The Sinister Side of Drug Testing in Pregnancy

Drug testing pregnant people during pregnancy or at birth is…complicated, and my feelings on it are complicated. But what’s NOT complicated is the ways in which drug testing affects BIPOC people and lower socioeconomic status people a whole lot more than it does wealthier white people. A positive drug test could be due to partaking legally in other states or even from medications given to the pregnant person while they’re in the hospital, but I’ve seen cases where this happens, CPS is called, and the baby is separated from its parent. The fact that his happens at all, let alone frequently across the US, is a travesty. Let’s talk about why and how we can do better.
00:00 - Intro
00:17 - Background [TX Experience]
2:13 - Calling CPS
2:49 - False Positives
5:17 - Implicit Bias in Testing
8:37 - Separating Babies/Parents
10:06 - More Resources
10:36 - Treating Substance Abuse
13:16 - Q&A
16:01 - Do No Harm Podcast
Resources:
Scientific Publications: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti..., pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37769...,
Axios: www.axios.com/2023/04/17/stud...
Texas Medical Association: www.texmed.org/Template.aspx?...
ProPublica: www.propublica.org/article/ho...
Alabama story: www.al.com/news/2020/02/false...
Killing the Black Body: www.amazon.com/Killing-Black-...
Crack Babies Ep. of You’re Wrong About: • Crack Babies - You're ...
Do No Harm Podcast: wondery.com/shows/do-no-harm/
Watch next:
Making a Global Impact on Maternal Mortality: • Making A Global Impact...
The Shocking Story of Octomom’s CORRUPT Fertility Doctor: • The Shocking Story of ...
The Hormone Balancing Hoax: • The Hormone Balancing ...
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** The information in this video is intended to serve as educational information and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images, and information, contained in this video is for general information purposes only and does not replace a consultation with your own doctor/advanced practice provider. **
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[@PryorS]

THIS JUST HAPPENED TO ME. My baby got taken because I tested positive for narcotics that was given to me (unknowingly, I was put to sleep due to failed spinal block) during my c section. Baby and I both tested negative upon arrival to hospital and birth but tested positive a day after. They even accused my husband of bringing drugs to me in the hospital. We were only allowed to see her twice during the month she was in NICU and was only returned to us after fighting in court, showing medical records and having everyone in my house hair follicle tested and baby’s umbilical cord, which all was negative for drugs. I was devastated to be separated from my newborn. She’s almost 6 months and they JUST closed the DFS case.

[@acsw]

I'm so sorry that happened to you 🥺

[@natashaw401]

Holy frig

[@anniestumpy9918]

That sounds like an absolute nightmare. I'm sorry this happened! edit: "happen" is actually not the right word; people _did_ this to you...

[@da1stamericus]

Omg. Can't you sue? This is child endangerment from their part. This is ridiculous. I live in the Netherlands and had to give birth in the hospital due to my use of antidepressants. I was still offered drugs during the birthing process. Once they werent showing any signs of my medication I was sent home. This lasted all of max 30 hours. Never once was I tested, either blood or urine. This is ridiculous. And I am black. So sorry.

[@annaomodeo7318]

That is outrageous i hope you will get the justice you deserved on this even thou none will give you the time back with your newborn 😢

[@athenatanyimin4035]

CPS when you use an epidural: THIS WOMAN IS A DRUGGIE WE NEED TO TAKE BABY AWAY!!! CPS when children are actually being abused/neglected: nothing to see here, all's dandy!

[@oliverskinner4697]

its because the adoption system is a baby farm

[@Renee445]

Just wanted to say- As a mama through adoption, while waiting to adopt I saw many cases where birth mothers were looking to place a baby for adoption and many women chose not to get prenatal care just because they were afraid they were going to get in trouble for using drugs while pregnant. Women should not have to be afraid to go to the doctor during pregnancy. Period.

[@MamaDoctorJones]

100% this. Yes. Thank you.

[@jadziajan]

Exactly what I was thinking. If going to the hospital puts you at risk of being sent to jail, you are less likely to go! If hospitals want to save babies' lives they need to be a safe place for pregnant people.

[@Raymondinakangolhat]

Getting them tested without their consent is wrong but they shouldn't be using drugs during pregnancy either

[@pixality7902]

​@@Raymondinakangolhatwithdrawal can also be dangerous. How are people supposed to get help to safely taper their drug use if they are afraid of the doctor? Its not like people generally start using drugs when they get pregnant. They were already addicted.

[@megabigblur]

People who have extremist opinions about drugs cannot accept the concept of "harm reduction". It's less bad for a drug-addicted mother to be at least getting prenatal care even if she is still doing drugs than for her to be doing drugs AND not taking care of herself and the fetus in a lot of other ways.

[@HanaTheRussell]

Once my psychiatrist, who prescribes me Vyvanse (an rx amphetamine) for my ADHD, did the stupidest thing. I had my routine drug screenings, and she called me somewhat angry and highly suspicious with results. "Lynn, your drug test came back positive for amphetamines. Is there anything you want to tell me?" "... that I'm taking the amphetamine Vyvanse that YOU prescribe to me as directed?" She was so embarassed and apologized afterwards but like. It's so stupid. I feel like drug screens are weaponized against patients more often than they're helping sometimes.

[@cztober3085]

Geez, what an idiot

[@PamdaBear1]

They should be embarrassed wtf. Coming for you for having any sort of reactions

[@Adrienne-wv7qo]

You should’ve changed doctor right there and then.

[@futhark3]

I keep hearing this about Vyvanse. Recently a couple was arrested in Iceland for driving on drugs. First him because he was on Vyvanse and tested positive for amphetamine, then his wife who brought his prescription and explained that they both took this as prescribed, then got arrested driving from the police station. They can test the level in blood and there's a vast difference in levels from Vyvanse (slowly converted to amphetamine) and the dose you need of amphetamine to get high. I take an add on of 2.5 mg in the afternoon and I can't even feel anything if I take the full 5 mg pill, so I can assume you need to take a full pack of those to get high.

[@brianc4632]

That is sickening. I’m so sorry you had to go through that. She is supposed to be your advocate, but she was so ready to treat you like scum. I would have torn into her. Absolutely unprofessional of her.

[@wolfsong4720]

I read an article recently about a woman who was jailed for having a positive drug test during pregnancy. She was charged with endangering her fetus, and they then proceeded to deny her prenatal care in jail, not allow her access to a doctor, and ignored her when she went into labor, causing her to give birth in a jail shower. I was so horrified reading this article, it seems to me that the ones endangering the fetus most were the system, not the mother!

[@malloryknox1637]

They took my newborn daughter away from me because of a positive drug test for my epilepsy medication..... That my drs a had previously deemed it to DANGEROUS for me to be off. It was THREE months before my daughter was back with me and the dhs case was closed. I'll never forgive those drs. After that I had my tubes tied one of the WORST experiences of my life!

[@AbstractOddity]

Omg that’s insane. Those first few months of being a mother and you can never get that time back. I’m sorry you went through that.

[@EmilyCheetham]

I also have epilepsy and part of me worries about when I want to have kids. I’ll definitely get a written note from my doctor with everything before I get pregnant to take to all appointments & when I go to give birth so that I don’t get penalised and have more than just verbal proof of anything.

[@SL-gz3dy]

I don't get this. You are discribed those medications? How do they not know that? Isn't that in your file or something?

[@EmilyCheetham]

@@SL-gz3dy stupid doctors that either don’t put it in the file or don’t read the file. Not the first time Iv heard of doctors removing children because of their incompetence. Doctors and social workers have miss things many times. Sometimes they have taken children away unjustly, sometimes children have died because they missed things they should have taken notice of. The baby P case I’m uk comes to mind where a social worker missed things multiple times and the child died. Yes in the above a child didn’t die but a mother was as effected because her baby was unjustly removed from her and then she was given a unneeded procedure (tube tying) against her will & unjustly. All because of incompetent doctors.

[@pamelaj.betz-baron2420]

I'm so sorry that happened to you! ((HUGS))

[@butthoss6087]

My mom almost had my sister taken away when she was born bc a nurse accused her of using heroin bc mom had track marks. They were from being poked in the hospital bc her veins are so hard to get! Absolute clown show

[@Nylak-Otter]

Wow, I would be screwed! I'm a liver transplant recipient, and I still get my blood tested every other week, and since I've always been an impossible draw I'm now covered in heavy scars that make the skin on my arms and hands basically ironclad and very suspicious looking.

[@womanishthing1994]

Some nurses are only concerned about pushing the status quo 😞

[@tonyahancock9863]

Same here I'm a hard stick normally and I was an even harder stick while pregnant because with each of my kids I suffered from the severe form of morning sickness where there were days I couldn't even hold down a glass of water. It also didn't go away or get any better as I got further along. I ended up admitted for dehydration more than once with each kid. With one of my daughters an OB nurse tried 16 times to get in an IV when I was in labor. They ended up calling someone from the lab to come try she got it in on the 4th try and I blew the IV while pushing. My arms looked awful. Glad the nurses where telling each other the horror story of what a hard stick I had been so nobody thought to accuse me of doing drugs.

[@lutheranninja1819]

Also, let's not forget that healthcare is not free in the United States!!! People are BILLED for these tests!

