# BF and moderate alcohol & marijuana consumption?



## Vikingmama (Jan 22, 2007)

Hey moms. I'm looking for opinions on possible ill effects of marijuana smoking by breastfeeding mothers on the babies. Does anyone have experience with this personally or now of any studies done? And how about a beer in the evenings a few nights a week or a small glass of wine? My nurse said the beer thing is actually good for you milk supply. There is just so much conflicting info. out there that I'd love to get some opinions from mom's with personal experience, or ideas to the contrary.

Thanks! VM


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## RootSnort (Nov 22, 2006)

I'm a licensed pharmacist, so no green smokies for me or I'll lose my license.

But beer, well, I have been drinking a single dark beer (the hoppier and more brewer's yeast, the better) many nights before bedtime. I have found no behavioral effects at all on DS, there is no one bottle of the day (i pump) that makes him sleepier than any other. I make a lot of milk (about 35 ounces a day now, was as high as 40 ounces), and many people tell me that DS is the happiest baby they've ever met. So, I'm a satisfied customer!


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## Ravin (Mar 19, 2002)

Well, I have no info about or experience with illegal substances, even ones as relatively harmless as marijuana. However, I'd be very wary of where you got it, kwim?

As far as alcohol, from what I've gleaned on Kellymom and LLL websites, the alcohol content of your milk is about the same as your blood, and rises and falls at the same rate. So light/moderate alcohol consumption is not going to have a major effect on the babe, esp. if you time things to have your drink while or right after nursing (presumably a while before the next nursing session). The few times I've had a drink since I had DD DH has cracked jokes about giving the baby a mickey.


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## Vikingmama (Jan 22, 2007)




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## FreeThinkinMama (Aug 3, 2004)

There's a study, you would have to google it since i lost the url, but they did on mothers in jamaica who smoked marijuana while nursing and there was no difference between those children and the children in the control group. it was a longitudal study as well, meaning they followed these kids for several decades and still noted no difference.

i'm convinced that in general marijuana is much less harmful than alcohol. i've known people who died and got cancer from alcohol consumption. i can't say the same for marijuana.


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## jenrose (Apr 25, 2004)

I seem to recall some pretty negative stuff about effects of potsmoking. Any time you're smoking an herb, be it tobacco or pot, you are creating a huge number of chemicals and toxins, even if it's "natural", they're just part of the combustion process.

I'm also concerned that THC has such a very long half life--it is detectable 30 days after smoking! Usually the shorter the halflife, the safer, so from that perspective alcohol is definitely preferable.

That said... Alcohol is toxic to every cell in the body, but most of all to fast-dividing brain cells. So caution with alcohol is warranted.

THAT said... it is very difficult to drink enough alcohol to make one's milk even fit the legal definition of "alcoholic"... breastmilk percentage is the same as blood alcohol and thus, .08, the legal limit in many places, and the equivalent for many moms of about 3 drinks, results in breastmilk that is less than one tenth of one percent alcohol. Have "a beer" a couple times a week is unlikely to affect a baby, although I might not do it if I was nursing a premie, because with alcohol, bodyweight is *always* relevant.


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## mowilli3 (Jan 7, 2007)

I don't know anything about smoking pot, but I think air quality might be a concern when having the baby around.

I have had good results drinking 1 Guiness extra stout to get my milk supply super charged. Light drinking, 1 drink per week, is fine. Moderate, 1-4 in a week, is probably ok, but with a new baby, I'm so sleep deprived that I worry about making myself too sleepy to care for the baby.

I think the bigger issue is making sure you aren't impaired because the baby requires attentive and alert parenting to be healthy and safe. I think if anybody has a hard time avoiding alcohol or drugs even with an infant in the house, they probably should talk to a doctor.


