There’s no question that drug addiction can significantly hurt an expecting mother and her baby. Unfortunately, pregnant women struggling with substance use may feel stigmatized and discouraged from seeking addiction treatment during their pregnancy. This can not only be detrimental to the mother’s health but their new child’s health and well-being. In this article, you’ll learn more about the dangers of pregnancy and addiction, and the importance of seeking treatment for expectant mothers.
At Hammocks on the Edisto, we are a drug rehab in South Carolina that provides individualized treatment to women to safely and effectively overcome addiction. We understand that no two recovery journeys are ever the same. That’s why we offer a broad range of addiction treatment programs so you can receive the right care to support your recovery journey best. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you achieve sobriety.
The Dangers of Pregnancy and Addiction
Without question, pregnancy and addiction are a dangerous combination for both you and your baby. Using and abusing drugs or alcohol when pregnant not only can hurt you but can potentially cause long-term, life-threatening damage to your baby. Below are some of the many potential dangers pregnancy and addiction can have on you and your baby.
- Birth Defects
Using drugs or alcohol while pregnant can lead to a wide variety of birth defects and developmental complications for your baby. Not only can these developmental issues lead to a range of issues when born, but they can likely negatively impact your child’s overall health and well-being for the rest of their life.
- Baby Born Prematurely
Next, by abusing drugs or alcohol when pregnant, you run the risk of your baby being born prematurely. If your baby is born prematurely, this can lead to not only developmental issues, but your baby’s birth weight can potentially be life-threateningly low, leading to a host of other complications after birth.
- Miscarriage
You are also significantly more likely to have a miscarriage when you are abusing drugs or alcohol. This is because these toxic substances can have such an effect on your baby that they increase the likelihood of you having a miscarriage or stillbirth.
- Long-term Cognitive or Behavioral Challenges
If you abuse drugs or alcohol when pregnant, your child may also experience a range of long-term cognitive or behavioral challenges because of your substance use while pregnant. Similar to the development issues mentioned above, these cognitive function and behavioral issues can negatively impact your child’s health and quality of life– potentially for the rest of their life.
- Your Own Health in Jeopardy
Last but not least, pregnancy and addiction can also put your health, as the expectant mother, in harm’s way. This is because pregnancy is already hard on your body; however, abusing drugs or alcohol further weakens your body and puts you at risk of experiencing a life-threatening complication when pregnant.
Addiction Treatment for Expectant Mothers
As you can see, pregnancy and addiction are a lethal combination that can be harmful for both the mother and her newborn. If you are pregnant, you don’t have to suffer in silence with addiction– addiction treatment for expectant mothers is available! Addiction treatment will not only help you overcome your addiction safely and effectively, but it will provide you with healthy coping strategies you can use to maintain your sobriety so you can be the healthiest version of yourself for both you and your child. It’s never too late to ask for help when it comes to leading a healthier, happier quality of life!
Leading Women’s Addiction Treatment in South Carolina
Now you know about the many dangers of pregnancy and addiction and the importance of seeking addiction treatment for expectant mothers. Addiction doesn’t just impact the mother but can cause a number of life-threatening effects on a baby. Therefore, it’s critical you seek treatment immediately to ensure you and your baby can lead a healthy life.
At Hammocks on the Edisto, we are a South Carolina drug and alcohol rehab for women that’s here to help you break free of addiction once and for all. We understand how debilitating a disease addiction can be. That’s why we’re here to help you every step of the way so you and your child and live a healthier, happier life.
Ready to start your road to recovery? Contact us today!