[@jinx18e]

It was the only test my insurance wouldn't cover

[@BrandyTexas214]

Medicaid doesn’t

[@arcticxabyss]

it's beyond messed up how pregnant women are getting drug tests WITHOUT their consent. smh

[@erink476]

not only that, but since such a thing is effectively a search without a warrant, a drug test given without consent or a court order ought not be admissible evidence

[@LightHalcyon]

There many times while I was pregnant that I felt more like an incubator than a person

[@rebeccazeman9309]

I'm very curious how this is happening. I'm not saying it isn't happening bc it clearly is I'm just wondering if this is a urine or blood test and how the hell are they getting the sample from the baby without consent from the parent? CPS needs a court order or your consent to drug test you so why don't they need it when you give birth? Absolutely gross

[@AD-ne1uk]

​@rebeccazeman9309 I just had a baby. I tested positive my very first OB appointment for thc. Didn't know I was being tested for drugs, they didn't do that with my first baby. Was told cps would be contacted after having my baby, because of that 1 positive test. Every other test was negative, but whatever. They didn't ask if they could test my newborn, they pretty much told me they would be testing him if we wanted to go home. They test baby at my hospital now by collecting meconium and baby's first pee with a bag in their diaper 🙄 still technically waiting to be "cleared" by cps for something I quit doing 9 months ago. And it was just freakin pot.

[@vchafab]

This happened with my 3rd. The hospital switched from Memorial to Providence by my 3rd and when I came in, they asked me to pee in a cup. This time I was being induced so I thought it had something to do with that. Later they told me oh lucky you tested negative for drugs. And I was like why did you do a drug test? It bothered me for months, I thought there was something wrong in my health chart or something. But I guess it was Providence procedure, definitely didn’t give consent.

[@Michelle_Gian]

I somehow came up “positive” for drugs after my daughter was born. I had been hospitalized for 5 days at that point, and in my life had never taken anything harder than a Tylenol and was very confused when a nurse nicely asked me if I used drugs when my husband left the room. I said no and she said yeah I didn’t think so, they must have gotten your sample mixed up with someone else’s?? I didn’t even know I had “given” a sample, but I am privileged in that I was given the benefit of the doubt - likely based on my race and SES.

[@archgirl7797]

yeah, this story is so messed up. I'm glad nothing terrible happened to your or your daughter. But just imagine a mother who was in a worse mood, because idk they just pushed a baby out of their body and are in pain and exhausted, and therefore the nurse didnt like her and didnt give her the benefit of the doubt. When such small and subjective factors are what stops jail time and CPS from being called, something needs to change in the system.

[@tanyambeaver]

More often than "sample mixups," which rarely happen, there are interfering substances. Benadryl is the most common, but strongly colored foods can also do it.

[@Michelle_Gian]

@@tanyambeaver interesting! I'm not sure what I could have eaten or taken because I wasn't allowed to eat for literally 4 days while I was induced (another part of the story that made me angry..) It was nearly 6 years ago now, but I really thought the nurse had suggested it was a mixup. I wonder what really happened.

[@tanyambeaver]

@@Michelle_Gian There also are genuine margins for error. Performed perfectly, the tests are 99+% accurate, but there could be that one time. I once reported out a wrong critical calcium because the damned analyzer blew a bubble.

[@Romanticoutlaw]

it's not out of the question that they gave you something at some point while you were unconscious. Another commenter had their baby taken away because of drugs they were unwittingly given, it's seriously messed up

[@KaylaGomez-StarstuffLady]

I’m white-passing Hispanic/Latina. During my labor, the hospital (in Alabama) made me wait 5 hours for my epidural for “drug testing”. I’m not sure why, but I wasn’t able to pee for one, so I asked for a blood test. Instead, then gave me a catheter and then took hours to process my urine. I know that’s BS because I have a biological laboratory background. Also, I never did drugs. Then I only had two hours of relief from the epidural because they “forgot” to push the button on the machine and it turned off. I went through transition and gave birth with no pain relief. The doctor had to manually clean me out because my placenta mysteriously fell apart and I was hemorrhaging, and then proceeded to give me five stitches, before noticing I had no pain relief. I had to get local anesthetic injections for her to finish. I was blamed because I didn’t scream to let them know I was in pain. I guess talking to them and pointing out that the machine was off wasn’t enough. There was very little communication about what happened, too, and what communication did happen was rude at times. I figured it out, again, because of my biology background, and because I studied birth extensively. Also, some of the nurses were fantastic, as was the anesthesiologist, so I’m not blaming everyone on the staff. Still… I’m never having another child.

[@gimygaming8655]

Definitely don't feel bad for not "expressing pain" because you did what you were supposed to by telling them the machine was off.... because in my cases I do cry and scream when I am in pain and they take it as "that patient is a baby" Because things like an IV hurt me due to all the chronic pain and my EDS. I am in pain 24/7 and lots of things cause cause my condition to flaire up. They see me as weak.... so basically, show no pain and they think you are lying and show too much and they think you are dramatic. None of that is on the patient .... Doctors need to start listening

[@tanyambeaver]

Not an excuse, but the majority of hospital labs do not have the ability to do blood/serum drug screens.

[@maverickeugene3621]

I hate doctors.I have 3 as friends,they also detest doctors.

[@pamelaj.betz-baron2420]

That's awful! ((HUGS))

[@KentuckyLiz]

That wouldn't happen to a well-off white woman. Just saying. God I hate the racism in this country.

[@Lh2bme]

I had this happen to me with morphine. Went into the er with severe abdominal pain. Another staff member a couple hours later gave me a drug test after I received morphine drip. Of course it now states that I had drugs in my system on my medical records. The problem is every time you go to the hospital after testing positive, they think you're looking for drugs. It's not ok and I can't image if this was done to a pregnant woman or one with a baby in tow, because cps would be called.

[@conlon4332]

They gave you morphine, and now they're cross with you for having it in your system?!

[@Lh2bme]

I want to clarify that I wasn't pregnant

[@conlon4332]

@@Lh2bme I figured when you said "if this was done to a pregnant woman" that you weren't one.

[@RosesAndIvy]

I don’t get how this happens though. Doesn’t your medical record also say you received morphine in the ER? Does the person taking a drug test just not check your record?

[@Lh2bme]

@@RosesAndIvy you would think they would know not to do this to patients. I'm honestly not sure why they did this and months later my gp asked me about it and I told her what happened. There's really not a good solution because if you refuse a urine sample then you're considered difficult. Absolutely ridiculous. I was also on morphine because I was basically collapsing on the floor when I came to the ER due to the incredible pain I was in. Morphine makes me loopy and By that point they'd done several tests and scans. They did find the problem but they didn't really treat it. Instead they booked me follow up appointments and told me to see a specialist. I discovered the drug test results in my paperwork, the next day and was furious. But there's not much I can do about it. They have the right to drug test in my state.

[@stinastrickland6538]

Mandatory drug tests seems like a great way to discourage women from seeking medical help when pregnant as well. Especially if it's something like THC, which sure, shouldn't be done in pregnancy, but is legal in some states.

[@antasiaward1036]

We don't even know if THC is harmful, there just isn't enough research. Maybe as it becomes legal research will begin

[@stinastrickland6538]

@antasiaward1036 It's hard to research what is or isn't harmless to pregnant people...because it involves testing on pregnant people. And that's kinda frowned upon. That's why many medications are just 'not recommended' for expectant moms.

[@giftofthewild6665]

THC doesn't seem like it would be any more harmful than smoking nicotine or drinking caffeine, and certainly much less harmful than drinking alcohol so if they remove babies from mother that test positive for THC they should also remove them from mothers thay test positive for nicotine, caffeine, or alcohol.

[@tanya5322]

@@stinastrickland6538in addition to the ethical concerns of researching the effects of drugs taken/used by a pregnant person on fetal welfare…. It’s even harder to find proper scientific study when the substance you are interested in studying is illegal.

[@kylieb123]

When I was pregnant with my son I had been a marijuana smoker in a legal state but I quit smoking as soon as I had a positive pregnancy test. I disclosed that on my intake form and was traumatized by the constant distrust from my OBGYNs office where they urine tested me before every single appointment and then tested me at the hospital after a I gave birth. CPS sent a case worker to the hospital and then to my home several times afterwards even though I had quit smoking and had no plans to start because I was trying to breastfeed, plus neither my baby or myself tested positive when he was born. Such a scary experience and it made me feel like I was a terrible person even though I had just been being honest, it made me wish I had never written anything at all on that form.

[@lisongagne4520]

Yes! EVEN WITH a confirmation of drug use, and with an actual episode of drug use: separating newborns from their moms, on the sole basis of a positive drug screen? Really? That's insane. It is SO much more complicated than that. I'm a health care practitioner (psychiatrist), and I have met many women who were sober and not fit to be a parent, and also many harmless drug users who are very much fit to be a parent... life is NOT black/white. This is so frustrating.

[@Hyperlophus]

Yeah, drug users are such a diverse group of people. I know people who only use occasionally, people who are in recovery with the use of medication, and people whom are at their healthiest using at a small steady amount (usually because recovery for them has repeatedly failed).

[@edvh88]

As a harmless, responsible MJ user and parent of a toddler, thank you for sharing your view and your experience, so many other behaviors are assumed based on drug use.

