How to Have a Healthy Pregnancy in Recovery

If you have suffered from alcohol or drug addiction in the past and have been in recovery for a while now, then you may be thinking about moving on with your life. You may be married and settled down and thinking about starting a family. It is great that you are able to move on, but you need to think carefully about your health before becoming pregnant.

If you are in the early days of recovery, your doctor or counsellor may advise you to wait until you are stronger before taking this step. However, if you are fit and healthy and ready to have a baby, you will no doubt want to make sure that you give your baby the best start you possibly can.

Get Healthy

It is a good idea to make sure you are a healthy weight before you conceive. If you are under- or overweight, speak to your GP about a healthy diet and exercise programme. Get a physical examination from your GP to ensure that any chronic conditions such as diabetes are brought under control and, if you smoke, give up. Cut down on caffeine – try de-caff coffee or tea and limit your intake of fizzy drinks. Begin taking a daily supplement of folic acid every day before you get pregnant and for the first twelve weeks of pregnancy.

Stay Sober

The biggest challenge for any recovering addict is to stay sober. The risk of relapse is always present and would be devastating; for a pregnant recovering addict, though, relapse could be disastrous as it could affect the unborn child. Babies born to mothers who drink alcohol or take drugs often suffer from physical defects or are born addicted and suffer painful withdrawal symptoms.

Make sure your midwife or consultant knows that you are in recovery. This is vital in case of any complications or emergency surgery required during the pregnancy or delivery.

Attend Ante-Natal Classes

If this is your first pregnancy, it is important that you learn all you can about labour and delivery. It is important that you have a drug-free labour, so speak to your midwife about how you can cope. You may be offered breathing classes, and some people swear by hypnotherapy as a coping method for drug-free delivery. There is no guarantee that hypnotherapy and breathing exercises will eliminate the need for drugs, but they do help many people.

Avoiding Medication During Labour

Avoiding medication during delivery is important for those in recovery, so you will need to think of things that will make the process easier for you. Meditation may help you relax during painful contractions. A TENS machine is also commonly used by women in labour. This machine will deliver low-level electric stimulation to the skin and can block the pain by interrupting nerve signals.

Medication After Delivery

Even if you have had medication during labour, it is a good idea to avoid pain relief afterwards if you can. If you have been given mood-altering drugs during labour by your doctor, you need to make sure that you avoid them afterwards. Your baby needs you now and becoming dependent on pain relief could affect your ability to look after your child. If you are breastfeeding, you should definitely avoid medication, as it can affect your baby.

Enjoy Your Pregnancy

Pregnancy is a wonderful time for expecting parents, so enjoy it. Try to relax and stay focused on your recovery so that you and your partner can have a wonderful pregnancy without any complications.

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