I have stopped using and am 26 weeks and two days. Will my babies meconium test positive and if so will they take her away from me?

You REALLY REALLY need to seek appropriate care for yourself and your baby. Have you just stopped cold turkey? If so, your baby is withdrawing from opiates and can be in danger. For the sake of your health and that of your baby, you need to seek the support of a professional. Having your child taken away is the least of your concerns right now... you could be placing your baby's life in danger.

To answer your question, yes, your opiate use is detectable in meconium, even if you stop now. Meconium will indicate your drug use between four and five months before birth.

My concern over this would be the possible birth defects and/or health issues at birth of the baby.

And I will be blunt, if you used up to this long, perhaps the baby needs to be away till you prove you can stay off it, not just start using again after baby is born.

But yes, there is a good chance family and children services may take the child.

Yes, your baby's meconium will test positive. No worries about birth defects, however your baby is now, and will be going through withdrawal. I see drug babies on a regular basis as I work in labor & delivery as well as NICU.

Babies going ring through withdrawal sneeze constantly, cry with high pitched tones, have muscle rigidity, and are poor feeders.

Will your baby be taken away? Probably not if you follow a parenting plan and get into treatment.

Hello

Yes it will , though I suggest you start thinking about what the hell you've done to the Baby and not whether they will take it away from you.

Babies born to mothers who are using or even abusing opiates are likely to have lower birth weights and those infants are at greater risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

The fetus feels withdrawal symptoms during pregnancy. Short-acting opiates such as heroin cause fluctuating levels of opiates in the blood, ranging from high levels during intoxication to low levels a few hours later as the drug wears off and withdrawal symptoms start appearing. This fluctuation is tough on the unborn child.

Going through opiate withdrawal during a pregnancy greatly increases the risks of miscarriage. For safety, pregnant women are strongly advised to avoid opiate withdrawal, that's why we say go see a specialist / professional doctor and at a guess they will put you on methadone maintenance treatment which is recommended.

Also maybe it wouldn't be a bad think to have your baby taken from you for awhile. The shook and the feeling " Oh Hell , they took me baby " may just get your act together to stop taking opiates period , meaning never again.

I hope this helps and seriously see a doctor.

To emphasize what was said above, this is not about your desire to avoid detection in your desire to keep the baby - it's ALL about the baby.
You haven't said how long ago you stopped using. How do you know you can continue?

You are the two women standing before King Solomon, arguing over which of you is the real mother of one baby. The king is wise, and raises his sword to cut the baby in half, and the REAL mother cries out, Let her have the baby. The king then knows that the woman willing to sacrifice her baby to keep it alive is the real mother.

I'm not saying to give up your baby; I'm saying go tell the medical staff exactly how much you have used, when, and ask for HELP NOW!!!! Be a REAL mother!

I'm glad to hear you have quit using and I certainly hope you never come near the stuff again.

I implore you to please be up-front and totally honest with your doctor about EVERYTHING you've used and how much during your pregnancy. Working in medicine, I can tell you that medical professionals always know when the patient is lying, which can delay proper care. Today is a fresh start for you and your precious baby girl. Love her the best way you can and call your doctor TODAY. Owning it like an adult and letting them help you will show your commitment to change and will help you be motivated to stay clean. Even after baby is born, it's important that you stay clean and keep clean people around you. If there is any chance you can't provide a good home and can't commit to sobriety, let your doctor know that you need help with rehab services and/or adoption, fostering, etc. There is help for you and your baby, you only have to ask for it.

Please take care of both of you.

People need to remember that opiates cover many levels. While one woman is addicted to heroin, the other takes Lortab/Vicodin that is prescribed by a doctor.

Just because the OP doesn't specify which opiate she was addicted to, it doesn't give us the right to assume one over the other.

As an OB and NICU nurse, I am here to give advice without being abusive.

J_9, I'm wondering if you feel that any specific comments were abusive.

I wanted to be more emphatic than I was and had to restrain myself.
For starters, she didn't answer the first question, posed within 10 minutes of her post.
She hasn't been back since.
Her whole question reeks of someone whose only concern is not being detected and having the baby taken away.
And implied is that she has known this all along, and wonders how long she can squeak by. Her title says 3 months away, but she's only 3 1/2 months pregnant.
So it doesn't add up, and she'd be asking one of her doctors anyway.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by joypulv

J_9, I'm wondering if you feel that any specific comments were abusive.

I wanted to be more emphatic than I was and had to restrain myself.
For starters, she didn't answer the first question, posed within 10 minutes of her post.
She hasn't been back since.
Her whole question reeks of someone whose only concern is not being detected and having the baby taken away.
And implied is that she has known this all along, and wonders how long she can squeak by. Her title says 3 months away, but she's only 3 1/2 months pregnant.
So it doesn't add up, and she'd be asking one of her doctors anyway.

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Read back. I'm sure you can figure it out as to whose posts were abusive.

Joy 3 1/2 months is 15 weeks. She is 26 weeks. That puts her at 6 1/2 months.

I also wasn't trying to be abusive , Yes I could have said a lot worse , though sorry to say this.

The baby comes first in this case , that what my post was all about.