[@ShawnWebb]

Regarding the "war on drugs": war cannot be delcared against an inanimate object; rather, war is declared on our friends, family, and community.

[@marymac3572]

I knew someone who had no idea they were pregnant until they were in pre-term labor with pre-eclampsia. They were drug tested, came up positive for THC in a legal state, and had to go through the whole process to retain custody of their newborn. They were unaware they were pregnant. They were still bleeding as regularly before (irregular periods), and it added stress on top of a horribly stressful situation.

[@ManiyaVinas]

You mean "she". Besides how can you unaware that you had a man jizz in you?

[@JayeEllis]

Separating a newborn from its birth parent should NEVER be anything but a last resort! The moral and legal standard is and should be 'least restrictive means.'

[@sydneeallen5527]

I PPROMed at 29 weeks, when I was pregnant with my son. I was admitted to the hospital and stayed there until I had a c section at 31 weeks. While I was admitted I really struggled to sleep, so was prescribed a sleeping aid, by the doctors, in the high risk pregnancy center, at the hospital. A day after my son was born I was visiting with him in the nicu and a social worker came in. She said that I had tested positive for drugs, they were going to check again and if I failed, they would get cps involved. I never consented to a drug test, I hadn’t left the hospital in weeks. It was wild. I am fortunate enough to be the “right” color and of the “correct” socioeconomic status and I’m sure that if I didn’t meet those standards I wouldn’t have been given the “second chance”. Our system is so broken and it’s sad.

[@Estarile]

That is wild. Like you would thing the first thing the hospitals would do after a positive test is to check the patients prescribed meds to see if it could be anything on that.

[@kosipova01]

Omg

[@edvh88]

That’s so scary. I hope you were able to file some complaints. Similar thing happened to me with a SW, and it’s frustrating when they waste resources on folks who are not having problems.

[@marieugorek5917]

I was extremely agitated as an infant. It was ADHD and autism. It was definitely not due to any chemicals, my mother's use of caffeine was even extremely moderate - non-smoker, non-drinker, never any illegal drugs. But if I had been black, what are the chances a nurse would have seen my sensory-related and attention-variable agitation as drug-related, and concluded my mother was lying about her sobriety? Statistics across legal, educational, and health care domains indicate a fairly high likelihood of that occurring if my skin hadn't been north-european-pasty.

[@bendakstarkiller3407]

Oh gosh, I remember trying to give up caffeine during my pregnancy. I am aware moderate usage is not believed to affect the baby long term. But I wanted to get to 0 caffeine before due because I had convinced myself if I did the baby would sleep through the night better😂😂😂😂. 😂😂😂😂😂😂.... yeaaaah. Babies are babies 😅.

[@lillianpilto2377]

My mom ate a lot of poppy seeds when she was pregnant with me in 1992 and 1993. She ate SO many she tested positive for narcotics but the doctor knew her and her medical records and demanded I be returned to her when I was a few hours old. Some foods and prescriptions metabolize and can provide false positives. This is why a detailed history is so important when testing for drugs.

[@Nice_Tree]

As I understand, moderate amount of poppy seeds is enough for positive result. Like, a couple of pastries with a thick layer of grated poppy seeds. That's crazy that nothing is done to exclude them from drug testing. I don't know if it's possible to design a test not sensitive to food poppy, but patients should be given the benefit of doubt at least

[@m.l.b.2908]

I work in a rehab and we never buy bread or other baked goods with poppy seeds in them for this reason. A lot of the people who come to us have children who are in the system and we do not want to fail them by causing them to fail a test from eating toast every morning for breakfast.

[@seraa3109]

@@Nice_Tree you cant “exclude” them from the test. The reason that they can make you test positive is because they have a tiny trace amount of opium in them. Its not enough to ever effect you, but drug tests are so sensitive that it’s possible for them to pick up on it. Thats why you can get a false positive for opiates if you eat them.

[@kristinehansen.]

Saw someone testing this. You only have a small handful of seeds and you test positive.

[@twothousandandchew]

i bet corrupt services has unfortunately used this to their advantages…

[@MummaQuan]

I’m in recovery from a heroin addiction, have been for a long time. I’m always very open with my doctors about this because I do not want prescribed pain meds unless absolutely necessary, just not a risk I’m willing to take. The first doctor I had treated me like total shit and acted like I was actively using, drug tested me every visit and talked down to me. I ended up switching to an obgyn that I love and a midwife with my next babies & it was a completely different experience. They were great, respectful & very kind. I still wish I could tell that one doctor to🖕

[@lindsey4178]

I know EXACTLY how you feel. I was a serious opiate addict for years and have been clean for about 8 years now. I was lucky enough to have a seemingly good Dr when my youngest was born but honestly, I could have been tested at her birth but just didn't know about it. but birth and pregnancy aren't the only things recovered addicts need to worry about. I always want to be honest with my doctors because I CHOSE to recover, no one made me. But I'm still terrified that being open about my history could come back to bite me in numerous ways. Even if I choose to stay away from pain meds if at all possible, what of I come into the hospital with a serious and painful injury? Will my doctors allow me to weigh my own risks (especially after being clean so long) or will I be denied while in excruciating pain? What if I bring my daughter into the hospital and my addiction is linked in her chart? Will they automatically assume something shady is going on and send in the social worker, scaring my kids? What if my child needs pain meds or some other controlled substance and they make us jump through hoops because of my history? And finally, even though opiates was ever my ONLY issue, what if I need some other medicine that is controlled for something like ADHD or similar? Will my doctors, again, not work through the pros and cons with me because of their own assumptions? I'm scared all the time and it seriously sucks....Some would say "oh but just pass a drug test" but after a history like mine, drug tests are terrifying. I truly think I have some trauma around it and the stress that there could be a false positive is debilitating....and I always feel so alone with these fears because doctors will often assume that if you are worried about it, youre guilty or seeking to get these controlled medications. On one hand, I hope I'm not the only recovered addict with these fears but on the other hand, I truly hope other recovered addicts can make better peace with these fears than I have.

[@MummaQuan]

@@lindsey4178 I know exactly how you feel! I also have almost 8yrs now & I’ve worried about the exact same things! I went to the hospital for a sinus infection and they were super nice until I told them about my past, then it was like a switch flipped and they just acted like I was there for meds even tho I told them I do not want any narcotics! Maybe some antibiotics but that’s about it 😂 I’ve been constantly worried about the same with my kids too, if they ever get hurt will I be judged or accused of anything? I’ve even been pulled over and the cop looked my record up and said “people like you don’t change” before he demanded to search my car. I told him no, get a warrant and ended up leaving with nothing happening but I was crying like a baby. I know I screwed up in the past, I was a scum bag & got in trouble but I’m a completely different person now. We do change & we do recover! I just wish everybody would realize & see it that way. I know trust isn’t just given, it’s earned but I’ve been working so hard on myself & doing the right thing for a long time now and I wish certain people would stop judging me for the person I used to be. Even if you’re not an addict, how many people do you know that are exactly the same as they were almost a decade ago? None! Congrats on your recovery btw! ❤️❤️❤️

[@Nylak-Otter]

Yeah, I don't tell any of my new physicians that my liver transplant was for alcoholism, and if it's a smaller clinic that doesn't need to know I'm a transplabt recipient, I don't tell them at all. I've never taken painkillers, even when I broke my back when I was 18. Now I just can't. They don't need to know why.

[@jengsci8268]

@@lindsey4178 You could be denied pain meds. I am a recovering alcoholic, clean for over 10 years. At the 6-year mark, I broke my ribs. When they looked at my chart which said I had used alcohol, even though it had been many years prior, the doctor only prescribed/allowed three Tylenol 3 tablets. THREE! No refill. Ok, that should help my pain for about a day. I called her the next day and asked if I could get a bigger prescription. She denied anything more. For broken ribs! Needless to say, I do not have good things to say about her. I understand her perspective, but c'mon, clean for 6 years? Alcohol was my drug of choice, Tylenol is not going to do anything for me as far as mood altering.

[@Teajay21]

I'm so glad you found an understanding doctor!

[@Iberlos]

Also, this just makes people that do use drugs not go to hospitals and put themselves and their babies at risk during birth.

[@edvh88]

Or not fully disclose to their doctors, which isn’t helpful to the doctors who need to know exactly what you’re on.

[@ShawnWaldron0]

Ohio recently tried to pass a law that if a mother tested positive for THC at any point during pregnancy, including the initial prenatal visit, CPS would have to take custody for the first 6 months of the baby's life. I was working for CPS doing investigations at the time and several supervisors testified against this law.

[@SaheeliRai]

That's a totally messed up law

[@tonyahancock9863]

That's crazy as it is perfectly legal in so many states and there is no evidence it harms a fetus. Also very few people abuse or neglect their kids because they're a little stoned.

[@LeftieLoosie]

This happened to my friend. Positive from the drugs in the epidural…. Her son was taken from the hospital and she didn’t get him back for 8 months. They sued the hospital…. But there was some error from the attorney and the case was dropped. 😢 destroyed their family for years.

