Pot while breast-feeding
I am a pot smoker and am going to have my first baby. I've been a good girl. I haven't smoked while pregnant for fear of a piss test and having cops take my kid, but I do intend on breast-feeding. I need to know the truth about marijuana and breast milk. I hope this question doesn't embarrass you.I can't find out any information I can trust. Could you point me in the right direction? If it will harm my child or his development then I will by all means abstain, but if it won't then I will want to smoke. It's been nine long months. Thank you for your time.
Natalie H,
Internet
THC and the other cannabinoids are transferred to the baby via breast milk. To my knowledge, there are no studies of babies whose mothers used marijuana while breast-feeding, but did not use during pregnancy.
Dr Peter Fried, a researcher at the University of Montreal, has followed the children of middle-class mothers who used only marijuana during pregnancy and a control group whose mothers used no substances.
For the first five years, Fried observed no differences. Then he started to notice, perhaps unconsciously prompted by the threat of a funding cut-off from the US government, that there were subtle differences in the groups of children. The children of the pot users had a slightly higher intelligence than the other group. Fried has attributed this to "the earth mother effect" ? marijuana-using mothers on average spent more time with their kids and read more to their kids.
However, he claims that kids born from the marijuana-using mothers have slight gaps in "executive functioning." An example he gives of this type of function is the skill and speed at which a person can recite the alphabet backwards. Even so, he says that the cognitive differences are very slight and are not significant as compared with neurological damage to fetuses from cigarette smoking or consumption of alcohol.
There are several other studies of the effects of marijuana use on the fetus. None have shown any significant differences in functioning.
Another aspect of marijuana is its effect on appetite and feeding. In one study, Esther Fride of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem injected newborn mouse pups with a chemical that blocks the body's receptor sites for its endogenous cannabinoid, anandamide. The pups had problems feeding. Some of the mice died and the survivors grew slower. Pups that were given the blocker and a supplemental dose of THC fed normally. This suggests that a baby fed by a lactating marijuana user might be more likely to have a healthy, well-regulated appetite.
Readers with grow questions (or answers) should send them to Ed at: Ask Ed, PMB 147, 530 Divisadero St., San Francisco, California 94117, USA. You can also email Ed at AskEd@cannabisculture.com, and send queries via his websites at www.ask-ed.net. All featured questions will be rewarded with a copy of Ed's new book, Best of Ask Ed: Your Marijuana Questions Answered. Sorry, Ed cannot send personal replies to your questions.
Just found you for the first time
It is refreshing to read your answer to her question. I've had the same question, but have basically just kept my mouth shut and kept to myself. I wish I could be an open-advocate, and maybe one day I will be, but it is slow going, as I have learned not to trust opening up to people on this subject. I'd rather not deal with people and their instant judgments. Thank you for your information!
THC and Breast Feeding
I've been very concerned about this subject as a new mom and my smoking during breast feeding. This post was extremely assuring and I also found this article from the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Drugs posted on kellymom.com
http://www.kellymom.com/health/lifestyle/marijuana.html
It is so refreshing to have
It is so refreshing to have someone answer this question honestly and unbiased. I am a mother of two, both of which i smoked cannabis occasionally while pregnant and, regularly while nursing. I have seen no adverse affects in either of my daughters, one is 2 and the other 3 months, in fact their doctor says they are above average and have no medical problems what so ever! It is very important to continue to show the rest of the world that cannabis is safe, I encourage all parents to be their on advocate on this important matter.
Marijuana in breastmilk
I have been researching this same information and have found no credible information regarding long term effects. I have, however, read in numerous articles that during the first month the baby's brain development may be significantly effected by the THC consumption via their mother's breastmilk. Most of these studies, however, were conducted on mothers who were heavy smokers. That fact might encourage some to smoke occasionally, but THC is stored in a mother's fat tissues and can be found in a baby's urine for weeks. I am insulted as a budsmoker to see the claim that children exposed to marijuana during infancy are more intelligent in the long run. "The earth mother effect" is bullshit. Weed is weed and trying to say it's good for you is why nobody takes potsmokers serious. Natalie H: I would advise you to at least wait a few months before smoking again just to be safe. Your baby deserves that much. I know I am.