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## cosmotion (Jan 21, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *FreeThinkinMama* 
There's a study, you would have to google it since i lost the url, but they did on mothers in jamaica who smoked marijuana while nursing and there was no difference between those children and the children in the control group. it was a longitudal study as well, meaning they followed these kids for several decades and still noted no difference.

i'm convinced that in general marijuana is much less harmful than alcohol. i've known people who died and got cancer from alcohol consumption. i can't say the same for marijuana.


the women who worked on those studies is amazing! her name is melanie dreher
there is also another woman that you might try researching
her name is susun weed

i read today, that marijuana is used to stop hemorrhaging after birth in several locations around planet earth

not to mention, cannabis is amazing for curing nausea and reducing stress

i have used cannabis since the beginning of my pregnancy
if i hadn't, i would definitely not be able to nourish the baby, as keeping foods down is difficult.

cannabis is also extremely beneficial for meditational purpose (in preparation for birth)
i often find myself inside a deep connectedness with the little human cavedweller inside me

i also plan on using it during birth..not so much as a pain reliever, more like...
a pain translator
i want to understand the reasoning behind it
and focus on the needs of my child


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## Aprilbaby07 (Dec 8, 2006)

http://www.mothering.com/articles/pr...ana-side4.html

http://www.mothering.com/articles/pr...marijuana.html


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## ShadowMoon (Oct 18, 2006)

There have been many discussions about this before but in my own opinion, I say listen to your gut. I do both in moderation, usually in the evening after my DS has nursed and is sleeping. I've never noticed any behavioral differences but I also don't have enough to get drunk or very high either. Follow you instincts and take it easy. Peace~*


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## nighten (Oct 18, 2005)

I don't know about smoking pot, but I have read that if you smoke cigarettes while BFing, then be sure to do so outside, away from baby, and wear something over your clothing. Pull your hair back and afterward wash you face and hands carefully, and remove the coat or whatever you were wearing, because baby can get secondhand smoke from your clothes and skin after the fact.

It can take about 90 mins I think for the nicotine to fade from your system (so I've read), so you shouldn't smoke if you'll be nursing soon thereafter.

I would imagine the effects of pot would be hard to anticipate on an infant, since they vary on adults, even. Yes, marijuana is an herb, but like many other herbs, just because it makes you feel good (or relaxes you or whatever), doesn't mean it's necessarily healthy to ingest when breastfeeding, because of the potential effect it could have on your child, either short- or long-term. But as with anything, it's a risk versus benefit issue that only you can decide in terms of your comfort level for your babe.

I'm not trying to come off as anti-pot, but I'm the kind of person who always got freaked out when someone purposefully blew pot in their cat's face. I can't imagine doing it to a baby, even if it's via breastmilk. But that has more to do with my own comfort level and desire to minimize exposure of substances when it comes to my child.

So all that said, I'd stick with a beer if I were you, just to be safe.


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## Mama Poot (Jun 12, 2006)

I have a glass of wine with dinner every now and then, and sometimes a mixed drink like strawberry daquiri if we go out to dinner. WATCH IT with the mixed stuff. I had a pretty strong sd once and I think it gave ds an upset tummy. I dont smoke weed, it makes me want to puke. I'd be too scared to get it off the street- who knows what it could be laced with, not worth the risk. If you want it that bad, grow yer own


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## cheygirl (Jun 13, 2006)

I have a bit of wine or beer (usually a half glass) about once a week. I wouldn't be totally opposed to smoking pot very occasionally, but the main reason I haven't is because I feel that I need to be totally present while caring for DD. I can't be high when she's awake; and because we are cosleeping, and it's hard to measure your dose (and thus reliably predict when it should wear off) the way you can with alcohol, I'm a little reluctant to be high any time in the evening either. I suppose if I had a babysitter, a pump, and a few hours in the afternoon, I might feel ok about it, once in a while. Just my $0.02!


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## intorainbowz (Aug 16, 2006)

Not taking an issue on safety or ethics of the use...

Just a warning....

If you ever somehow get involved with the child welfare system... ie someone calls your use in, you get an allegation of something else but when the worker comes to your home your bong is out or the house smells of pot... your child will have a hair strand or meconium drug test which will come back as positive. With past experience in child welfare, that is not a good thing, and will likely end up with your child in foster care.

I would be very concerned about the purity of any pot. It makes sense that if tobacco smoke is bad for an unborn, then pot would be bad for the same reasons... LBW, etc.