[@bropoke6799]

I had a friend who accidentally got pregnant and the conversation about drugs and medications made me wanna comment this. They were on at least 10 different medications, if not more, for about 5 different conditions (medical and mental) and they went to the ER to get a for sure, dr level pregnancy test to confirm since most ob/gyn's in my state have had to schedule 4 months out, for the last 3 years. ER dr told them they have to stop all of their meds and sent them home. I get that certain medications are bad or dangerous for pregnancies but I think they should've done more, like ask when they could get in with their drs to get prescribed other things that are safe, and prescribe something for the meantime. Rather than have someone with severe and rare medical conditions and suffering from severe mental illnesses go off ALL meds cold turkey with nothing to replace them. Just another way of how some medical professionals fail us. They ended up having a miscarriage and went to the same ER. The nurse literally told my friend to "go bleed it out in the bathroom"

[@oipic]

Geezus thats terrible!

[@Stephaneeza]

This is horrible. Wtf is wrong with people? 😢

[@rebeccasatterley1542]

That is a horrible lack of care from both the Dr and nurse.

[@lauraelliott6909]

Oh, that's horrible treatment!

[@alexandiejames3625]

That's also not an emergency

[@ybunnygurl]

Drug screening should be done if medically necessary, but it should never be reported to CPS. If treatment is necessary then the mother should be able to see her baby during treatment. We know separation can cause failure to thrive. There is bias and we should just admit it.

[@beamazedbylola5364]

This happened to my mother in the 80s she had a C-section and then they told her she was positive for opiates. She did not get custody of her son until he was 8 months old. She had to go to parenting classes and drug counseling and she’s never done any kind of drugs. Never even smoked a cigarette.

[@jennifertimberlake6522]

I know of a mother who was told by her Dr to continue taking THC because the withdrawals coming off it could cause a miscarriage because she was extreme high risk and even had it in writing. When she had her baby CPS was called and her baby taken for taking drugs during pregnancy and she was charged with child endangerment to me that's not right and is very unfair. It took over 6 months before she could have her baby back and had to go through drug and parenting classes and be clean for a certain amount of time

[@TheCatLady65]

You can't get withdrawal symptoms from THC🤣

[@Nekogal21]

​@TheCatLady65 my dad very much did. He stopped taking it when I was a young toddler due to the sheer paranoia from it making him think me and my mum were at risk of being taken from him and quitting it cold turkey gave him the sweats, nausea, headaches and severe anxiety that lasted for a good month

[@poultryinmotion5721]

@thecatlady65 Yes, THC withdrawal is absolutely a thing. I can't speak why it would be so severe as to risk her pregnancy in a significantly higher amount than the risk from cannabis use during pregnancy. But yes, THC withdrawal is well documented. Here's a link to NLM: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9110555/

[@jennifertimberlake6522]

@@TheCatLady65 oh yeah you can depending on how much and how often you use it you can get withdrawals

[@da1stamericus]

​@@TheCatLady65yes you can. I live in Amsterdam and there is help available for THC addiction.

[@cjboyo]

edit because you didn’t mention this. They separate babies FAR more aggressively than older kids because people adopt those babies and its seen as “saving” them to give them to a wealthy white family 🙄 It’s absolutely insane to me how often hospitals drug test you without your consent. This has happened to me literally like four or five times. Every time I have found out because the doctor says “you know you’re positive for weed?” And its always been used to deny me healthcare and claim my health issues are in my head because I’m obviously a stoner junkie.

[@hayleybee2794]

I had a positive tox screen because they gave me a shot of morphine and phenergran in my glute when they sent me back home the night before I came back in and gave birth. The communication was so poor that a social worker came into my room the next morning. I was pissed.

[@matalynaustin8319]

My first, OBGYN called CPS on me and told them I was on drugs before she drug tested me while I was pregnant. I never once came up positive for drugs, nor do I take drugs, and I found a new OBGYN, I was less than 10 weeks pregnant. Edit: CPS laughed in her face and told them they couldn’t do anything anyway until I give birth if it was a true statement. I know this because she openly admitted it to me. She also put it in my medical history notes that she thought that I was under the influence of drugs.

[@GreekGeek6]

When I teething I chewed on my knuckles and it got infected, my mom took me to a doctor that she knew because she was a nurse, and they told her that if they didn't know her, they would have called CPS because the wounds were about the same size as a cigarette and my mom smokes. They completely ignored the fact that there were no other signs indicating that it was a burn, they just cared that it was small and round. Completely

[@LadyVenus125]

Oh. My. God. I have no words for this. Truly awful.

[@tonyahancock9863]

Funny, I'm GenX both my parents smoked when I was born in fact I got a rather nasty burn as a baby from grabbing a cigarette out of my mom's mouth. Nobody thought to call CPS back then.

[@ashleylynn353]

I work in child welfare and primarily investigated families where a baby was born positive for substances(for about a year of my career). There were a lot of things I didn't see eye to eye with management on. One being the stance on MAT. I support MAT. If that's how a mom is keeping sober, I'm all about it. I've seen so many different hospitals and policies. One didn't drug screen because they would not be allowed to give the epidural if a mother was positive for weed. Then there was one who tested if you didn't have consistent prenatal care, which is annoying for our families that couldn't afford prenatal care. Or the families that immigrated and then gave birth soon after (they don't count the out of country prenatal care in their decision to test). There were also a handful where the doctor called in a positive test when it was only positive because they gave the baby medication.

[@katiehensley290]

What is MAT?

[@ashleylynn353]

@@katiehensley290 medication assisted treatment. Things like Methadone and Buprenorphine

[@user-tw1um4sp2o]

Medication Assisted Treatment. It is taking medications that aid in sustaining sobriety from illicit drugs or from alcohol. @@katiehensley290

[@SwearMY]

@@katiehensley290 I think it is "Medication-assisted treatment."

[@katiehensley290]

@@SwearMY, that makes sense! Yes, how can the CPS boards not support that?

[@mandlerparr1]

my first labor was a shit show. induced, waters broken in hospital, epidural not working (I suspect the pump, because the direct shot they put in worked fine) placental abruption. They had put some sort of internal monitoring inside of me at one point and I felt like a member of the borg. I started shaking or shivering at one point, which they said was from the epidural. They also left the tube in my back the entire time I was in the hospital after. They took it out after they took out the IV even though I asked about it multiple times. Daughter was born not breathing, but they revived her and she was in NICU for a few days. I was about 42 weeks. So, later on, they come to me and say they are doing a drug test. And I am like, do what you have to do. Because you are not going to find anything in my system except what you put there. i can barely drink a couple shots without passing out, I am definitely not on drugs. So, second child, same hospital, I go in, tell them I have been having contractions more than a day, but nothing is happening. I wasn't sure if they were real, they were extremely painful, but nothing happening. They get me in, check me, I am there for a few hours, stuck at some small dilation, like 3 or 4, don't remember which. They do an ultrasound and then tell me that since I am not progressing they are sending me home and to not come back until I can't walk. Yes, that is literally what they said. so, later that night, after spending most of it in tub in pain, I go back to the hospital and I am still walking. I get into the triage room they send you first and they want urine. don't say why. But. I don't think I had ever been to an appointment back then where they didn't want urine, so not unusual in my eyes. What was unusual was that they wanted it with a catheter. I had never had one with no pain management and it hurt. and I bled. Records show they wanted it for a drug test. No valid reason, just did it. I suspect that if they ever test you after a birth, then they automatically tested you for all after that. And of course, while they wasted 45 minutes doing that, with me telling them that it is time and I am in severe pain, they haven't got a room ready for me and no doctors yet. Finally a doctor shows and tests my cervix and went "10 cms!" and I am like, no shit sherlock, I have only been in labor for like, 3 days and in pain. so, they get me down a hall and everything is happening so fast that they forget to turn any lights on. only lights is from the open door. Doc is not gloved yet, they are rushing those blue mats under me and telling me not to push. I yell, "I am not pushing, she is" one of the nurses catches, cause doc still pulling on gloves. Baby fine, I am fine, but still would have been super bad if something would have gone wrong and since they had my records of all that went wrong the first time, I think they should have made different decisions the second time. Sorry for the wall of text. and that is two stories of why Nebraska women want midwifes. and the use of drug tests to try and blame labor issues on the mother.

[@mandlerparr1]

and an episiotomy on the first one with 6 or 8 stiches. Don't remember exactly.

[@rskitty3]

I just had a baby in march. I woke up in the morning and realized it was too late to get to the hospital so we called 911. I delivered the baby in the ambulance before it left the driveway. They took me to the nearest hospital which wasn't the original plan. When i arrived they were in a panic stating I did not have any prenataal care. I had gull prenatal care from 8 weeks. Plus hypno birthing classes. Without consent they drug tested me. I was shocked to find all those results for many different drugs. Mychart still says i didn't receive prenatal care even though i was right there saying hold up, here is my doctor information. Me and baby were both negative for the long list of drugs they tested us for. Concent is not something i found in medical care. My birth was smooth and easy, drug free until i gave birth and they immediately dosed me with patosin i immediately tasted metal and lost my breath i asked what did you just do to me? They told me and i am still angry about it. They said they did that so i wouldn't bleed out. There was no indication i was in danger of that. I wish they would ask before giving drugs.

