Drug babies and families

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Specializes in MSN, FNP-BC.

I just need to vent.

It seems that we have had more drug addicted babies in our unit lately and it's really starting to wear on me bad. Just the other day I had a mom tell me that her doctor, she didn't specify if it was the dentist or her CNM, gave her the OK to take Vicodin because she is in the process of getting all of her teeth pulled (she's 32). I'm not saying that I believe her or not but I'm aggravated because I felt like this was an issue that she was trying to hide from us for some reason.

All day I was talking to the practitoner, attending, and others and we were all having such a hard time not judging this mom and sterotyping her. It really wore on me and I felt like it wasn't fair to this mom to give her less of a chance becaue of her looks, questionable history, and her mannerisms.

I feel that everyone deserves a fair chance no matter their history because mistakes ARE made and false information IS given.

I just struggle so hard with this on some days. Especially when we have a run on drug babies like we do right now.

It all just makes me so sad.

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I hear you. There have been so many times we told the SW and MDs about our concerns about parents and they blow us off or say they can't do anything and it goes bad. Like the mom in rehab that disappears with her baby as soon as the baby is discharged or the one that shows up with the baby at the hospital several malnourished and dehydrated because mom was too high to feed them. So frustrating!!

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, PACU.

Drug cases are hard. We have 20 moms currently waiting to deliver,not all at once thank goodness, but the methadone clinic gives us stats each month. Ugh. I think the thing that bothers me is that they are master manipulators...and they hate that we don't buy into all their stories and such.

My favorite is when they tell us we are scoring the kids wrong or they don't want the kiddo to get methadone or morphine...okay, whatever. If you know so much then you should know drugs are bad! lol

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