Becoming a mom should feel joyful—but for mothers in recovery postpartum, the weeks after birth can be the most dangerous time. Sleep loss, pain, hormones, and legal stress can collide, and many women worry about postpartum MAT and visitation rights if CPS is involved. Here’s the truth: overdose and suicide are leading causes of death in the year after delivery in the U.S., and babies under one are the most likely to enter foster care. That’s why a clear plan—medical, legal, and emotional—matters on day one. As Maya Angelou said, “I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it.”
Navigating This Guide
This hub page serves as the entry point for deeper exploration. Use the links below to dive into specific areas of Special Situations & Family Roles:
- CPS and Addiction
- Treatment & Recovery
- Outcomes & Appeals
- CPS Basics & Parent Guide
- Family Roles
- Stories, Media & Community
- Legal Guides
- Practical Tools
- Court-ordered
Sub-Menu
- Newborns & CPS: Hospital Notifications, Plans of Safe Care
- Mothers in Recovery: Postpartum, MAT, and Visitation
- Pregnancy, Addiction & Custody: What to Expect
- Grandparents & Relatives: Becoming a Kinship Caregiver
- Immigrant Families & CPS: Language Access, Cultural Considerations
- Fathers in CPS Cases: Rights, Paternity, Reunification Paths
- Domestic Violence + SUD: Safety Plans that Courts Respect
Why the Postpartum Window Is So High-Risk
The postpartum period isn’t just “fourth trimester.” It’s a medical and social high-risk window:
- Relapse risk rises with pain, sleep disruption, and mood shifts. For many women, cravings spike between 6 and 12 months postpartum.
- Mental health matters. Postpartum depression and anxiety affect a large share of new parents; untreated symptoms can fuel relapse.
- Medical changes (like rapid dose changes or stopping medication) increase overdose risk because tolerance drops quickly.
- Child welfare stress can intensify everything. Infants have the highest rate of entry into foster care, often linked to safety planning, not just a single drug test.
The good news: treatment engagement, safe-sleep and feeding support, and a written care plan reduce hospital readmissions and improve reunification. You don’t have to do this alone—postpartum is exactly when services should lean in, not step back.
Postpartum MAT and Visitation Rights: What You Can Ask For
If CPS is involved, you still have rights. Understanding postpartum MAT and visitation rights helps you protect your health and your bond with your baby.
Medication for Addiction Treatment (MAT)
- You can continue MAT (e.g., buprenorphine or methadone) during and after pregnancy. It’s a recognized, evidence-based treatment that lowers overdose risk.
- Ask your hospital and CPS worker to put MAT in writing within your Plan of Safe Care or case plan (dose, prescriber, pharmacy, follow-up dates).
- If anyone suggests stopping MAT, request a medical team meeting. Sudden changes raise relapse and overdose risk.
Visitation & bonding
- You can request frequent, predictable visits—ideally multiple times per week at the start. Consistency helps infant attachment and your recovery.
- Ask for developmentally supportive visits: calm room, feeding time included, skin-to-skin when appropriate, and coaching from a parent-infant specialist.
- If transportation or childcare is a barrier, request practical supports (bus passes, supervised visitation near home, virtual check-ins between visits).
Your participation
- You have the right to attend meetings and hearings, bring supportive documentation (treatment letters, therapy attendance, negative tox screens), and ask questions.
- Request a patient advocate or social worker in hospital conferences. Invite your OB, MAT prescriber, therapist, and recovery coach so the plan is coordinated.
Build a Plan That Works: Health, Bonding & Case Goals
Think of your plan as three braided strands: your health, your baby’s needs, and the court/CPS goals. The stronger each strand is, the faster you move toward stability and reunification.
1) Health & safety
- Keep MAT stable; schedule your first postpartum medical and therapy visits within 7–10 days of discharge.
- Write a relapse-prevention mini-plan: triggers, three people to call, safe-caregiver backup, and local 24/7 crisis lines.
- Ask for pain management that works with MAT (non-opioid options, lactation-safe meds, physical therapy).
- Sleep is medicine. Arrange a night-shift helper (partner, family, or friend) even two nights a week.
2) Infant care & bonding
- Learn safe sleep, feeding plans, and soothing routines (especially if baby had withdrawal symptoms).
- Schedule pediatric visits before discharge; add a home-visiting nurse or parent-infant program if offered.
- Track feedings, diapers, and milestones in a simple app or notebook—these records show stability.
3) Case milestones
- Ask your caseworker for written, measurable goals (e.g., “Complete 12 weeks of IOP, attend 2 visits/week, maintain housing, 8 negative tests”).
- Keep a proof folder: attendance slips, treatment letters, medication lists, and a calendar of visits.
- If a barrier pops up (transportation, childcare, work schedule), request a case plan adjustment in writing. Courts value proactive problem-solving.
What the numbers tell us: programs that engage new mothers early, maintain MAT, and boost visitation frequency see higher reunification and lower relapse. Coordination—not punishment—drives safety.
True Stories of Addiction: Featured Video & How to Get Help
“From delivery room to day-by-day recovery: how one mother used MAT, therapy, and a Plan of Safe Care to protect her bond and bring her baby home.”
Nadine started abusing substances at a young age after being introduced to alcohol and drugs. Going hard on alcohol, meth, pain pills, heroin and then finally losing her children to CPS. Struggling with abusing substances for years, Nadine received help and support from her family that allowed her to admit she had a problem and fight for her recovery. Something clicked inside. When Nadine admitted she was addict, it lost its power over her. It was after she completed treatment at crossroads, she was able to start getting visitation of her kids. Finally her daughter was able to come home. Sobriety is so magical.
Ready to take the next step?
- Find care now. Search our treatment directory for programs experienced with pregnancy, postpartum, and MAT.
- Call our helpline: (866) 578-7471. Get matched to trusted providers, peer support, and legal-aid referrals in your area.
- Bring this checklist to your next appointment: MAT plan, therapy schedule, pediatric follow-ups, visitation calendar, backup caregiver, transportation plan.