[@EliciaSolomon-rr3cn]

When I was hospitalized for seizures after a brain injury, I was tested unknowingly. I had a false positive for ecstasy, which explains why all of a sudden I was treated like shit. Didn't know about it til I got my records to try and get disability. I was livid. The judge in the appeals hearing noted it, and was part of the reasons I was denied SSI

[@tazhienunurbusinezz1703]

I think you can challenge medical records & if you are successfully able to do that, try apply again. Good luck.

[@triciaboo1204]

I have a friend/old coworker whos babys mother had her test switched with another mom on the floor 🤦🏻‍♀️ no one wanted to listen until this friend said no way she had anything in her system and that she would take another test and that they could take urine and blood from that baby(fked up thing is that they already tested the baby with zero amounts of the hard drug and still tried opening the case) they messed up the test in lab, then took sample from kid(clean) but then still assumed that the baby was premature bc of drugs🤦🏻‍♀️. They figured out who the mom that sample was but cps was already there to take over care for the wrong kid. Luckily the social worker said if she wants to retest and the kid was clean that they had to do it to cross t's and dot the i's for the case.

[@whitneym.9358]

Seeing some of the stories in the comments really shows how a lot of people enter healthcare professions not out of passion for caring for people and a desire to do good, but because they get enjoyment out of asserting power over vulnerable people. (Which, knowing how much money and effort it takes to get through medical/nursing school and how long their shifts are I just don't get it? There are many ways to be evil in the world that don't require nearly as energy).

[@jacquelynsmith2351]

Not a parent, but I regularly test positive for opiates during employer drug screenings. Medical reasons (I don't take any opiates - it's underlying medical issues that cause a false positive). I also have needle scars from blood donations (Red Cross loves that O+). Oh, the looks I've gotten when I get those false positives... but because I've been able to have my manager/employer/neighbor/whoever vouch for me, I can usually have the test re-done. If I hadn't been able to, there are several jobs I would've lost out on. A surprise drug screening without consent? No chance I'd pass that, especially if I'm worrying about a baby.

[@Werevampiwolf]

Yeah. I've had people ask me if I do heroin because I have needle scars. Like, no. I am disabled and have to have blood testing done every couple months. Also, due to being a mutant, opiods don't work on me, or require a very high dose. I've had surgery twice, and both times, I woke up during the surgery, and the opiods they prescribed for recovery because they didn't actually help (if anyone is wondering, I have a very rare variant off a CYP gene. It's actually pretty common to have a variant that makes you more sensitive to certain medications because your body processes it slower so it builds up in your system, but I have the variant where my body just burns through things before it can even take effect. It only affects certain medications, like opiods, because the mutation affects the enzymes that process the drug)

[@reannastar1985]

Hospitals do this all the time and it causes a lot of distrust in the medical establishment! I have known so many women who have lost their babies because of this! It causes way more harm than good for the mother and the baby!

[@annarichter484]

Just another example of The Land of the free failing their own citizens. It’s really sad.

[@Nemokiddy]

Huh wow... I believe in my country (Austria) you can only be arrested if they find drugs in your possession and not for positive drug tests. (But I could be wrong, I have no idea) And even when the babies are in the NICU because of withdrawal symptoms, they still try to keep the family together and help the mother to get clean and be there for her baby. Because the bonding at this age is so vital. I learned from music therapists working with these kinds of families that the mothers often feel extremely guilty and bad, so why punish them even more instead of trying to help?

[@tazhienunurbusinezz1703]

It's because the government is in the human trafficking business. If they can take a baby from someone & give it to a "nice upper middle class white family" then they have saved money as this child won't be on any programs, the adoptive family pays for the adoption & (lastly the most effed part of this absolute garbage system) they just justified the tax money that goes to fund these child welfare investigations. See how funding through congress (taxpayer funds) works for most of these things is that you have to write a proposal for how much you think you'll need. You then get funding however, you must spend all of the money you are given & if you do not, you are given way less next year. If you don't spend all of the lesser amount, you get your funding cut again until you get to the point where you are spending all of it. The way this works is straight up incentivizing CPS (or whatever name child welfare goes by in each location) to take babies away from their mothers & put them up for adoption. It's interesting that fewer older children are removed & they are more likely to provide help & support if it's not a newborn, isn't it?

[@vlmellody51]

My son was born long before the practice of drug testing was so prevalent, thank God. It angers me to think of all the women and children who are victimized by this oh-so-racist practice.

[@blairbug]

This is terrifying. During labor I was given an opiate because my pain was really bad but the anesthesiologist was in surgery so I had to wait until he was able to give me an epidural. And now knowing that if I had gotten tested, I would have been positive, that’s just awful.

[@KxNOxUTA]

I love how you go through all of the important topic and it's wild to me that authorities are called when ppl are officially in treatment! Especially when doctors keep saying "You can just tell me. I need to know for medical reasons, I'm not gonna tell anyone, this is a safe space for treatment" but then they snitch on pregnant ppl?? Wild and sexist as heck!

[@AnnaReed42]

I take ADHD meds and I've been drug tested for employment a couple of times. The first time, I came up positive for amphetamines and they wanted to see a copy of my prescription as proof that it was prescribed 🙃 The second time, I had been out of work long enough that I hadn't had meds consistently in months, so I didn't have to worry about it. Now I'm worried about that having to be part of my decision if I get pregnant and have to decide whether to be a functional human/employee or to go off my meds. It's a hard enough choice without the possibility of DCFS involvement. We get enough shit for our meds under normal circumstances 😑 Oh, and also... I bet I'd act more "suspiciously" if I DIDN'T take my meds. Eyes glazed, easily distracted or hyperfocused, prone to mood swings, impulsive...

[@RP-uu7oq]

They won't allow you to take amphetamine-based medications while pregnant, so it's an easier decision in the sense that you have one less option than anticipated.

[@AnnaReed42]

@@RP-uu7oq From what I've read, that is something that pregnant ADHD patients have to discuss with their doctors. Sometimes the risks associated with going off of one's meds can be greater than the risk to the health of the fetus by staying on them.

[@RP-uu7oq]

​@@AnnaReed42Technically true, but in reality no doctor will ever allow it.

[@AnnaReed42]

@@RP-uu7oq Everything I've read on the topic indicates otherwise.

[@RP-uu7oq]

@@AnnaReed42 I'm just trying to make you aware 🤷‍♀️ Just because something is technically possible or technically allowed doesn't mean it works in reality. I mean, easy way to test, ask your doctor about whether you are able to continue taking your medication if you decide to get pregnant. I bet you they will immediately tell you that you will need to stop taking it.

[@lareinaroja4270]

Thank you for bringing this up, the hospital in my town is notorious for drug testing all native pregnant ppl, they also treat natives more negatively than other groups.

[@MToya-dv1xz]

When physicians gave oxy out like candy for postpartum, there was no concern about opioids being passed to baby thru breast milk. But seriously, implicit bias triggers drug testing all the time.

[@RobespierreThePoof]

I thought she said the policy was applied to ask pregnant mothers in Texas who present at the hospital. The entire practice is bonkers but I feel like either I'm missing something or everyone else is jumping on the bandwagon of calling it racist. I would prefer to think that I must be missing something but ...

[@penniegwin1320]

I went to the hospital with my last baby. I was too far in labor to give a pee sample. It just wouldn't come out. I was homeless at the time too. I was told after I gave birth (one of the many reasons why I won't go to another hospital again) that since I couldn't give a pee sample they took part of my baby's umbilical cord to test it for drugs. I have never done drugs in my life and I refuse to drink alcohol when I know that I'm pregnant. But what I experienced during labor and then to be told that is why I won't go back to a hospital if I get pregnant again. They tested my baby's umbilical cord without my knowledge and consent because I was homeless!! 6 years later I'm still angry about this. I was living in Colorado where weed was legal (even though I voted no for legalization). Because I was homeless and pregnant they assumed that I would be on drugs. I don't even smoke cigarettes for crying out loud!! (I'm sorry.. Just needed to rant. Rant over now lol.)

[@youiswhoyouis3304]

If the results of a drug test are necessary to inform care, it should be allowed with patient consent or a court order. Otherwise, it's just unnecessary and harmful. It could also change your insurance coverage, along with contribute to a whole host of other (legal/ moral) problems. That is why I always make it clear I will not pay for a single test/ medication/ procedure, outside of the bounds of lifesaving emergency treatment, unless I explicitly sign off on it.

[@jenniferwintz2514]

When did all this drug testing start? I am sure I didn't have that done with my pregnancies. Granted, my youngest is 19. When a person presents in ER for whatever, they aren't subject to legal ramifications if they have used substances. I had severe back pain in one pregnancy and one of my doctors prescribed a short term opiate for me. I would have been screwed had I been tested. Why is everyone so concerned about policing women's bodies? Where is our bodily sovereignty? My daughters are terrified of sex and childbearing based on current climate in the United States and it makes me so sad. Edit: I am a middle class white woman. Perhaps this is favoritism. I'm sad for fellow women of any color or economic circumstance. Women have a hard enough slog in the Healthcare system as it is.

[@rebeccaaustin5666]

It happened back when I was pregnant with my now 27 year old. At least the drug testing. It was considered one of the routine tests for pregnancy

[@reannastar1985]

Substance abuse should not be a criminalized period!

