorphine. Some research suggests that the instance of neonatal withdrawal syndrome is less when taking Buprenorphine than when taking methadone. However, the effects of Buprenorphine on pregnancy have not been widely studied and Buprenorphine’s full effects on pregnancy are not completely known. Due to the lack of research and the unknown effects of Buprenorphine and pregnancy, we will not prescribe Buprenorphine to anyone who is pregnant.
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