Saying "no" is hard, but there is help available

When it comes to dangerous drugs like cocaine and heroin, or prescription medications that can be abused such as narcotics, anti-depressants, and diet pills, living with NO can be hard. Often it means getting treatment for an addiction and making small but steady changes in lifestyle. Help is available for those who struggle with these issues. There are clinics where professionals are trained to provide prenatal care to these special needs women. It is hard to help women if we do not know they need help. It is hard to ask for help. If you, or someone you know, needs help please take the first step which is to start talking to your friend and/or to a professional who is committed to help.

The good news about infections that are dangerous to babies is that the overwhelming majority of them can be treated before they do harm. The bad news is that most of these infections are sexually transmitted and they often go untreated because women do not get appropriate screening or because treatment is not adequate. It can be awkward for a health care professional to tell a woman that she needs to be tested for a sexually transmitted disease. It is really hard if the woman thinks this means that her lifestyle has been judged. But, informed health care professionals know that we are often wrong if we guess about who is or is not at risk. Either we have not asked all of the right questions or the woman does not have all of the information she needs to provide a completely accurate answer. The safest approach is to talk to all women about the importance of screening and to screen the majority of women.

If you are diagnosed with an infection, be sure to involve your partner in the treatment and to take all of your medicine as prescribed. These infections are never welcome visitors to a household, and some women find it helpful to seek counseling to deal with the emotional impact that comes with the diagnosis.

Please read more about risks involved with taking drugs during pregnancy at: http://www.4women.gov/Pregnancy/first.cfm#14