[@misspatvandriverlady7555]

Exactly. It’s a health issue, not a criminal issue! 😤

[@codename495]

It’s a health issue with severe consequences both emotional and physical for the children born into it. Substance abuse ( actual substance abuse, not they gave me mophine at the hospital) should absolutely be grounds for removal from the parents. I was born to a heroin addicted mother, I spent my first week ( 1980s) of life in an induced coma because the withdrawals were causing preemie me to have kidney failure. My mother should have lost all parental rights that moment. Nope, all the “loving” people who assumed she would live her child more than heroin. She didn’t, my life was absolute hell until she finally died and I went to my fathers family. Addicts don’t deserve sympathy after they’ve been give a chance to get clean, they deserve every horrible thing that happens to them and they shouldn’t be allowed to drag their spawn through shit with them.

[@Teajay21]

​@codename495 ok but they should be actually reviewing the situation and if its necessary and offering treatment with the intention of reunification not criminalization. They could even set up residential programs for parents & babies after detox. They don't need to immediately take babies away upon 1 positive screening and send people to jail.

[@rizahawkeyepierce1380]

​@@codename495sure, but punishing people for being addicted doesn't help anyone. Get them into rehab and treatment and they'll have a better chance of turning their life around. They'll also be more likely to seek help if they know they won't go to prison for admitting they have a problem. And sure, sometimes drug use will necessitate removal of children for their own safety. But you can say the same for some mental health conditions, and we don't put people in prison for having those (you can make arguments about psych wards, I guess, but at least you don't have to put that on every job application).

[@fionatastic0.070]

@@codename495I’m sorry that happened to you, but I’d say that drug use alone should not be a warrant for having your child removed or for you to be criminalized. Your view of drug use is entirely too narrow. I’ve known too many people driven to illegal drugs because the medical system will not treat their chronic pain/mental illness with dignity, and they’ve never been violent or cruel. People deserve the respect we’d give them if they weren’t on drugs.

[@taay333]

Duuuude… Dr. Jones… I have the WEIRDEST experience with a pregnancy drug urine test. Literally 4 MONTHS POST the birth of my son I see a “new test result” pop up in my portal, dated the day of my sons birth. And it’s a drug urine test panel, all negative. So no big deal right.?? Except I DIDNT GIVE THEM ANY URINE that day! I did NOT pee in a cup, I had a completely natural hospital birth with NO sedating drugs, no epidural (and therefore no catheter bag to pull urine from). Like I DIDNT give urine that day, I was in my right mind, my husband was present the entire time. Like HOW was this collected?? Like unless they somehow collected the urine coming out of me during a contraction with a bin LOL while somehow my husband or I not noticing; this urine sample simply did not happen. Not during labor or the 24 hours after. Not only did I not consent to it but I can say with 99.9% certainty that it was NOT DONE 🤯. Not that it’s a big deal but I just thought it was BIZARRE LOL.

[@tjet34]

Sounds like somebody audited the file, realized a mandatory test hadn't been done, and put in bs results. That's nuts.

[@mandlerparr1]

I can remember having my urine output monitored with my last two, but maybe that is because they were c-section. Honestly can't remember if they did it with my older ones. but, if they had you pee in one of those toilet inserts, they could have got it from there. or it was just billing fraud.

[@taay333]

@@tjet34 Thank you I was thinking the same thing! I am open about my recovery and having a history of substance use years prior so they know this about me. So I’m assuming it “should” have been done per protocol with my history…? and because it wasn’t, they noticed later and fabricated the result in my file…?? The thing is I don’t even care I would have happily complied it’s just so weird how it panned out LOL.

[@taay333]

@@mandlerparr1 Oh I know those things you’re taking about and that is a great idea I thought about that too but they never had me use the “hat” insert things either! They would go check in the toilet after I peed the first few times to monitor for possible hemorrhage but never in an insert they just asked me not to flush 🤷🏼‍♀️.

[@erikamichael115]

When my son was born in 2015 I was in labor 3 days. They sent me home from the hospital the first day cuz it was too early with a benzo to help me sleep. Then when it was show time they gave me dilaudid in my IV upon arrival to L&D. Then called CPS the next day because I tested positive for opiates and benzodiazapines. This seriously needs to be taken more seriously and resolved because the trauma of being told they were not letting me go home with my baby was immense. Luckily we got it sorted but really WTH

[@SamandConnorBlake]

I quit smoking pot when I found out I was pregnant but because they tested me for drugs at my first prenatal check up (uninformed) and the test was positive I was continuously tested through out my pregnancy. Even though all other tests were negative, placenta, and babies first stool were negative they still called CPS. After one meeting with the CPS worker she couldn’t understand why they called having had one positive at test at 6 weeks pregnant (despite all other negative tests) and closed the case. It was so traumatizing and absolutely unnecessary.

[@shannoncasey7630]

This happened to me, as well. Same exact situation. I am not joking when I say that a CPS worker pulled into my driveway within 5 minutes of me getting home from the hospital with the baby. Luckily, the woman was incredibly kind and basically just checked to see if the baby had a safe place to sleep and a couple of other basics. I was so shocked though! I heard a car door within minutes of arriving home and thought "Oh- it's my Mom or Dad." or something. Nope!

[@abigailrhodes4231]

When I was in nursing school in clinicals on the maternity ward and since then, when I've had friends give birth at the regional hospital local to me (and took a peek at their charts left in the pocket at the end of the hospital bed,) the only times I've seen mothers drug tested is when the staff has chosen to do so for reasons pretty obviously prejudicial. They are POC or if white, have tattoos, bright colored hair, alternative choice in clothes, etc. I've never seen it done because someone was behaving like they were on drugs or in withdrawal from drugs. Interesting, when I was in clinical rotation on the NICU, there was a newborn there that was doing incredibly poorly and displaying really obvious signs of withdrawal. But since they didn't test at birth, it was too late to determine what drugs and if they could medicate. They missed a baby they could have helped and that baby may have lasting neurological damage simply because the baby's mother was white and looked "normal." In my personal experience maternal drug testing is employed at will and for overtly racist reasons, and when not racist, for overtly prejudicial reasons. They should be doing it for everyone as a policy or have guidelines for when and why that are clear and equitable.

[@hilarybeaumont8823]

Let's also talk about how these policies scare mothers from getting help. I struggled with hyperemesis. I found the meds prescribed to me made me a zombie and unable to care for my other children so I had to stop. Marijuana had just become legal in my province. I discussed with my midwife but because it was so new she couldn't guarantee if I birthed in hospital that if a test was done I wouldn't be reported to CAS by hospital staff. With other children at home and already vulnerable as a mom with a disability it wasn't something I could risk. So instead I didn't take something my midwife agreed could potentially HELP and continued to puke my guys out till delivery. But even that was a privilege I had as a SAHM. A friend was in a similar situation but a single working mom... She couldn't just not work becuase she was puking. Being of low socio-economic status it was even riskier for her but she had fewer choices. We weren't looking to get high and cared about out unborn babies... but constant vomiting and losing weight isn't good for them or us either but that doesn't seem to be high up in the decision-making.

[@katelynnuckolls1675]

Thank you so much for covering this topic. I’m a labor nurse and at my facility there is a standing order on the baby admission order set to perform a drug screen but I’m not sure how it’s implemented (probably with bias because I’m sure they don’t test universally). Most of the time we test moms when they come in on a stated history but mostly at the “whim” of the provider which is THE open door the implicit bias. I do want to make sure that babies that are withdrawing from certain medications get the comfort treatment they deserve as well though. I thought the best way would be universal testing. What would you suggest instead of testing all moms with consent? Even medications commonly used in labor and delivery can cause false positives, including BP treatment meds. And I don’t even think most labor nurses know that! also I totally agree that we should remove THC I work in California and it’s legal

[@devynnbelter4970]

After you read the Handmaid’s Tale, you see it everywhere. It’s very scary.

[@brendafowler3522]

I know a woman who tested positive during 2 pregnancies for opioids because she would frequently eat everything bagels (which have poppy seeds on them). The poppy seeds are what caused her positive result.

[@alexbeck9647]

I was quite frustrated that it was standard practice at my delivering hospital when I had my first to drug test without consent AND my insurance didn’t cover it so I was require to pay for a test I didn’t consent to and could not afford.

[@danibosner6537]

After I had my son, the pediatrician came in to the room and told me i tested positive for heroin...it was the mom who was a room down from me. I was so confused. He started talking about my "daughter" when I had a son. Thankfully, he realized his mistake. Scary to think they could've taken him away from me for a clerical mistake.

[@LeadTrumpet1]

My pain management doctor just gave up on drug testing me entirely because I am on multiple medications that can create a false positive on a drug test. When he did do drug testing on me, he had to order the more specific testing.

[@mizlindsayk]

The doctor who delivered my second gave me Demerol without my consent after I delivered. I would have declined had he offered me the choice, but he just said, "I just gave you some Demerol to take the edge off. You'll probably want to fall asleep, so go ahead." Such bs. Thank goodness they didn't drug test me after that.

[@thefireflycaravan6529]

This all makes me so angry. I used to work as a parent educator for young/teen moms and I feel confident saying that drug testing and child services are also ageist- they will find any tiny reason to take babies away from young mothers. Teen moms are perfectly capable of being wonderful parents. They just need support/resources like all moms do.

