When Do I Stop Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) Before Delivering a Baby? 

When Do I Stop Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) Before Delivering a Baby? 

In the case of nine months of pregnancy, when to consider to stopping LDN if natural delivery is planned and not cesarean section?

It's a great question.  I know a lot of people who took LDN  during their delivery because a lot of people don't use pain medications during their delivery.

Here's the scenario: a lot of babies like to be born in the middle of the night. If you normally take your LDN at night and you go into labor you're probably not going to deliver in the next four hours.  Maybe six hours. If this isn't your first baby and you pull them off pretty quick.   Maybe you won't need pain medication.

Let's map out the worst-case scenario.  It's 10 o'clock at night and this is when you normally take your LDN.  So, you take your LDN.  All of a sudden, it's 11:30, your water broke.  You've gotten to the hospital. 

Okay, you get there and you're asking for pain medication.  Tell them that you took LDN and you need to either wait a wee bit before you get some. Or they may use different medications in your epidural or anything that they might give you orally.  Be open about it. 

If you want to stop LDN you could stop a couple of weeks before your delivery.  It really depends on if this is your first baby and you have no idea when baby is deciding to make its presence known,  stop a couple of weeks before your due date.  If this is not your first baby and you give birth really close to your due date, then you could stop a few days before.

I do know of people who have taken an LDN and have needed an epidural within a few hours and either number one; they wait, or number two; they use other medications for that process.  They're really upfront and open with their anesthesiologists. 

Anything to add Sam? 

Say you're at week 37, if you want to stop, I would stop at week 37 because then you're kind of in the clear.  The other thing I would add is, remember Naltrexone is at low doses so if something were to happen and you get an opioid pain medication six hours, later it's most likely out of your system, and remember for reversal with Naltrexone, for opioids, we're talking 300, 150 milligrams, so we're talking extremely different doses. 

So, you will more than likely be A-okay if they even do give you opioids. Please make them aware, like Michelle is telling you, but more than likely everything will be fine.