EMMA managed to give up drinking for seven weeks when she found out she was pregnant.
EMMA managed to give up drinking for seven weeks when she found out she was pregnant. It did not last. Neither she nor her long-term partner James had thought about becoming parents. ??It was a massive shock for both of us??, she said.
All too soon she was drinking again. ??It was only when I was told I had to give up alcohol, I realised I couldn??t do it. And that??s when I knew I had a problem. I justified my actions by telling myself that any damage my drinking might have done to my baby, was already done, so there was no point in stopping.??
Social work became involved, and whilst still pregnant, Emma, 42, was referred to a drug and alcohol service, and her unborn son??s name was placed on the child protection register.
When Hamish was born in July 2012 he had a thin upper lip and flattened philtrum, the area between the nose and mouth commonly affected by foetal alcohol syndrome. For Emma and James though, the unconditional love was instant. Once home from hospital both stopped drinking to enjoy the first precious weeks with their newborn son, but that did not last either. By mid-August both had started drinking again.
They were both prescribed the anti-craving drug, Campril, but it did not make a difference and the drinking continued to spiral out of control. ??I was so ashamed that I started to hide it,?? Emma said, ??secretly consuming half a bottle in the bedroom."
Hamish was taken into the care of family members for the best part of a year. But when he was two months old Hamish??s social worker recommended that Emma and James work with the NSPCC??s Parents Under Pressure (PUP) programme. And that was when things began to change.
Parents Under Pressure is one of the schemes that will benefit from The Herald??s Christmas fundraising appeal in aid of the child protection charity NSPCC Scotland. It is certainly much needed. In Glasgow there are an estimated 6,000 children affected by parental drug or alcohol misuse. Substance misuse features in the lives of one in four children protected by local authorities.
??What we are seeing is an intergenerational issue and we??re trying to stop that,?? said Parents Under Pressure??s Anita Heyes, a children??s service practitioner and qualified social worker based in Govan. ??If we can support a parent who is currently receiving support for addiction to maintain that and support their child then we??re going to break the cycle.??
Parents Under Pressure, which has been running in Glasgow for three years, offers intensive, hands-on help for parents using cognitive behavioural therapy and positive reinforcement technique.
??We were on the programme for 20 weeks,?? Emma said. ??We??re in a good place now. I??ve been completely sober for four months. And James has cut his drinking down considerably.??
??It??s still a battle. It scares me that I still think about alcohol, but I??ve learned to open up to James. The difference now is that I know I have all these sources of support and I??m not afraid to use them.??
??Hamish was loved from the get-go. He had to undergo brain and heart scans to check everything was healthy, and he??ll continue to be monitored as he grows, but from what we can tell at the moment he??s developing normally, which is a huge relief.??
Emma is now studying for a diploma in hospitality management at college. ??I??m really enjoying the course and would like to get a job when Hamish starts school.
??When I first found out I was pregnant, I was scared and anxious. Never did I imagine that a bad situation could turn out to be such a positive one, and we have PUP to thank for that.
??I never expected to be called Mum, but it??s the best feeling in the world.??
HOW TO DONATE TO OUR APPEAL
To donate £4 to NSPCC Scotland and help protect children, please text HERALD to 70744 or to donate online please visit nspcc.org.uk/herald
For terms and conditions, please visit nspcc.org.uk/smsterms.
Contact us online for more information at nspcc.org.uk or email events@nspcc.org.uk for ways to get involved. You can also send to NSPCC Scotland, Templeton House, 62 Templeton Street, Glasgow, G40 1DA. Cheques should be made out to NSPCC Scotland.
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