[@Hyperlophus]

In an ideal world, a positive drug test should only affect medical care (like comfort care for a withdrawing infant) and initiate a discussion with the patient to provide resources and knowledge. No one should be taking separating parents and infants over a single test.

[@charlievalentino1484]

THIS Pregnant at 17 gave birth at 18 they fought for 4 months to get him out of my care and eventually won putting him in foster and then I fought my hardest for the next 4 months but by 8 months he was adopted and it broke me Losing my nan the 2 years after and my grandad literally yesterday after everything I went through with my baby boy.... I mean the pain I feel... if he wasn't out there waiting for us to reconnect one day i think I'd have given up on this life entirely

[@tazhienunurbusinezz1703]

​@@charlievalentino1484It's genuinely amazing to me that anyone in the US thinks we should ever be trying to tell any other countries that how they do things is immoral. Americans hold no moral high ground & the government itself is just plain evil. Your baby & you were victims of government sanctioned human trafficking, which is very much a thing in the US & in lots of so called 3rd world countries. Slavery still exists in the US via forced prison labor & is enshrined in the constitution via the 13th (I think) amendment. We treat women, minorities, the disabled, the poor & anyone who isn't a straight white dude who is part of the upper 10ish% of income earners like straight up garbage.

[@thefireflycaravan6529]

@@charlievalentino1484 I am so sorry… I cannot even imagine the pain you’ve endured. You deserved a chance to show you would be a loving parent. I am rooting for you to stay strong until you get the chance to meet your son again!!

[@EurikaKoli]

Fun story. I know someone that couldn't stomach hardly anything other than everything bagels during her pregnancy. She got a very routine drug test and tested positive for opiates. When she only ever takes them when she gets dental work or when she had surgery. When her OB (who knew her VERY well because she had delivered a few of this person's babies before) gave her the results, the pregnant woman actually laughed. And was subsequently told to not eat everything bagels so she wouldn’t test positive at birth.

[@BlueDoes93]

I had a situation where i traveled to a legal state, consumed, traveled home and then a few days later found out i was pregnant. I was supposed to get my period while we were traveling and never did so when we got home i took a test and was pregnant! I was absolutely TERRIFIED to go to the doctor. I lied and told my doctor i didnt do any drugs at all and as far as i know i was never drug tested. I would have been positive had i been tested. My sister is a recovering addict and her doctors all know that. She had to do routine drug testing, it was mandatory for any care. She had a false positive once and they called cps on her. Thankfully nothing happened, her next test was negative. A previous friend of mine was honest with her doctor about a HISTORY of cocaine use in college. It had been years since shed done anything and they still called cps on her and they did a few visits before closing their case.

[@louiseah7662]

In Australia here, there is no “automatic CPS notification” for positive drug screening, unless there are ALSO other reasons for concern! As far as I am aware, there is also no ‘routine’ drug screening in pregnancy… usually if you do test it is because you have a reason

[@bpax7119]

To the provider who was like we only do it when the baby is agitated that is again a huge opportunity for implied biases and it also potentially waste valuable time when there are more serious issues going on. Mother and infant outcomes in the US are horrible but for African American Woman they are abysmal for a “developed” country even when items such as class, education, location are accounted for. Implicit biases and differences in time/differential diagnoses related to treatment are some of the main reasons why.

[@supercommie]

I think something like this constitutes an "unreasonable search or seizure" under the Constitution.

[@coralhayward7350]

I have complicated feelings about this, as a foster parent and sibling to adopted siblings from foster care. Several of my brothers were born addicted to heroin, mom was not a safe home (older kids had already been removed) and it was a close call to save those kids sometimes. I totally get that we should be careful to not yank kids away over insufficient evidence but...i have seen a lot of tragedies because people kept looking the other way and kids suffered for it.

[@rizahawkeyepierce1380]

Sure, but if there was more support for treatment and rehabilitation instead of just punishment for addiction, more people might be able to quit and there would be fewer kids in the foster system. Also we should stop putting people in prison for nonviolent drug offenses, which would make people less reluctant to seek help and treatment.

[@JessicaLopez-qe1xw]

I was drug tested when i got my first pregnancy test at the doc to find out if i was preggo and was positive for thc..i was a regular smoker (helps me sleep) and i live in Cali where its legal... any way i did not know i was pregnant prior and when i skpped my period i stopped smoking and drinking just in case until i got a pregnancy test. Thc stays in your system for anywhere from 2 weeks to a month if you're a regular user like i was. Later when i went into labour the hospital staff told me because of that initial test at the start of my pregnancy had been positive that they HAD to test me... even tho the nurses even said they dont do anything if it comes out positive like wow pointless -_-

[@dakotamabry1645]

I got drug tested a few times... -.- I felt agrivated by it.. automatically when your pregnant your under a microscope instead of being advised and cared for your treated like an infant . As if this baby isn't my life line at the moment.

[@rosiethered5677]

Haven't finished the video yet so maybe Dr. Jones mentioned, but you can get a false positive after eating poppy seeds. Since this is a common ingredient in baked goods and deserts, I can only imagine how many people were falsely accused because of that 😢

[@ManyARamblings]

My first baby (in upstate NY) they wanted my baby's first diaper and I didn't know so we put it in the trash and the nurse gave us a hard time because she had to get it out of there. So with my second baby (at Baylor in TX) we made sure to set it aside and when a nurse came in after she saw it and then asked us if something was wrong in the diaper and we were like no, don't y'all need that? And she was like oh no we don't do that here. It's so weird the difference

[@seraa3109]

I just had my first appointment with my ob for my first pregnancy and one of the first things she said to me after giving my history was that she was gonna have to call cps and notify them if i tested positive for anything including thc and that they would follow up when I deliver and potentially take my baby away from me. My VERY FIRST APPOINTMENT as a first time mom!! I did smoke before i found out i was pregnant and it tends to stick in my system for a while. So now all i can think about is how im gonna test positive and theyre gonna try to take my baby. I dont even want to go back there.

[@lynneconklin917]

As a nurse, I had many pregnant women admitted with sickle cell crisis. We gave them pain medication that both their doctor and obgyn approved and monitored. I can't imagine the potential nightmare that could have caused for them.

[@MissMeganBeckett]

This reminds me a little bit of when my doctor and I were going through my history and medication use and going over the results from my blood and urine and ekg tests when we were seeing if I was a suitable candidate for stimulant medication. I’m really glad I had my mom there to help with possible communication issues because I was really confused when she kept asking for more information about drug use, because I had already told her every medication I had taken in the past year, prescribed over the counter or recreational and had started to get into the details of how much caffeine alcohol and sugar I had regularly before I realized that I wasn’t actually giving the information she was looking for and asked mom to figure out what I wasn’t understanding, but my mom’s a pharmacist so she knew all the right questions to ask and it turned out that there was one drug metabolite and slightly elevated liver enzyme’s that the doctor just couldn’t pin down until we figured out that the medication I took for my period cramps the week before my tests had some codine in it and that’s what was showing up in the test, but we also had to go over absolutely everything else before we thought to check drug metabolites produced from the individual ingredients of my over the counter pain relievers because she had to evaluate how likely I was to become addicted to stuff. Loosing access to your newborn baby is a lot more high stakes than wether you get prescribed medication for brain things though, and informed consent is really important.

[@tabathaalshalhoub1653]

I was 8 months pregnant with my first and I had bad bronchitis. I was coughing 24/7 and not sleeping. And my gp prescribed medicine with codeine and told me, “you can’t go without sleep. It’s more important that you get sleep than side effects of this on your pregnancy. Not sleeping is more dangerous than this medicine.” And still the pharmacy didn’t want to give me the medication. And I asked the male pharmacist why. And he was like, you’re pregnant. I won’t give it to you. And I said, call my doctor. And he wouldn’t. So I said, “if I miscarry or this baby dies because I’m so sick and you won’t give me the meds, I’m going to make your life hell until I die.” There was another pharmacist there and he said, I’ll just give you the meds and you can leave. And after I gave birth I was offered Tylenol with codeine and it was fine. I didn’t use it, but it was offered. So. I’m white but was poor at the time.

[@lindaarmstrongjackman9788]

It shocks me , as a retired Canadian nurse, how punitive and racists the laws and health care system are in some states. We also have systemic racism/bias in our health care here, but without as much cruelty.

[@AB-ty7kh]

I wouldn't be so sure we are any better in Canada. Look up birth alerts and the history of Indigenous women's babies being taken away and litterl forced sterilization before. Guarantee they are absolutely using these tactics in Canada to take Indigenous kids away still

[@RobespierreThePoof]

Canadians would not tolerate the kinds of nonsense that some of the states get up to. There's a moral sickness in some of these corners of the US that goes back decades and decades - so far back, you might begin to wonder if sociopathy is some kind of environmental pathogen.

[@shaderasbora1033]

Canada uses birth alerts and forced sterilization of individuals in the indigenous community still. We’re not much different than the states.

[@SoupEaterExtraordinaire]

As an Indigenous woman I've got to say you couldn't be more wrong.

