m thers in recovery
P R O G R A M
For expecting mothers & their babies
If you are pregnant and in need of medicationassisted treatment for opioid use disorder, contact us to learn how you can participate in the Mothers in Recovery Program.
A healthy start for mother and baby —in life and in recovery.
Located in the Women’s Health Center at Cheshire Medical Center in Keene, this special program offers you and your baby the care and support you both need to get a healthy start. All communications are strictly confidential.
Call: (603) 354-5440 or visit: cheshiremed.org/mothers-in-recovery
Offering medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorders along with social and psychological supports during prenatal - postpartum care. Newly created posters and other informational materials about the MIR Program are being distributed throughout the community.
but just being a mom, and being with others who can understand. Pregnancy is an opportunity for significant change, and these women are in the same place in their lives.” MIR also connects these new moms with community services for home-based case management, parenting support, and home-visit nursing care.
A profound impact The Mothers in Recovery program is having a profound impact on the women and newborns who are part of it. Lana*, 29, is a case in point. She became addicted to opiates after the birth of her first child at a Vermont hospital, eight years ago. “I had a really bad tear and was in a lot of pain, so my doctor gave me a prescription,” she relates. Hers is a common scenario: Of those who began abusing opioids in the 2000s, 75 percent reported their first opioid was a prescription drug, according to national research.
6 Spring 2017 | Health + Wellness
When she got pregnant again, Lana tried quitting cold turkey—and suffered a miscarriage. For the next couple of years, she participated in a maintenance program along with court-ordered offenders, including men. “I felt like a number, and they treated us like scum,” she says. “All you want to do is overcome a situation you feel bad enough about in the first place; you don’t want to be made to feel guilty for trying to get better.” When Lana conceived again, she found a Rutland, VT maintenance program for pregnant women. But it ended when the doctor left and a replacement couldn’t be found. “My husband and [by now] two sons and I had the opportunity to move to New Hampshire,” Lana says. “I was pregnant again, and so anxious. I called the Women’s Health Center about prenatal care and discovered Mothers in Recovery. “It was amazing—this program is so
different,” she continues. “The doctors and nurses don’t look down on you; they’re here to support you, every step of the way.” Last July, Lana gave birth to a baby girl. “She tested negative for [buprenorphine] and had no withdrawal symptoms,” Lana reports. “She’s completely healthy.” Lana also was able to breastfeed, which was important to her. “We do drug testing during the prenatal period and on arrival for labor, and if there’s no other drug besides their prescription in their system, MIR moms can breastfeed,” says Glasschroeder, who notes the Women’s Health Center provides a lactation consultant. “In addition to proven health benefits, breastfeeding can lessen signs of withdrawal in the baby,” she adds. Because NAS babies have increased caloric needs, breastfeeding moms often must supplement with formula so their newborns don’t lose weight. For MIR participants who want to breastfeed