Cannabis and pregnancy...Your opinions

My question seems to be taken out of context. My fault I might have provided better back ground info and more clarity.

I am not a junkie that needs to smoke pot for the heck of it. I use THC as a form of alternative pain managment. I am a cancer survivor and chemo left my skeleton like a honey comb. Modern medicine says it's okay for me to be leagally addicted to oxycotin and other narcotics they would prescribe for pain. I say no to drugs. I "smoke" through a vaporizer which removes the harsh carcinagons(smoke). I also ingest THC. I am not getting high I am trying to function. And if I can even get pregnant and carry to full term I would like to fully understand my options.(no this is not my source of info)

I found an alternative birth center here where I live, I met with the director and interviewed the staff. (I firmly belive in being educated) I feel totally confident with their expertise and philosophy. My next door neighbor birthed all 4 of her children there and highly recommended them. I was able to be open about my past health issues and current pain managment techniques. The midwives are more than willing to work with me and help lay out a plan that works for MY body. Shame the stigma cannabis carries when other legal perscription drugs are truley evil.

 

I am in FULL agreement there, and have had similar pain management esperiences myself. I think the people who posted up here all gave their own honest opinion regarding their own/most pregnancies, w/o being able to fully understand your own situation. While the prevailing opinion does seem to be "why risk it?" I think most people also understand that everyone, and every situation, is different. The only ones who can most accuratlely assess the danger-level for YOU and your baby are yourself, your doctors, and your partner.

I wish you good luck and happiness with whatever you decide!

 

Æ

 

It's true that mother and fetal blood does not mix together. Baby has own blood, separated by the placenta from mom's blood. But, lots of things pass through the placental barrier into baby's blood, most everything in mom's bloodstream, including things once thought totally safe, like the meds they put in an epidural. If it is in mom's blood, it's a safe bet to assume baby is being exposed to it.

 

Somethings don't cross the placental barrier... meds, i mean. My asthma meds don't cross over, and neither does acetaminaphen (ibriprofin (advil) does cross over). If you do a simple google search, typing in the med of choice, and placenta, you should get a site that offers a list of what drugs are safest for expectant mothers. I never did a THC check, as it wasn't relivant for me...

 

Some drugs pass the placenta, some don't. Alcohol does cross, like icetea said, many asthma meds do not in much quantity. Pain killers only pass in small quantities. Some antibiotics do, some do not. It also depends on the mother and the baby. There are moms on "addictive" drugs whose babies do not become addicted, and some who do. Nicotine does pass, in many cases, and is the reason that babies born to tobacco smokers have a few weeks of fussiness after birth.

Be careful checking internet sites for this infor, as some have agendas. It also depends on when during the pregnancy (drugs that pass used earlier tend to have more of an effect on actual development effect, drugs used later can effect labor) but it also depends on the individual womyn and baby.

 

NO!! If the placenta were only a phyisical membrane, the size of the particle would be the main determinant of what passed.
The placenta is living tissue, the varying biochemical sensitivity to different chemicals plays a major role.

 

warpedsoaper, awesome to hear you're planning a homebirth. I just had my son at home, and it was the greatest decision I've made. Amazing experience.

In Florida, midwifery is extremely regulated. I started out my pregnancy still living in Florida, and saw two midwives in the Orlando area (that I hated...they were no different then going to a doctor, HIGHLY medicalized and didn't like the fact that I did my own research and asked them questions). I'm so glad we moved, because I found amazing midwives here. Anyway, the midwives in Florida did drug test, and were not at all open to the idea of medicinal pot usage. Seeing as how the midwives in FL are super medicalized because of FL state laws and insurance companies, I'm not sure how great your chances are of finding midwives who will support that.

I've read a lot about using tiny amounts of pot to ease very extreme morning sickness, with success and no harm to the baby. I've also read that pot is attributed to causing some facial defects to the developing baby, though the study didn't say how much was smoked how frequently. I'd be willing to bet that pot is less toxic then the possible prescription medications you could get. Have you looked into any other possible natural, pregnancy-safe alternatives? I've just seen so much about pot going either way that I personally did not find it to be worth the risk while I was pregnant.

 

My mother was a pretty big pothead. But during pregnancy, she decided to not smoke pot. Now, while she was pregnant, she did smoke ordinary cigarettes, but she wasn't aware of the consequences of such things back then. When it came to pot though, she said the happiness she felt of being pregnant was more than enough of a high for her. I too plan not to smoke while pregnant, but when I'm actually giving birth, I think I'll indulge in a toke to aid along my natural birth.

 

I personally think that any kind of smoke or "mind-altering" substance can be harmful to a baby. Of course, not a lot of tests have been proving this, so whatever you're most comfortable with

 

I have not had any children, but I think that if you don't want your child to be born as a nicotine/cannabis addict then you shouldn't smoke during the pregnancy. There have been many stories about babies who are born with cravings and addictions because they're parents took drugs or smoked or whatever. Is it really worth it?

 

Well, thinking "personally" isn't science. Most studies have shown little to no effect of weed on a developing pregnancy. It's kinda like saying "I think, personally, that the sun revolves around the Earth." Now, if you "personally think" that YOU will not use Weed during pregnancy, that is fine, but quite a different thing than "thinking" something which science proves is not true.

