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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Original poster

smoking cannabis while pregnant...

33 replies

misha633 · 17/08/2009 16:01

controversial issue, i know. Personally i wouldn't but i know quite a few women who use it to alleviate severe (and not so severe ) morning sickness as it's an anti-emetic. Though i get the impression that some of the women i know are just using this as an excuse. Does anyone have any experience of this? i'm treated a bit like a freak for disapproving at times...

OP posts:
lljkk · 17/08/2009 19:17

Sounds daft to me(mostly sounds like an excuse as U say). Do Ur mates toke the whole pregnancy, always the same amounts?
I had pretty bad MS mind, I imagine I'd be sorely tempted if it had been suggested.

ThePregnantPhantomPlopper · 17/08/2009 19:52

Is it an anti-emetic?

When we used to experiment with it at school at least two people would throw up.

Sounds like an excuse and a pretty crap one at that.

kormachameleon · 17/08/2009 19:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

victoriascrumptious · 17/08/2009 20:53

I think whether something is good or bad in pregnancy should be based on good science rather than scaremongering and social preferences

There is no conclusive evidence to suggest that cannabis is damaging to unborn babies. The same cannot be said for other recreational drugs

And no, I don't smoke.

The act of taking smoke into your lungs cannabis/tobacco/bonfire smoke/whatever acts to reduce the supply of oxygen to the baby. So if your mates wanted to protect their children they should eat the cannabis not smoke it

victoriascrumptious · 17/08/2009 21:00

Nicotine is believed to be a antiemetic. Never heard the one about cannabis

hester · 17/08/2009 21:13

There is no conclusive evidence of damage caused by cannabis, but medical advice is overwhelmingly not to smoke dope while pregnant. Not least because most people smoke cananbis with tobacco, and there is plenty of good evidence on the harm that causes.

Original poster
misha633 · 17/08/2009 21:39

yeah, i was suprised when they threw out the 'anti-emetic' line as i've spent many a teenage party holding back someone's hair when it didn't agree with them. like so much research it's 'inconclusive' if it is or not. kormachameleon pretty much summed up my (and DH's) view on this matter. Being the judgy person i am if they were mates i'd suddenly find myself busy whenever they called but it's the SILs and their crowd. And my nephews and nieces need their favourite auntie!

OP posts:
lljkk · 18/08/2009 08:21

Maybe you could suggest they eat it rather than smoke it, misha. But leave it at that, sounds like they are determined to keep up their habit.
None of the cigarette smokers I know had bad MS when pregnant; something that I did envy them for.

sybilfaulty · 18/08/2009 08:33

I can think of few things I'd like less than a joint in the heights of bad MS, but perhaps that's just me.

All drugs (inc nicotine, alcohol, caffeine, paracetamol etc) carry risks and it is up to the individual to weigh up the risk before taking them. I personally think it is bonkers to ingest cannabis whilst pg and would tell a pg friend that, but I suspect you've done that. I didn't bother researching the posssible effects of drugs on the foetus as mine would not have come into contact with cannabis etc but I imagine they're not pretty.

rookie81 · 18/08/2009 08:55

I have smoked cannabis while pregnant to alleviate morning sickness. I was ill. Bad. I lost half a stone and just couldnt eat, the doctor gave me various anti sickness tablets which didnt work and made me feel drowsy (i crashed my car in this time too) a friend suggested it and i only needed 2 'pulls' on a joint or a tiny bit to eat and i could eat and keep it down and sickness went. I wasn't particularly thrilled at having to do this but i was at my wits end. I'm now 22 wks have had no sickness since week 18 (i was ill from week 7) and so dont have any anymore and I'm now battling with a very active baby who keeps me awake most nights with kicking!!! I can understand that some may use as an excuse to continue using it but i used it as a last resort. To be honest i felt more uncomfortable with taking the anti sickness tablets. Cannabis is well documented as being a cure for morning sickness, labour pains and period pains and used to be widely used.

4andnotout · 18/08/2009 09:00

My sil smoked hash all through her pregnancies and then was surprised when her babies were tiny and in high dependancy units

Personally i think it's a pathetic excuse, there are controlled anti-emetics to be had and for the not so serious cases just be sick and get over it ffs.

Sorry for the rant but it makes me so angry!

Longtalljosie · 18/08/2009 09:41

There are some US states where you can be prescribed cannabis while on chemotherapy, as an anti-emetic.

So yes, it may well stem the sickness. Still doesn't excuse it, in my view.

tinymam · 18/08/2009 09:50

Thalidomide was an anti-emetic as well, though it obviously carries much greater risks, why would anyone take anything remotely dangerous when pg. Especially at that early crucial developmental stage.