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## L&IsMama (Jan 24, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *cosmotion* 
i have used cannabis since the beginning of my pregnancy.









! Um,I'm no expert,but I don't think that's a good idea.







:


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## seamama11 (Jan 5, 2007)

I think both in moderation should be fine. I never noticed a difference in my son after smoking. I usually smoke at night after he has gone to sleep, and only a little bit.
Sarah


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## lurve (May 5, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *jenrose* 

I'm also concerned that THC has such a very long half life--it is detectable 30 days after smoking! Usually the shorter the halflife, the safer, so from that perspective alcohol is definitely referable.

I would disagree with this statement. I think the half-life theory would be just the opposite. Meth only stays in your body for three days but can become addictive the first time you smoke it and it is a really scary drug. same with cocaine, heroine and lots of abused pharmaceuticals.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *intorainbowz* 
Just a warning....

If you ever somehow get involved with the child welfare system... ie someone calls your use in, you get an allegation of something else but when the worker comes to your home your bong is out or the house smells of pot... your child will have a hair strand or meconium drug test which will come back as positive. With past experience in child welfare, that is not a good thing, and will likely end up with your child in foster care.

i do agree that things could get harry if you get involved with child protective services, but even in a state like arizona, when i worked for them i fought (and won) to keep kids with their parents if the parents only tested positive for pot. the judges and case workers understood that pot parents weren't the problem (these parents were at least home with their kids) and that the real problem in our society is meth.

so i guess it is all a balancing thing. good luck!


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## deliarose (May 30, 2005)

I find that an occasional drink is ok, after baby has nursed. I wouldn't drink until your child can go a few hours without needing to nurse since some alcohol can show up in the breastmilk. Moderation is key. I find that I would rather have some good chocolate though....but that said reading about Guiness makes me want one...off to the store. LOL!


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## CalebsMama05 (Nov 26, 2005)

I have a drink some nights.

I don't change anything in my nursing habits and ds hasn't shown any issues.


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## ndunn (Mar 22, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *L&IsMama* 







! Um,I'm no expert,but I don't think that's a good idea.







:

Actually the drug that they give for women who have severe morning sickness is quite dangerous. I know someone who took it and her daughter has severe birth defects and tumours in her brain. She is almost 2 with the developmental status of a 6 month old. Given the choice, I would much rather use medicinal marijuana to help myself keep food down than a drug like that.


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## mamamoo (Apr 29, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ndunn* 
Actually the drug that they give for women who have severe morning sickness is quite dangerous. I know someone who took it and her daughter has severe birth defects and tumours in her brain. She is almost 2 with the developmental status of a 6 month old. Given the choice, I would much rather use medicinal marijuana to help myself keep food down than a drug like that.


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## intorainbowz (Aug 16, 2006)

Here, if you have a baby show up positive for MJ, meth, etc, I can ALMOST GUARANTEE it will be removed. That is the climate here in Utah.

As for drug testing... It can be done with out consent. The problem is that hospitals usually racially, socially and marriage status profile who they think might have a problem. If you come in off a HB transfer, I bet they run a meconium screening. (All you hippies and pot, snark sorry). There are legal and science problems with the meconium tests, but they get used in child welfare tests all the time. (IE there is not a standard level to determine a positive, no time frame for exposure, high levels do not always translate to high levels of use.) Or if you annoy staff, they might run one.

One was run on DD. When I saw that in the chart and had a row with the lovely social worker there.. she was like, well it came back clean, drugs can cause IUGR, etc. The test was run after she and I had our first "conversation". I do not fit the so-called profile for the person a hospital runs a drug test on, but one was run on me anyway, even though the notes from my OB clearly marked no concerns or suspicions of drug alcohol or tobacco use.

One problem with hospitals using a profile of who a user is means they use arbitrary and immoral reasons to test rather than assessment. Middle class married women are very prone to meth addiction. (I had a meth user in recovery who claimed she had not used while pregnant. The judge said she could keep her baby with her if meconium came back clean. She was white and married. When I went to the hospital to inquire the nurse actually said... she does not look like a drug user... At my request they did the test, and the baby was clean and stayed with mom.)

