Cannabis during Pregnancy and Lactation
As more and more countries legalize the use of cannabis for medicinal or recreational purposes, its use by pregnant women could become even more common.
Given the fears and uncertainties surrounding impaired fetal neurodevelopment and the exposure of the mother and fetus to the adverse effects of smoking, women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant are often advised to stop using cannabis. Gynecologists shouldn’t prescribe or suggest the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes in the period before conception, during pregnancy, nor during lactation. This includes THC-free CBD oil. Of course, THC CBD oil shouldn’t be taken under any circumstances without medical consultation.
Women who are pregnant or considering pregnancy are generally advised to discontinue the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes in favor of another treatment for which there is better safety data in relation to pregnancy. Insufficient data is available to assess the effects of cannabis use in infants during lactation and breastfeeding, and in the absence of such data, routine use of cannabis isn’t recommended.
After giving birth and stopping breastfeeding your baby, Down to Earth has a great collection of THC-free CBD oils and many other CBD products that you can try.
Why Do Some Women Use Cannabis during Pregnancy?
If it’s true that a large number of women use cannabis during their pregnancy, we might wonder why this is so. While some recreational users are unable to quit, even when pregnant, other women turn to cannabis to alleviate difficulties that occur during pregnancy. Some of them consider that cannabis works better than prescription or non-prescription drugs. Even some women ask us if we’ve any THC CBD oil for sale, which we don’t sell.
Some of the reasons why some women reportedly use cannabis during pregnancy are as follows:
Morning Sickness
One of the most common reasons women use cannabis during pregnancy is to deal with morning sickness, nausea, and poor appetite. In addition to that, they feel unwell; another potential reason is the concern about the insufficient nutrition of the pregnant mother.
Pain
Some of the mothers-to-be use cannabis to relieve pain, either the pain they suffered before pregnancy or back pain that has appeared or worsened during pregnancy.
Anxiety and Insomnia
The fluctuation of hormones and changes in the body can cause anxiety, irritation, and insomnia due to pregnancy. This makes cannabis an attractive treatment, as some studies claim its ability to reduce anxiety and promote long-term sleep. Despite its incredible properties, we believe that there are safer ways to deal with anxiety and insomnia during pregnancy than CBD products, especially CBD oil with THC.
Important Note
The effects of CBD during pregnancy haven’t yet been fully researched, so we clearly don’t recommend using CBD during pregnancy, especially CBD oil with THC in it.
Always check with your doctor before taking any medication, vitamin, or herb while pregnant or nursing.
CBD Oil during Pregnancy
The research on CBD oil is still in its infancy, so to speak, and the conclusion of how CBD, especially THC CBD oil, can actually affect the unborn child is completely unexplored.
There’re suggestions from researchers who conclude that THC and CBD can cause possible complications in the growth of the embryo. Furthermore, another study shows that synthetically produced CBD can have a negative effect. Since everything that the mother takes is also absorbed into the bloodstream of the embryo, CBD oil with THC must be prohibited during pregnancy and lactation.
Therefore, we definitely say no to using CBD during pregnancy.
Effect of Cannabis Use on Lactation
More research is needed to assess the effect of cannabis use on infants during lactation and breastfeeding. In the absence of such data, the use of cannabis during lactation isn’t recommended. Breastfeeding women should be aware that the potential risks of exposure to cannabis metabolites are unknown. Therefore, they should stop using it during this time.
After breastfeeding, you can continue using CBD products and even buy THC CBD oil and try it after consulting your doctor.
The FDA Warns of the Danger of CBD during Pregnancy and Lactation
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearly warns that cannabis, in any form, should not be consumed during pregnancy and lactation. This also applies to CBD, as there’s no extensive research evidence to support the effect of CBD on the developing fetus, mother-to-be, and nursing baby.
The FDA is constantly updating information on the possible negative effects of CBD during pregnancy and lactation. However, only precautionary conclusions are currently available.
Final Thoughts
Currently, there’re no officially approved indications, contraindications, precautions, or recommendations for the use of cannabis during pregnancy and lactation.
Women who are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant should also stop using cannabis for medical reasons and try treatments for which there’s better evidence of safety during pregnancy. High-quality studies on the effects of cannabis and cannabis products on pregnancy and lactation are needed.
Always check with your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist before taking any medicine, vitamin, or herb while pregnant or breastfeeding.
At Down to Earth, you can’t buy CBD oil with THC. All our products are THC free and tested by independent labs to ensure their quality and purity. You can check the lab reports on our website.
If you need more information, check out our blog. Of course, if you’ve got any questions, you can drop a reply or contact us. We’re here for you!