PotPourri · 18/08/2009 09:59

Tinymam, you mustn't have had hideous morning sickness, the type that flattens you completely to say 'why would anyone take anything remotely dangerous'. I am still in that hideous stage currently, and while I agree that I would try absolutely anything rather than take a risk in that early development stage, there comes a point where you have to do something or you will become dehydrated/hospitalised, but at the very least unable to carry on with any semblance of a normal life (I have 3 other children, so that is not an option).

I have never heard about canabis being used for this before and so have read this thread with interest.

Particularly the labour pains bit, as I know that it does help wtih bad period pains. I would worry about whether it could be hit and miss on the sickness though (e.g. what if you take a 'whitey'? - surely that would make things worse!)

tinymam · 18/08/2009 10:08

Yeah, but cannabis is an uncontrolled substance and is (I think iirc) 30 times more carcinogenic than nicotine. It just baffles me why anyone would contemplate taking an illegal substance when the side effects as far as I know are unstudied. MS may be alleviated but what are the effects to the foetus?

There are legal medicinal alternatives which I would take if ms became bad enough, but the thought of using cannabis wouldn't even be an option.

I have no qualms with using cannabis to alleviate pain or sickness for other disorders, just think its crazy in pregnancy.

Merle · 18/08/2009 10:15

I just wouldn't risk it. There is too much evidence now which suggests that there is a link between cannabis use and mental illness, particularly in young people - do you really want to risk this with your baby's developing brain?

mogend77 · 18/08/2009 10:16

I agree with LLJKK - suggest the brownie route. The nicotine of smoking is a known risk not worth taking, but if she is truly suffering from dreadful ms, sounds like eating it would be much safer.

Sn0wflake · 18/08/2009 10:34

I'm with Merle....I would be concerned about the effects of cannabis on the developing brain. My brother has psychotic episodes that are definitely made worse by smoking cannabis.....and were possibly triggered by it.

It's just not had enough scientific study for me to want to go down that route.

tinymam · 18/08/2009 10:37

I also think that if your smoking it its linked to lower birth weight and premature labours in a similar way to nicotine. Just don't think its work the risk. Not enough study to show that its a safe option.

rookie81 · 18/08/2009 11:43

There is in fact no robust medical evidence to suggest cannabis is harmful to the foetus. Smoking yes- cannabis no. this is why i ate tiny amounts. I was far more concerned about taking anti sickness pills that aren't fully understood, rather than cannabis. When my doctor said i would be hospitalised and given various drugs this made me more open to it as i would rather cannabis than that. When picking up one of the drugs my doctor prescribed the chemist was reluctant to give me it and contacted the drug company! There are many instances of 'safe' drugs not being soand would rather not take that risk.
I would have rather not have had to take anything during my pregnancy but i was unlucky and had horrific sickness.

Merle · 18/08/2009 11:57

I don't think I want/need any robust medical evidence to convince me. How this evidence is to be obtained, I shudder to think. There is tons of compelling anecdotal evidence to link psychosis and cannabis use. The criminal justice system now has loads of young people who used to be nice but now behave abnormally. It is really sad. Plus the cannabis around nowadays is very strong. I just think it is a very dangerous drug and should not be injested by foetuses.

TheDMshouldbeRivened · 18/08/2009 12:03

god knows what effect a psychotropic drug would have on a developing brain as all those neurons are connecting.

NewbeeMummy · 18/08/2009 12:19

I used to smoke dope on a very regular basis (6+ a day) I didn't know I was pregnant at the time, and obviously when I did find out I was I stopped but I only found out I was pregnant at 12 weeks but I lost the baby at 16 weeks, and that is enough evidence for me.

What I will say is that from a morning sickness point of view I was horribly ill, where as this time around (smoke free) I have had nothing more than the odd case of trapped wind (currently 31 weeks and going strong)

ThePregnantPhantomPlopper · 18/08/2009 14:16

I think it's madness.

The evidence that it affects an adult brain enough to cause long lasting, serious mental health problems is hard to ignore, how could you risk doing that to your unborn babies developing brain.

Pregnancy comes with side effects, sometimes extreme. I was unable to walk with SPD towards the end of my last pregnancy. I put up with it without resorting to illegal, uncontrolled substances.

Prescribed anti emetics have to go through testing before they reach the market, cannabis doesn't.

My SIL smoked small amount of cannabis whilst pregnant, not to relieve to symptoms, but because she liked it, her baby was born with a low birth weight and was hospitalised for a while before being allowed home. Might have had nothing to do with the joints she smoked, might have been everything to do with the joints she smoked, who knows. It's not a risk I'd be willing to take.

Rindercella · 18/08/2009 14:24

I am currently pregnant and suffering from morning sickness. The very thought of smoking pot actually wants to make me heave even more

You're pregnant, you cope with the ms, or at least find sensible ways to alleviate it. Smoking pot is not, in any circumstances, one of those ways.

I too have anecdotal examples of cannabis smokers giving birth to babies with low birth weight.

You are in no way a freak for thinking that smoking cannabis while pregnany ain't a great idea.