Can You Go to Detox While Pregnant?
Substance use during pregnancy can be extremely dangerous. But what happens if you discover you’re pregnant before you’re able to stop using drugs? Can you go to detox while pregnant?
Call Lake Avenue Recovery today at (508)794-4400 to learn more about addiction treatment in Massachusetts.
Dangers of Substance Use While Pregnant
One reason why people ask if you can go to detox while pregnant is that prenatal use of alcohol or certain other substances can be harmful to both the mother and the fetus.
The type and severity of the harm either mother or fetus incur can be influenced by a range of factors, including:
- Which drug(s) the mother has been using
- The amount and frequency of her substance use
- If she has any co-occurring medical or mental health concerns
Dangerous drugs to use during pregnancy include legal substances such as alcohol, cannabis, nicotine, and prescription painkillers, as well as illicit drugs such as cocaine, heroin, benzodiazepines, and methamphetamine.
Risks to the mother
According to a 2023 report by the American Psychiatric Association (APA), having an untreated substance use disorder while pregnant can expose a person to health concerns such as:
- Onset or worsening of mental illnesses
- Unsafe sex and sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
- Poor nutrition
- Poor sleep habits
- Anemia
- Hypertension
- Preeclampsia
- Complicated delivery
- Miscarriage
- Stillbirth
- Spontaneous abortion
- Suicidal ideation
Also, factors such as poor self-care and fear of stigma can prevent pregnant women from receiving adequate prenatal care, which can increase the risk of harm to themselves and their unborn child.
Dangers to the child
Stanford Medicine has reported that the impact of maternal substance use on the fetus (and later, the infant) can include:
- Premature birth
- Premature detachment of the placenta
- Low birth weight
- Developmental delays
- Cognitive, behavioral, and learning problems
- Difficulty feeding
- Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs)
- Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDs)
Also, children who are born to women who used alcohol or other drugs while pregnant may be dependent on these drugs at birth, which can cause them to develop severe withdrawal symptoms.
Scope of the problem
According to a March 2013 article in the journal Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology, experts estimate that more than 4.4% of pregnant women abuse at least one substance during their pregnancy:
- The Guttmacher Institute, a research and policy organization focused on sexual and reproductive health across the globe, has reported that there were more than 5.35 million pregnancies in the United States in 2020.
- If 4.4% of these pregnancies involved maternal substance abuse, that would equate to more than 235,400 potential cases of prenatal exposure to alcohol and other drugs.
Of course, not every instance of drug use during pregnancy is due to addiction. But generally speaking, women who become pregnant typically make a concerted effort to avoid behaviors that could harm their child. For those who want to stop drinking or using other drugs, but who are unable to do so, detox during pregnancy may be necessary.
Can You Go to Detox While Pregnant?
As indicated by the final sentence in the previous section, the answer to the question, “can you go to detox while pregnant?” is yes.
In fact, if you develop withdrawal symptoms when you try to stop using alcohol or another substance, entering a detox program may be the best option for yourself and your child.
Why choose detox while pregnant?
When you develop a substance use disorder (addiction), one effect is that your body will adapt to the continued presence of the drug. Depending on which substance you’d been using, your system may come to rely on it to maintain certain brain chemical levels or perform other functions.
When you abruptly end your use of the drug, your body may be thrown into a temporary state of internal disarray as it works to resume control of these functions. This internal imbalance is the cause of many withdrawal symptoms.
In other words, no longer using addictive drugs is always a good idea. But doing so can put a strain on your physical and mental health. In any circumstances, the strain of withdrawal can be problematic. For someone who is pregnant, the process can be much more difficult, and potentially also much more dangerous.
In a detox program, you’ll have the care and support you need to get through withdrawal safely and as comfortably as possible.
Benefits of going to detox while pregnant
The primary benefits of going to detox while pregnant are safety and peace of mind.
In detox, you will be cared for by professionals who are familiar with all aspects of the withdrawal process. They can monitor your vital signs, ensure you receive appropriate nutrition and hydration, and immediately address any health concerns before they cause significant problems.
The other safety-related aspect of detox is that you will be in a closely supervised environment where you won’t have access to addictive substances. This protects you from relapsing if you develop particularly intense cravings or other severe symptoms.
Knowing that you are being cared for by experts who can provide both medical and therapeutic support can ease your stress levels, which can have a positive impact on your health as well as the well-being of your fetus.
Learn More About Addiction Treatment in Massachusetts
Lake Avenue Recovery Center is a trusted source of personalized outpatient programming for adults whose lives have been impacted by addictions and co-occurring mental health concerns.
Treatment options at our rehab in Worcester, MA, including a high-intensity outpatient program (similar to day treatment or partial hospitalization), an intensive outpatient program (IOP), and an evening IOP.
If you need detox prior to starting outpatient care, we can refer you to a trusted provider in the area. Once you’ve successfully completed the detox program, you can transfer directly into outpatient care with us. This can reduce your risk of immediate relapse and help you build a foundation for successful, long-term recovery.
To learn more about how we can help you or a loved one, or to schedule a free assessment, please visit our Admissions page or call us today.