Smoking weed and breastfeeding????

[dancingbear]

I am just wondering, I know mom's who have breastfed and occasionally smoke pot. I have done some research and am confused. It seems that it is transmitted a little and could do harm in third trimester or first 6 months...but for older kids it seem that there are no ill effects. One book cited a study where there were no differences in cogtnitive function, growth or motor function in kids who were exposed. But when I asked an advice nurse at our local hospital she said it was child abuse and causes arrested development, she'd call child protective services and so on? Any opinions?
-Dancingbear

[UlrikeDG]

http://www.kellymom.com/meds/marijuana.html

The advice nurse is right that it is considered abuse from a legal/DHS perspective, just as if the mom had allowed the breastfeeding child to "do" the drug through a method other than via breastmilk. The child would likely be removed from the home, and the mother could be jailed. I don't think that's a reasonable risk for a mother to take.

[phathui5]

It can also affect your milk supply. One of my friends was exclusively nursing and (i later found) out smoking weed too. Her baby was FTT and put on formula.

Working for WIC, it's unlikely that I would report someone for doing it once in a great while, but if you're doing it on a regular basis, it's no better than letting your child smoke it. Then I would report it.

[dancingbear]

thanks for feedback

What does FTT stand for? I am finding the info useful, it has promotd some dialog with a friend of mine who needs it.
thanks,
dancingbear

[Elphaba]

failure to thrive

[UlrikeDG]

Failure to thrive. [nt]

Failure to thrive. [nt]

[beachrock]

In case this is at all helpful, I remember reading somewhere that there is a true clinical reason to AVOID recreational drugs, even pot, while BF, and it's this: newborn and infant liver function is not fully "online" right away, and is therefore not up to the task of processing the drugs from the blood the way an adult liver is.

Also true of regular alcohol consumption.

Not that I don't indulge from time to time...

[babydoll]

ugh

Although I know better, sometimes I just cannot believe my eyes.

Anyone who would consider smoking weed during pregnancy, lactation, or around their children - period - is extremely selfish - not to mention STUPID!:

AND I know because my Dad smoked it when I was growing up and I hated it but I was a kid so there was nothing I could do about it.

[xansmama]

hmmm

i'd really like to know how this is different from drinking alcohol (physically), especially since marajuana is demonized by our culture and alcohol is somehow acceptable, even though alcohol has been proven more addictive and harmful. what's wrong with an occasional puff if an occasional glass is ok??
i'd like to know how much is really passed into the mother's milk, and how harmful it really is to the baby or toddler, and if one is worse than the other, especially for the moderate mama who chooses to indulge once in a while.
:

[babydoll]

well

I don't think you should drink while nursing, pregnant, or for that matter while you have a child in your care. I have read that an occasional glass of wine is ok, but I don't still don't indulge. I put my children's health ahead of my own "indulgences."

[babydoll]

another thing

There are so many things that we can't protect our children from - being picked on at school, sickness, disease, heartbreak - why expose them to something you can protect them from?

Here is some more information:

http://www.kellymom.com/meds/marijuana.htm

[candiland]

Has anyone read the research about the Rastafari women studied in Jamaica?
Their babies, exposed to heavy smoke throughout pregnancy and lactation, actually scored higher on the tests the researchers did at both three months and one year
In Jamaica, though, they consider the effects medicinal and spiritual. When children get sick, for example, they don't touch aspirin and pharm. drugs... they make very weak ganja tea for the child to drink. They swear by it.
If it is used to raise ones awareness and/or for meditative purposes, an ocassional toke will not hurt. If someone is using to escape their problems or to "feel good", it's not a good idea, period.
The Kellymom website actually did say it correctly: that heavy use has been shown to effect infants, in that it may make them sleepy or drowsy and can be stored for long periods of time in the infant's system. The only part that seemed to say it wasn't okay in very small amounts, ocassionally, said that it was because it interfered with the mother's care of her child. This is propaganda UNLESS the mother is, as I said before, using it to escape her problems or trying to solve her pyschoses through self-medication.

[Arduinna]

I can say that I know a mom on the board that smoked while pregnant, caregivers knew and she didn't have her child taken away and she wasn't reported because she was able to discuss the real literature and studies that have been done or not, not jkust the propaeganda partyline. Maybe she will post and share what she knows? Although maybe not? I don't have the report info in front of me, but my understanding is that the jamaica study showed no negative effects on kids from pot smoking while pregnant. I also know quite a few people that have been investigated by CPS after being reported and none of the kids were taken away in any of the cases. Of course this is in a state that has decriminalized pot, so I can't say what would happen in another state.

As far as I know there isn't any evidence of FTT from pot smoking.

[dancingbear]

yikes

Oh, that is a pretty clear indication that despite popular counter culture opinion, it isn't safe, even if it is occasional.
thanks.

[dancingbear]

oohhh

I was repling to the prior post about failure to thrive, with my last "yikes" post. The whole issue is so confussing for me. I know many mom's and am part of a subculture of people who feel pot is a medicine and OK in milk. Many of the older kids are so bright and aware conscious beings, and their mom's extended breastfeeding and smoked probably more than occasionally.

There is probably more hysteria around it like it is taboo, because it is decriminalized but still illegal...ugh. I read the Jamaica study too, and another that found no ill effects, yet...I'd guess smoking anything when your still breastfeeding is probably a real bad idea.

Bottom line is that doctors cant make money off pot so it is thought to be bad...hummm

Thanks for the useful info.
dancingbear

[laurata]

Related to marijuana. Sorta OT-

I was discussing this via IM with my Dh, and he sent me this link. Not directly related to bfing, but thought provoking nonetheless.

http://cgi.kqed.org/topics/news/pers...ana/index.html

[SarahGuinn]

My issue with the link you gave laurata is that my reasons for the legalization of marijuana are black and white. The war on drugs, specifically mj, has put away people for outrageous sentences because of madatory sentencing. I won't go any further into my reasons because that's not the point of this thread.

The link you provided asks your opinion and receives it. Then says, "yeah, but!" over and over. I'm mildly insulted by the tone of it but that just because I started my period today. Heh.

Bottom line is that doctors cant make money off pot so it is thought to be bad.

This is usually my line in this reoccuring thread topic. Nail meets head.

smoking anything when your still breastfeeding is probably a real bad idea.

Also true.

I'm aware of a mother that uses mj as her antidepressant, as she's opposed to personally using ssri's or other mood elevators. I support her nursing her child just as I support my other friend who was prescribed wellbutrin while pregnant and then nursing.

It's about what works for us.

[OhMel]

candiland, thank you for presenting the Jamaican study. I have always argued that anything in moderation is OK. Popping Sudafed everyday is going to be detremental to your child, drinking Diet Coke every day will have an effect, marijuana every day will have a detrimental effect. The occasional toke will not.

Our country cannot ascertain the difference between a junkie and occasional recreational use. I don't get how we couldn't have learned from Prohibition. Whenever something is outlawed the demand for it grows and a criminal use capitalized on it. OK, OT but this drives me up the wall.

[SarahGuinn]

Also, I'm always disheartened when I hear women either being told or discussing amongst themselves all the nono's while bfing. I believe that my body can filter majority of the badness and that most of the things I've been made scared of are not as bad as I'm told because women are constantly given reasons why bfing is hard and you can't live the life you want while doing so. You may as well feed the baby formula, etc.

It's not as scary as "they" make it out to be.

[OhMel]

Sarah,

I totally agree. My sil stopped bf'ing bc she wanted to drink more than one beer. Somehow, the benefits of bf'ing are less than the effect of two beers in our culture. Very sad.