Most people, and any
Most people, and any physician, would completely disagree with the content of this post.
Here's a few points I thought would be helpful for readers.
1. The responder, "Ed Rosenthal" is not a doctor.
2. "I haven't smoked while pregnant for fear of a piss test and having cops take my kid, but I do intend on breast-feeding" - This is sad to say the least. The person searching for information is concerned only for themselves and not the health of their child. Can anyone really take this seriously?
3. "To my knowledge, there are no studies of babies whose mothers used marijuana while breast-feeding, but did not use during pregnancy." - This means that Ed does not know of any studies, but this DOES NOT mean they do not exist. Studies do exist. Studies by qualified people who document the ill effects of smoking marijuana while breastfeeding.
Questions regarding your child's health should be directed towards a qualified person, such as your physician.
Re: Most People, and any
Ed does not know of any studies that exist of mothers using marijuana while breastfeeding, but who did not use while pregnant. Do you? It would probably be helpful it you cited which studies you are getting you information from so that the people on this discussion board can obtain all the information pertinent to their questions.
What studies?
I have to second that... what studies? And what intelligent people? Also, I've been looking for about 2 hours at numerous resources, websites, forums and discussion groups, and from what I've seen, most of these sites, groups, ect. state that there's no shown negative effect from occasional use of marijuana while pregnant and breastfeeding. The only negative fact I have found numerous times is the possibility of your milk production decreasing slightly.
And here's some of the websites I've been to, in case your interested. I'll show my sources, why don't you show yours?
http://www.pregnancy-info.net/forums/Breastfeeding/marijuana_and_breastf...
http://www.hipmama.com/node/1824
http://www.babycenter.com/404_is-it-safe-to-for-moms-who-breastfeeding-t...
And your physican knows
And your physican knows everything right? Since he or she has been programmed to say what the government thinks is right..
really kellymoms.com??! really?
I just want to say. I went to the "kellymoms.com" site someone suggested, and it is the worst stand up of information. It goes on to say that marijuana use by the lactating mother can disturb the metabolism of the DNA and the RNA. (*!?)
You know what else does that? CANCER.
Marijuana cannot cause cancer you damned idiots.
And that's all I wanted to say. My point can stop there, and you can ponder that. Plus if you have ever tried marijuana, you will completely understand the "earth effect". It makes more since in the grand scheme of things than anything else. The point is, to quit creating fear where fear is not due.
It's an advancement of reality. I think.. that the ultimate since of reality is what brings you closer to admitting whats really happening. Clearing up a foggy perception. Obviously cannabic plants can not cause cancer. Yes, it makes since that the child would be more intelligent, due to the "earth agent" within the plant. It's botany for crise sake. Science, not opinion. Solid theories, testable by Hypothesis. Don't ruin that with creating side clouds.
Your information there at fancymoms or whatever the hell, is dangerous and not as valuable even when citing!! At least this article lists the actual person, department and school on where to find them, if we needed to double check they're quote or study.
The other site doesn't even do that!!
I'm sorry, but I think I've backed my opinion, and showed your article (directed to the writers at 'fancymoms'.com), that your article is farther from reality, and not creditable directly. Therefore since you show your information can not be pinpointed, I will assume it is opinionated. Therefore! not deserving my attention, when searching for answers of real doctoral value.
Thank you. Have a good one.
reply to a comment
Oh and anonymous dec 28? For your heads up on that, physicians will actually tell you to smoke marijuana to help with vicious morning sickness, but to ofcourse use only a little since the fetus is growing rapidly, and to not tell anyone know they recommended it, since it is morally fabu in our society. I can count 4 people who have had their physician say that to them. I didn't need to consult mine, and I was just recently pregnant to hear these stories. If you've ever been pregnant you know how it is to be searching about information, when your pregnant. So before you join the bandwagon, look more into what physicians say. Not necessarily whats written on paper, but what they are actually telling clients.