Having the opinion that YOU will not use weed when and if you become pregnant. Great. Having an "opinion" which contradicts more than a dozen scientific studies isn't.

Just pointing out the difference between an opinion and a fact. Nothing personal.

In fact, not taking a folic acid supplement during pregnancy IS associated, in every study done, with an increased risk of several neural tube defects. It is a fact. Yet, no one is getting upset with mothers who aren't taking this supplement, despite the fact that we KNOW it is dangerous not to (unless you have a diet VERY high in folacin and the average American, Canadian or West European does not) people are getting upset about something that has no proof behind it.

I don't quite know why Weed tends to polarize people so much. It's just a damn herb.

 

Wow I guess I really did stir the pot with this topic. No pun intended. If you can't tell from the ticker...we are besides ourselves. Had our 1st meting with the birthing center and the 3 mid wives. What an awesome experience this is going to be. I have tapered off my use and replaced it with exercise plan to try more of that. BTW great job to the mods not just in this thread but others, great support. Sure I will need it later

 

Take good care of yourself, soaper. Eat well, drink lots of water and baby yourself. As the pregnancy progresses, ask the other womyn and myself for good books to read about childbirth and breastfeeding and child rearing.(I am a Lactation Consultant and parenting educator.) We have some wonderful moms and dads on the Parenting Forum. Please feel free to start posting there.

Maggie
Moderator
WIF
Parenting
ect

 

Nancy Reagan did it. Ever since the 80's people have thought of it on a level with crack, cocaine, and cigarettes, when it doesn't even come close... The studies do not back up any claims that pot is addictive or that it causes any problems for fetuses or infants, even later in their lives, but people choose to believe the "drug war" propoganda instead. *shrug* whatever

 

Yep. The propaganda distorts the issues, and makes unimportant things seem important and imporant things seem meaningless.

Nancy Reagan. Never take advice from a womyn who looks like a Mardi Gra float.

 

NO.

No smoking. No cannabis. No drugs. No alcohol. Would you give a baby a cigarrette or a spliff? Well.. that's a bit harsh. In the end, it's your choice, but if I had a baby inside me (err.. hopefully that never happens).. I'd postpone the partying lifestyle for at least nine months.

As for the safety of weed... a friend of mine who works in a mental hospital has told me that more and more cannabis users are being diagnosed as schizophrenic and being sent to her hospital, apparently over half of her patients atm have smoked weed, can't be good.

 

I'm sure ALL of those patients have drank bottled water at some point, and eaten McDonalds, perhaps many have eated sushi...maybe it's the sushi...

Lots of people have smoked weed, just because half her patients have doesnt mean their are in an institution because of it.

The misinformation and propaganda surrounding this issue is rediculous. It would be nice if we actually had more research and study that was done without "pro" or "con" motivation behind it. I really believe we could turn cannabis into something useful if we could get past all the bias and propaganda and really do some solid study and research on the use and effect of this plant.

 

That's kind of a flawed argument. Everyone breathes air, does prolonged exposure to air cause cancer? No.. Everyone walks outside in the sun, does prolonged exposure to the sun cause cancer...? Yep.. but maybe it's just the sun-cream companies trying to exploit our ignorance...

No-one NEEDS to smoke weed, and I'm suprised that you're not prepared to accept that it could cause brain-damage. Even if it's not schizophrenia, the symptoms in many people are similar enough to it that they're treated in the same way that schizophrenic patients are.

I could have elaborated and said the patients my friend had were all frequent cannabis users at the time they were diagnosed, not only that, but nearly all of them had no history of mental illness, and no precursor symptoms before they started smoking, which is very rare in schizophrenics.

I used to smoke all the time and saw no problem with it, so - as far as I can tell - I'm not posting mis-information here. There is no doubt though, when you're around frequent smokers, there are visible negative effects.

Outside symptoms in frequent users include: lack of motivation, apathy, mental addiction, lack of an active social life/desire to have one, tiredness..
Inside symptoms (from my own experience) include : delusions, paranoia (ranging from mild to extreme), loss of control, auditory and sometimes visual hallucinations, lack of energy, headaches (lack of oxygen most probably).

Do you smoke/take weed yourself? I'm just wondering, as it sounds like you're pro-weed.

 

i'm not pro-weed. I am anti-propaganda.

I think people deserve to know the real information, not what you, pastor bob, or nancy reagan wants them to know.

Of course I have smoked weed. Just about all the people I know have. I know lots of heavy smokers, yet I do not know anyone in an institution after smoking. And with such high risk for mental illness you are describing, where HALF the patients are there because they smoked weed, you'd think that I would at least know SOMEONE affected in the same way. But alas I dont. You are giving us no real facts here, just something your unnamed friend thinks he knows.

Where is this famed institution that claims half it's patients are there because of pot? What research have they done into it themselves, because if you are correct and so many people turn skitzo after pot they are doing a disservice to the world by not publishing their findings and warning people of the severe danger of marijuana use.

A family friend of ours is a doctor that works specifically with schizophrenic patients (paranoid to catatonic) and has for the last two decades, and I have never heard even a inkling of this kind of information from him.

Everyone has a friend that know's something, don't they?