Can you tell this is a hot topic to me? It was a hot topic for me even before the incident with DD.

BTW, I in no way shape or forum endorse the racism and classism that hospitals exhibit in how they pick who to test. I'm highly offended by it.


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## whitewolfgrrrl (Mar 6, 2007)

Marijuana use will not hurt the baby, from what I've seen. My sister in law and one of my friends both smoked weed while breastfeeding and they have healthy happy kids...

Let's see... I know nothing of alcohol, so I can't tell you anything... a small amount probably wouldn't hurt but a large amount might intoxicate the baby...


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## Enchanted Gypsy (Oct 5, 2006)

MJ is a sacred and beneficial medecine that, when used respectively (as oposed to obsessively ) can be a great help to mom and no harm to baby. It is MUCH safer than alchohol..

I would however, reccomend using a Vaporizer. This works by heating the plant to a certain temp that extracts the benefical ingreients (THC) and leaves behind the carcinogens..it creates no smoke and thus none of the potentially harmful ingredients are consumed ! It is what most drs reccomend to patients prescribed MJ for various health conditions. There are several on the market, the Volcano Vaporizer being the best and most dr recomened. Below is a link to another one that kind of explains the process a bit more..

Check it out here,

http://www.marijuanavaporizer.com/benefits.html


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## lollith (Jan 19, 2007)

I would also recommend making MJ cookies instead of smoking if you are concerned. You use MJ butter and make cookies with that. The butter is quite a common food spread in some other countries where MJ is not demonized like here in the US. Recipies are easily found online.

As far as street potency, I would think most people who smoke regularly or even occasionally are not buying on the corner downtown and don't have to worry about what it's laced with. Do people really lace MJ anyway?


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## mamamoo (Apr 29, 2002)

I seriously think the lacing thing is a scare tactic. MJ is super cheap compared to most things that people would lace it with. That would be a really bad business practice.


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## cal195 (Jan 30, 2007)

I've done a fair bit of research on both of these things--marijuana and alcohol use--during breastfeeding.

One thing I thought was interesting is that while alcohol may make you *feel* like you produce more milk, it actually does the opposite. It inhibits prolactin production in the body, and it also inhibits the letdown reflex. makes sense, since it's a depressant. However, if you don't drink to excess, I'd think these effects would probably be negligible.

I've heard anecdotally about some positive effects beer--and particularly dark beer--can have on milk production. I think this is related to the non-alcohol components of the beer. So a non-alcoholic beer would be your best bet if you are truly trying to boost your milk production. If you are really worried about your production, it's probably wise to avoid all alcohol until you're not having the low-supply problem any more.

About marijuana--I too have read studies that show that babies/kids of moms who smoke once in a while don't show observable behavioral or cognitive problems. Moms who smoke a lot tend to have kids who are behaviorally behind other kids--but that's probably a no-brainer. These druggie moms aren't going to be socializing their babies and responding to their needs the same way most moms are. So it's hard to separate out potential effects of the drug directly on the baby, from effects of the drug on the mom (who then becomes a less effective mom).

As pps mentioned, I'd stay away from marijuana while pg and probably while bfing, because not only THC is introduced to the body, but also carcinogens resulting from the incomplete combustion inherent to all types of smoking. Also, THC has a long half-life, so whether it has a deletorious effect or not, it's going to be hanging around in your body and in your child's body for a long time. And the THC molecule tends to attach itself to fat, so it will be somewhat concentrated in breastmilk relative to blood.

For me, if I was a pot smoker, I'd probably indulge relatively rarely during bfing, and not at all during pg. Same with alcohol--I abstained during pg, and I drink very rarely while nursing. You could probably drink more than I do and be fine (1-2 drinks/month) but that's my comfort level.

Catherine


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## frenchie (Mar 21, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *L&IsMama* 







! Um,I'm no expert,but I don't think that's a good idea.







:

No study has proven it to be a bad idea.


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## cal195 (Jan 30, 2007)

_No study has proven it to be a bad idea._

But... no study has proven that drinking Draino during pregnancy is a bad idea, either. But most of us avoid that.







