Whether you are looking to have a child in the near future, or you are already expecting, pregnancy and drug abuse just don’t mix.
Besides the numerous health risks to yourself, there are many other reasons to get sober before you decide to have a child. As an inpatient detox center in Pennsylvania, we see just how devastating the impact of drug abuse can have on a person’s life, but what if you are responsible for someone else’s life as well? As a parent of a newborn child or even as a pregnant mother, the fate of your child is depending on you; don’t let an addiction get in the way.
Pregnancy & Drug Abuse: Motivations for Getting Sober Before Pregnancy
Besides being a good parent and setting your child up for the brightest future possible, there are many other reasons to get clean before getting pregnant.
Health of the Baby
If drugs can have such devastating and toxic effects on your own body, just imagine what damage they can do to your fragile, unborn baby. You may have heard about fetal alcohol syndrome or cocaine-addicted babies; they are not just horror stories to scare you. Drug addiction and pregnancy can be a deadly combination for your unborn child. Abusing drugs while pregnant can lead to serious health risks for your child including cognitive problems, behavioral problems, premature birth, low birth weight, and even miscarriage.1
Finances
If you took the time to sit there and add it all up, you would discover the enormous impact that your addiction problem has had on your bank account. Whether it is the expense of the drug itself or the medical bills that followed, substance abuse is a costly habit, but children may be just as expensive if not more. The cost of raising a child is about $14,000 a year.2 Now that you have decided to raise a child or you already have a baby on the way, you could use all the extra cash possible.
Responsibility
Having a child is a whole new set of responsibilities, but it doesn’t just start when the child is born. Pregnancy is your time to prepare for the future. What will you do about work once the baby comes? Is the nursery set up yet? Do you have everything you need? For some people, this is almost like a full-time job and being high just won’t cut it.
Your Physical Health
Along with your baby’s health during pregnancy, you want to ensure that you are taking care of yourself. Pregnancy takes a toll on your body and using drugs will only make it worse. Not to mention the fact that continued drug use can have long-term consequences. What will your child do if your drug use leaves you in serious medical trouble after they are born? Don’t you want to be there to watch them grow up?
Pregnancy and addiction are a dangerous combination, so our Pennsylvania rehab center also offers addiction treatment for pregnant women until their 7th month of pregnancy, but do not wait until then. Get help immediately; your child will thank you.
At Clearbrook Treatment Centers, we know that addiction is a struggle and it certainly isn’t easy, but you need to take steps to get help immediately. Call us today at 570-536-9621 to give your child and yourself the best possible future.
Sources:
- National Institute on Drug Abuse – Health Consequences of Drug Misuse
- CBS News – Parents, save up: It costs this much to raise a kid
