[concernperson]

I have a friend who is 8 months pregnant, she smokes weed everyday, she drink beers on the weekends, she has never taken her prenatal pills and she eats like a pig. How bad is this situation on a scale of 1-10?

[J_9]

It's about an 8. When this baby tests positive for marijuana, and it will, she may risk losing custody of it. Where I live she would also face jail time.

[J_9]

I would like to add that this baby WILL go through withdrawal. Yes, that is bad.

[DoulaLC]

I'll add to it as well. The potential for problems continues into learning and socializing in school age as brain development can be greatly impacted by maternal behaviors during pregnancy. There may not always be obvious changes, but even subtle changes can, and do, make a difference.

Many people will argue that these behaviors didn't cause any problems for their baby if there isn't an obvious problem at birth. But it may show up as a baby that doesn't feed well, that is overly sensitive to stimulation, etc.

So on that note, I'm going to rate it a 10. The potential for cause and effect is there. How much is too much at any given stage of development? The answer is very individual.

It can be difficult for some women to accept the reality of a baby that they can not see yet. To understand that their choices can sometimes have a lasting effect since it can't be observed in utero.

[J_9]

Doula, you said it much better than I did. I'm on my iPad, so I tend to make it shorter than if I am on my PC. I only rated it an 8 because this is pot and beer. Meth, coke, and/or heroin would have made me rate it a 10.

[CravenMorhead]

I would actually rate this 6-8 depending. My wife has tried in both pregnancies to take the prenatal pills and they end up intensifying her morning sickness. That one isn't a concern. It also depends on how much she's drinking it is a huge amount, then it's bad, but if it is one beer on the weekend that isn't too bad. More then that is getting dangerous for the child. Eating like a pig? That's judgemental. When you're pregnant your nutritional and caloric needs jump hugely, so yes she's going to be eating more. The fact that she's can buy what was mentioned means that the child would be provided for so that is what puts her in the range.

The pot use is what is most concerning. Read what J_9 said. It is bad.

The second issue here is what can or should you do about it. If you're really concerned call CPS. Otherwise nothing. The authorities will do what they can when they do the post partum new born blood tests. It depends on how important your relationship to this woman is. Good luck.

[J_9]

Craven, the tests start with a UDS. Urine drug screen. We will also do a Meconium (tarry poop after delivery) drug test. Bathe Meconium test will tell every drug ingested during pregnancy.

If one can't take prenatal vitamins, there are alternatives that won't cause side effects. Flintstone children vitamins are acceptable.

[CravenMorhead]

We might have to try those. :-)

Unless they grabbed our diapers from our trash to test, the only test they did up here was the metabolic function tests.

[J_9]

We don't always test. There has to be a suspicion first. Babies are usually tested in the nursery if they are not in mom's room 100% of the time. This is usually done during transition in the nursery.

[CravenMorhead]

Gotcha. Thinking back on it, there was a period where the nurses did take care of our little one while my wife slept. My wife hates being a burden on anyone and felt bad about it. We were also probably labeled as troublemakers on her chart. This is good info to know!

[J_9]

We test babies when Mommy tests positive or if we have reason to suspect drug or alcohol use/abuse. It's not a standard test on every baby.

[ScottGem]

The problem here is she is at 8 months. It is likely that any damage has already been done. I doubt if she started taking the vitamins stopped smoking and drinking and dieted at this point it would reverse the harm she has already done.

So the question to me is what should be done about it. Where is the father? I think, that her OB/Gyn should be informed so they can be prepared for complications during delivery. I believe the OB/Gyn would then be compelled to inform CPS.

[DoulaLC]

I often recommend Flintstones as well... some doctors/midwives will suggest two a day. Just check with doctor for dosage.
@concernperson... it would be wise for your friend to make changes even now if you can encourage her to do so. Much physical development has taken place, but a great deal of cognitive development and maturation of body systems are still occurring.

[Fr_Chuck]

How bad? Will she have worst side effects, what if she is the one in 300 that it causes more problems.

I will go with 8 or 9 on the baby