You can't rely on the absence of a study to prove that something is harmless.

I'm not saying that it's proven that pot is harmful during pregancy, either, because personally I haven't seen any studies that show that it is. But, for me, it seems like a common sense thing to avoid breathing smoke (which contains carcinogens, no matter what you're burning) when pregnant. Also, to avoid ingesting a pharmaceutical with a long half-life that's known to cross the placenta and is retained in fat, that has unknown effects on a fetus or baby. I don't think it's dumb or bad mothering to smoke pot during pregnancy, personally, but it's not something I'd be comfortable with, either.
It seems like taking an unnecessary risk. (Unless the mother is having medical issues, such as hyperemesis or anorexia, which pot could help--then all bets are off and my above remarks don't apply.)

Bear in mind that I'm risk-averse during pregnancy. I don't even plan on having an ultrasound during my next one. They haven't been shown to be harmless and I can't see the benefit, for a low-risk mom. But that's my own personal risk/benefit analysis--everybody has to make their own.

Catherine


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## cal195 (Jan 30, 2007)

_Quote:_


Originally Posted by *frenchie* 
No study has proven it to be a bad idea.










No study has proven that it's a bad idea to chug antifreeze while pregnant, either, but I'm guessing most of us avoid that.







You can't rely on the absence of a study to show that something is harmless.

In the absence of hard data, you have to use common sense. Me, I'd rather avoid deliberately inhaling smoke (which contains carcinogens, no matter what you're burning) as well as THC while pregnant. THC is a psychoactive pharmaceutical which has an unknown effect on the fetus/child, and which is known to cross the placenta, has a long half-life, and adheres to fat molecules--which the fetal brain is largely made of.

In addition, while there aren't any studies done on humans that I'm aware of (and I agree that these would be the most convincing) there are studies done on monkeys, which share 97-99% of our DNA. Here's a quote from a study published in the Journal of Reproductive Medicine:

*The effect of delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the principal psychoactive component in marijuana, was studied in pregnant and lactating rhesus monkeys. THC (2.5 mg/kg/d) or vehicle was administered during different periods of gestation, and effects on pregnancy outcome and hormone concentrations during pregnancy were studied. The most obvious effects were observed with administration early in pregnancy; three of five pregnancies aborted within days after the drug injections began, and one pregnancy resulted in a stillbirth at term.*

*Daily THC administration during the middle or third portion of gestation resulted in lesser pregnancy loss (one premature birth and four live births at term with THC treatment during the middle portion; two premature births and three live births at term with THC treatment during the third portion). All the premature infants died within two weeks of birth.*

Now, I don't know how much THC is ingested by a person smoking one pot cigarette a week, say. Maybe the amounts mentioned above are way, way greater than a normal user would get. But how can you say that ANY amount is safe *for sure* when you know that large amounts cause very serious effects like fetal death? At least with alcohol, we have some studies in humans that show that very small amount don't usually lead to bad outcomes.

Catherine


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## cal195 (Jan 30, 2007)

Sorry for serial posting! I thought my first reply didn't post, so I grumbled and wrote another one, mostly saying the same thing. Didn't mean to repeat myself!

Catherine


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## pixiewytch (Feb 7, 2007)

Okay, I'm gonna raise my hand here and admit that I enjoy 1-3 glasses of wine or beer on any given night. I enjoyed an occasional glass during pregnancy. I think this is such a controversial and divided issue. There are just as many people who believe there are no adverse effects as there are people who believe there are. I guess nobody knows for sure. I don't think drinking in the evening is necessarily a healthy habit or admirable one but it's either that or xanax or some other even more sedating drug for my nerves. Or I could just not BF at all? It gets a bit complicated and it's easy to get on a pedestal and say that abstaining completely from such substances is a no brainer or small sacrifice to pay. However, we are all human and I'm sure I'm not the only one with a few weaknesses that aren't going to disappear with the wave of a wand.