[@bootsandcats1501]

I wouldn’t go that far lol There’s plenty of cruelty

[@azurastarfire]

2 years ago in college where I became a registered nurse in Missouri, we were taught that consent was not needed for drug testing of mothers and of baby's cord blood because the risk of not doing it put the baby in danger because the care team would be unaware of possible complications from drug use. When we were doing clinical rotations in the hospital drug testing was routine for ALL mothers admitted and if anything came up positive they recieved at least a CPS visit 1 month later. I thought it was unethical then and still do. It goes against everything we're taught about patient's rights, such as the right to refuse. Now pregnant myself, I am so worried about being one of the mother's who have their baby taken away in the hospital because of a drug screen because I have been continuing my ADHD medication throughout pregnancy, which has been okay with my midwife (CNM) and psychiatrist who have been monitoring me closely. There have been women who have had false positives on drug screens because of poppy seeds and would've had their baby taken away if not for their lawyer stepping in.

[@theheartyaerie]

I agreed to drug testing during pregnancy by my doctor office I don’t use drugs so it wasn’t a problem for me they tested during each trimester. At the hospital they still acted like I do drugs. I went to a low income dr

[@mariagonzales3877]

Thanks for speaking up on this! I am a mother/baby nurse and I see this all the time! It is one of my soap box issues at work. We serve a community with a high population of indigenous patients and I have called out the racism in our drug testing policies over and over. It all lands on deaf ears but I will not stop!

[@BonnieKellySparks]

This also happened to me last year when I had my son. I tested positive for ecstasy and some very old antidepressants. I'm a therapist so I already know about medications and knew that none of these were taken. I did get a bad cold right before delivery and was instructed to take Mucinex and Sudafed alternating. I'm fully convinced that that's why the drug screening popped positive. Immediately CPS was called I was not allowed to breastfeed my baby and I was not allowed to be alone with my baby my husband had to be with me. As others have said I am a white middle-class woman so I know that things went a lot smoother for us than it ever would have for a person of color or in a different socioeconomic bracket. I was unemployed when I first got pregnant so I had pregnancy Medicaid and I'm fully sure that that's why I was drug tested without my consent. I even asked them where my consent was that I allowed them to do so and they said it's in the paperwork. never was it explained or mentioned that that was part of the paperwork. It was traumatizing because I have childhood PTSD from growing up in poverty and CPS coming to our house multiple times and never taking us away which needed to happen. Just having CPS in my life again and a brand new baby I got postpartum depression and anxiety and we had a very troubling start with breastfeeding sleeping and everything. I fully believe it negatively impacted all of those things and I was not able to end up breastfeeding my son like I had wanted to. Things definitely need to change and I'm a substance abuse counselor. No one should be drug tested without. Period. And if the tests are known for having false positives then why in the world are they allowed to be continued to used?

[@MissMortiss]

After I gave birth, the woman in the next room had her baby taken cause she was tested without consent, they found a script med in her system and she didnt have the bottle on hand, it was her script, and they took her new born for it a day after birth, I'd never seen so much pain in a person. I really hope she got them back once things where proven but holy -fuck-

[@1rkhachatryan]

This is why there should always be consent given for any tests done, it's wild smh.

[@zzevonplant]

I was investigated by CPS for being on medication that I was told I HAD to keep taking & could not quit taking because it could cause me to miscarry potentially - it was prescribed, the doctors prescribing it were communicating completely with my OBGYN's office, etc. - & the hospital knew all this and still "had to" call CPS, apparently. So stupid. Luckily, they deemed me to be an acceptable parent for my own child, but the fact that it was ever even a question is totally insane. And I was treated like ABSOLUTE *DOG S---* by nurses, doctors, etc. and let my one OB induce me just to avoid going into labor while the other guy was on call, because he told me he wouldn't give me any pain medication during birth because of my "history" (& it was also less scary, as a rape survivor, to have a female doctor I felt comfortable with than a male one I didn't, that was another factor.) Asshat. They gave it to me with my other doctor, & it wasn't a problem at all. And one nurse, who was very nasty to me & got mad at me for things I had zero control over (like my legs being numb from the epidural, so she 'couldn't' move me), & went behind my back to tell my husband he should be careful with me & us having a baby because I was going to relapse & be a bad mom & all this crazy crap. Four years later, everything is still great, I'm not a crappy mother, & I'm not on drugs. People treat addicts, presumed-addicts, people they think may be addicts, even just people that are on certain meds that aren't addicts at all, etc., etc. like TRASH, & this is especially true with medical providers.

[@zzevonplant]

Oh, and I was also kept from breastfeeding my daughter for TWO WEEKS in the NICU, and it wasn't even because of the meds, because they were having me pump & feeding her that... so it wasn't that. There was literally no reason for it. When I talked to her pediatrician about it after two weeks & them still not letting me nurse, he was shocked & confused & had no clue why the nurses had told me I couldn't nurse this whole time. My hospital birth experience was completely insane. This was only the tip of the iceberg, they also kept me from my baby for almost an entire day after birth, also not because of the meds or for any other reason - seemingly just because they were too lazy to put me in a wheelchair with my cath-bag or something.

[@jfinney225]

I live in Illinois in the USA and I’m currently on methadone and pregnant. By law my clinic has to notify DHS of my pregnancy and upcoming delivery. They tell me not to be concerned but…. I AM! And it’s safer for me to stay on methadone and in treatment than risk relapse while pregnant. It’s also very risky for the fetus to taper while pregnant. Even if the mother only experiences minor WD symptoms during taper, the fetus is usually experiencing them way worse. But this pregnancy was supposed to be impossible (I was told I’m unable to have more kids) AND I was currently on birth control even still when I got pregnant. So 🤷‍♀️ I’m doing the best I can. So far both of us are healthy and doing just fine. It’s a girl and I’m due in January. 🥰

[@pegs1659]

Congratulations!

[@lostsith]

This is MANDATORY at Christus St Vincent's in Santa Fe. I was appalled.

[@completelycrazy1]

In my country pregnant women are not drug tested at any point. Treating pregnant women like that is offensive and helps no one, neither the moms nor the babies. It also completely breaks the trust between care provider and patient when they do these tests without informing the mom.

[@koffeekell5518]

When I got pregnant I was using thc. And cbd I stoped both when I found out I was pregant 30 weekS later I gave both we both were tested I was negative. But she had 0.1 micro grams of thc in her system and cps still got involved I am now not allowed to work with kids because thay said I neglected her

[@morganbudreau8957]

I remember a news story about a woman who got drug, tested while in labor, and tested positive for some thing, I can’t remember what it was, due to the fact that she had eaten a poppyseed bagel that same morning. I think it’s perfectly fine to do drug testing throughout the pregnancy, but it needs to be consented. Wouldn’t this stop CPS from getting involved with the women who were actually abusing drugs during pregnancy? My views are pretty complex as well. I also 1,000,000% disagree that they shouldn’t just look at a black woman and say they’re going to drug test her simply on the grounds that she’s black.

[@jazyjayg4462]

Thank you for talking about this. My twin almost got frist kid takin away because of this and they didn't tell her either.

[@intorainbowzOG]

I am married to a Mexican and share his last name. I had an IUGR pregnancy. Scheduled cs birth early. Child into NICU. Someone ran a drug test on me post birth. Of course I tested positive because I'd had major surgery. Caused unnecessary trauma. I was not asked for consent. Had Nicu staff thinking I caused the IUGR by my drug use.

[@megnotmegan1966]

This is a slightly different thing, but along the same lines my partner and I have had to have (and pay for!!!!) pregnancy tests when neither of us have slept with a man, just because it’s one of the tests regularly run to rule things out….

[@mandlerparr1]

I had a tubal and can't remember my last test.

[@SwearMY]

I've had a tubal, and was asked every appointment if I could be pregnant. I had a hysterectomy, and am still asked fairly frequently if I could be pregnant. That would be quite the trick.

[@megabigblur]

To be fair to the hospital system in this situation, there are plenty of people who lie and say they haven't had sex with a man for various reasons but still fall pregnant. I saw a funny research paper a few years ago about the high number of "virgin births" in the USA (obviously the authors weren't taking it literally but highlighting the large number of pregnant people who swear up and down they didn't sleep with a guy)

[@cariwaldick4898]

The sad thing is, even if a pregnant woman is using drugs during pregnancy, the damage is already done by the time they test. This doesn't prevent ANY harm; it just penalizes a woman already in a bad situation. If a woman is using drugs, the testing makes it more likely she'll take her chances on a home delivery, or neglect prenatal care. I even knew a woman who was planning on aborting, because she'd used drugs before she knew she was pregnant.

[@houngrysdigest1525]

When I was pregnant I made sure I stayed away from everything and poppy seed bagles. I didn't want to be accused of anything. They have us walking in eggshells here.

[@germariadillard4182]

I smoked marijuana and it’s illegal in my state. I told my ob and was tested throughout my pregnancy. My levels actually never went negative but they tested baby and she was negative. Also,they still let me breastfeed.

[@DeuceSSS1845]

Thank you for speaking on this!!! Many won’t even touch the subject! Things like this should be solved in MANY ways than automatically getting cps involved.

[@Me_chelle93]

My cousin was in the bathroom in her room after she gave birth and the nurse barged in on her because she hadn't locked the door, she did NOT knock she just walked in and caught her with a Suboxone. Which they weren't giving her for some reason, they refused her pain medicine after a C-section and all medications. She was about to die from withdrawals so I gave her some of mine to help her and they took her baby THAT DAY away from her to another part of the hospital. It was so sad. I felt so bad.