As for MJ, I don't indulge anymore and haven't for a number of years. The biggest red flag issue for me on it is that its ILLEGAL. I'm already absolutely petrified of having my kids taken away from me because I'm a nutjob who homebirthed or because I take my kids to see live music or insert other crazy alternative lifestyle stuff. There is just no way that I could justify to myself doing any substance that would automatically get my kids taken away from me, no questions asked. That is a risk I am not willing to take. I had some friends back in the day before I had kids and they had a five year old. They would smoke around her but refer to it as "the funny cigarette". I believe they had been doing it for so long that it just kind of evolved into that as she was older. I just wonder what happens when she goes to school saying that mommy smokes the funny cigarette.

Ultimately these are very personal choices and none of us are perfect. I think you just have to examine the possible risks and consequences, use moderation and common sense.


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## frenchie (Mar 21, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *cal195* 
Sorry for serial posting! I thought my first reply didn't post, so I grumbled and wrote another one, mostly saying the same thing. Didn't mean to repeat myself!

Catherine

That's alright!
There have been studies...and those studies have been unable to prove harm to the fetus. There is a thread in the Pregnancy forum, that is pulled at the moment for some UA violations...but will be returned as soon as the violations are removed. It's loaded with links and valuable information on the subject. I really don't have the energy at the moment to gather it all on my own







I will say that the studies that I have read are in complete contrast to the study you posted below.


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## TwinKristi (Mar 12, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *pixiewytch* 
As for MJ, I don't indulge anymore and haven't for a number of years. The biggest red flag issue for me on it is that its ILLEGAL.

What about in states where it isn't illegal??

I have done my homework on MJ and pregnancy as well (a LOT from Mothering.com actually!) and there ARE studies done on the outcome unlike Drano or Antifreeze. You KNOW the outcome will be catastrophic unlike MJ! These toxins are man-made chemicals, not organic! Its quite a silly comparison if you ask me.
I also have dealt with the medical field on it showing up on a drug test and they cannot take your baby over THAT alone! If you test positive in the state of CA for meth, cocaine, heroin, etc. you WILL have your baby taken away. They turn it in to the DSS immediately, MJ doesn't get turned into the DSS, and I'm speaking from experience. I have 2 little boys sleeping in their bedroom who both were tested in the hospital and the results have never come up since. I spoke with my OB specialist as well as the on-site counselor at my OB's office. I printed out articles backing up my views and she couldn't argue! I knew what I was talking about. If its not legal in your state than yes, DSS could get involved.


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## pixiewytch (Feb 7, 2007)

If it was legal and it helped me to relax then I would do the research and consider it. Even though my kid might not be taken away, "might not" isn't enough to keep me from being paranoid about it, especially in the government climate we live in today.

I'm not sure what your comparison was about man made chemicals and toxins. Were you talking about alcohol or something else? I know plenty of people like myself who drink homegrown or organic ale. I can't imagine that being as deadly as drano or antifreeze. Maybe I'm confusing what you are talking about.


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## EdnaMarie (Sep 9, 2006)

Moderation for alcohol, and as for pot, I agree with the PPs who said if you can't get it 100% guaranteed clean, don't do it. I wouldn't do either every day but I did have a couple glasses of wine each trimester. I can't say if there was an effect because I don't know what she'd have been like without it!

I almost never smoke pot- like, 5 times in my life- but I craved it during my first trimester.







There was no way to get it safely so I didn't do it, but I wous have!


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## cal195 (Jan 30, 2007)

_Quote:_


Originally Posted by *pixiewytch* 
If it was legal and it helped me to relax then I would do the research and consider it. Even though my kid might not be taken away, "might not" isn't enough to keep me from being paranoid about it, especially in the government climate we live in today.

I'm not sure what your comparison was about man made chemicals and toxins. Were you talking about alcohol or something else? I know plenty of people like myself who drink homegrown or organic ale. I can't imagine that being as deadly as drano or antifreeze. Maybe I'm confusing what you are talking about.


No no, I certainly wasn't trying to compare alcohol or pot to draino or antifreeze. My only point there--and perhaps it was badly worded--was that you can't rely on the _absence_ of a study to prove something's harmless. In other words, think of some risky, dumb thing to do, like drinking draino. There's no study to show that that's harmful, right? So why can't we all drink draino during pregnancy? Because we use common sense to know that it isn't safe. Even though there's no study saying so. So, a pp was saying that no study shows that smoking pot during pregnancy is dangerous. Sure, but there are no studies on pot, period, because it's illegal. The absence of a study showing that it causes harm doesn't mean that it's harmless--only that it hasn't been studied. Does that make more sense?







It may be true that pot is completely harmless. Heck, it may be that pot is beneficial. But--here's the thing-- *we don't know that.* There's no way to know whether it's harmful, neutral, or beneficial to the fetus. And in the absence of any hard data, you have to use common sense. Smoking _anything_ is bad, due to the carcinogenic (cancer-causing) compounds produced by the incomplete combustion. So, even if pot was totally harmless, smoking it would still be a bad thing. Maybe putting it in brownies or something would be better. But, we actually don't know that pot, even in brownie form, is harmless. It's a psychoactive compound which readily crosses the placenta, and we don't know how it interacts with the fetal brain. So, my thinking is that it's probably safer to avoid it during pregnancy.

Catherine


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## mamamoo (Apr 29, 2002)

But actually there have been studies done, correct? On jamiacan mamas. I believe those showed no hard at all...someone else mentioned it too, wonder how to find the study.


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## Enchanted Gypsy (Oct 5, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *izobelle* 
I agree with the PPs who said if you can't get it 100% guaranteed clean, don't do it.

Honestly, getting it "clean" is not really much of an issue, not in my experience. Most people who smoke herb are getting it from good organic sources that they have known for awhile or from the local "store" or club where it is sold legally, in the many states (increasing yearly !!) whrere it is now legal.

Also, once again, if used in a vaporizer the carcinogen issue is totally a moot point. ~ Pixie


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## GooeyRN (Apr 24, 2006)

Not pot for me, I would loose my nursing license... But I do drink 1-2 beers or wine on friday and/or sat nights after getting home from work. I am an EPer, and never noticed a difference in dd's behavior after I gave her that milk. However, I didn't give her the milk if I drank prior to her being 6 months old.


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## ashley1972 (Jun 25, 2005)

Huh, well I drink a glass of wine most nights after my son goes to bed. He goes about 10-12 hours before he nurses again so I feel fine doing that.

The teacher in my "breastfeeding basics" class that I took at the hospital before my son was born said that you can have one drink if you wait 1 1 /2 hours on an empty stomach and one hour if you drink it with food.


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## lyttlewon (Mar 7, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Enchanted Gypsy* 
Honestly, getting it "clean" is not really much of an issue, not in my experience. Most people who smoke herb are getting it from good organic sources that they have known for awhile or from the local "store" or club where it is sold legally, in the many states (increasing yearly !!) whrere it is now legal.

Also, once again, if used in a vaporizer the carcinogen issue is totally a moot point. ~ Pixie


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## salmontree (Mar 29, 2004)

"Out of all the OPPS (Ottawa Prenatal Prospective Study) studies and all the tests given, researchers have found very few differences between marijuana-exposed and nonexposed children. At age one, researchers found that marijuana-exposed infants scored higher on one set of cognitive tests.27 At age three, the children of moderate marijuana users (one to five joints per week during pregnancy) had higher scores on one test of psychomotor ability.28 At age four, the children of women who smoked marijuana heavily during pregnancy (an average of nineteen joints per week) scored lower on one subscale of one cognitive test.29 However, at ages five and six, this difference was no longer present.30 When the children were six, the researchers added several new measures of "attentional behavior." The children of heavy marijuana users scored lower on one computer-based test of "vigilance."31 Eleven new psychological and cognitive tests, administered to six- to nine-year-olds, showed no statistically significant differences between the children of marijuana users and nonusers. Parents rated marijuana-exposed children as having more "conduct problems," but this difference disappeared after the researchers controlled for confounding variables.32"

http://www.mothering.com/articles/pr...ana-side4.html


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## cal195 (Jan 30, 2007)

_Quote:_


Originally Posted by *harpyr* 
"Out of all the OPPS (Ottawa Prenatal Prospective Study) studies and all the tests given, researchers have found very few differences between marijuana-exposed and nonexposed children. At age one, researchers found that marijuana-exposed infants scored higher on one set of cognitive tests.27 At age three, the children of moderate marijuana users (one to five joints per week during pregnancy) had higher scores on one test of psychomotor ability.28 At age four, the children of women who smoked marijuana heavily during pregnancy (an average of nineteen joints per week) scored lower on one subscale of one cognitive test.29 However, at ages five and six, this difference was no longer present.30 When the children were six, the researchers added several new measures of "attentional behavior." The children of heavy marijuana users scored lower on one computer-based test of "vigilance."31 Eleven new psychological and cognitive tests, administered to six- to nine-year-olds, showed no statistically significant differences between the children of marijuana users and nonusers. Parents rated marijuana-exposed children as having more "conduct problems," but this difference disappeared after the researchers controlled for confounding variables.32"

http://www.mothering.com/articles/pr...ana-side4.html


That's very interesting! Thanks for posting. Can you tell me if these were published in a peer-reviewed journal, or where they were published? I'm not familiar with OPPS, and I'm curious about how they did these studies, and how much do they mean when they say some cohorts of kids tested "higher" or "lower" on certain tests.

Catherine


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## Manena (Feb 18, 2007)

I wouldn't smoke marijuana because it's not legal. You are teaching your child that as long as a substance makes you feel good and relaxes you, it is okay to break the law.


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## Enchanted Gypsy (Oct 5, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Manena* 
I wouldn't smoke marijuana because it's not legal. You are teaching your child that as long as a substance makes you feel good and relaxes you, it is okay to break the law.

umm..thats not quite true. in many states it is legal, and more states are joining regularly...


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## stacyann21 (Oct 21, 2006)

Quote:

I do not fit the so-called profile for the person a hospital runs a drug test on, but one was run on me anyway, even though the notes from my OB clearly marked no concerns or suspicions of drug alcohol or tobacco use.








That's atrocious.

I agree with mamamoo about the "pot-lacing". I'm sorry but a sack of stress is about $10 around here, I can't imagine there being any reason to lace it with anything twice that price









While you shouldn't be smoking anything during pregnancy, I'm comfortable with occasional alcohol and marijuana use during BFing. I have to ditto the concerns over CPS though, however I don't live my life catering to CPS' idea of what ideal parenting is and I find their methods disgusting (drug testing homebirthers, interviewing non-vaxxers, stereo typing single moms etc).


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## salmontree (Mar 29, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *cal195* 

Can you tell me if these were published in a peer-reviewed journal, or where they were published?

"27. P. A. Fried and B. Watkinson, "12- and 24-Month Neurobehavioral Follow-Up of Children Prenatally Exposed to Marijuana, Cigarettes and Alcohol," Neurotoxicology and Teratology 10 (1988): 305-313.

28. P. A. Fried and B. Watkinson, "36- and 48-Month Neurobehavioral Follow-Up of Children Prenatally Exposed to Marijuana, Cigarettes and Alcohol," Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics 11 (1990): 49-58."

Those are a couple of the references from the article. If you follow the link in my first post then you can see all of the article's sources.


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## North_Of_60 (May 30, 2006)

I drink. Almost every night. I don't, however, ever feel drink. One glass of wine on my 250 pounds is but a drop in the bucket. In fact, that glass of wine (or a whiskey totty tonight with my chest cold) is my "drug of choice" in regards to my pain management issues. I notice a significant difference in my comfort at night when I don't have a drink. It relaxes me. I would rather have a glass of wine instead of a hydrocodone.


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## HerbLover (Jan 7, 2006)

Wheres the smilie with a J?


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## wryknowlicious (Apr 19, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ndunn* 
Actually the drug that they give for women who have severe morning sickness is quite dangerous. I know someone who took it and her daughter has severe birth defects and tumours in her brain. She is almost 2 with the developmental status of a 6 month old. Given the choice, I would much rather use medicinal marijuana to help myself keep food down than a drug like that.

as a woman who suifers from hyperemisis everytime - I really wish I wasn;t one of the chosen few who are allergic to THC.


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