Breastfeeding
melisgood
member
Options
marijuana use
melisgood
member
anyone know if occasional marijuana use affects breastfeeding? what about use while away from baby on vacation and pumping and dumping? No flames please! I have NOT been smoking and BFing....i'm just curious
This discussion has been closed.
Re: marijuana use
You shouldn't smoke cigarettes so you shouldn't smoke marijuana. I don't know about the pump and dump thing. I
Seriously?! grow the eff up. You have a child...nice example to even THINK about it. If it can be detected in your urine for 30 days why would you think simply pumping and dumping would cover you?
Ironically, today, as I was looking up foods to avoid in my Dr Sears Baby Book to help ease my baby's stomach/gas, I did run across something about weed while BFing. Here is what he says:
"...THC appears in the BM of users and marijuana has been found to lower the levels of prolactin in the mother. Animal studies have shown structural changes in brain cells of BF infants after their mothers were exposed to marijanna. These experimental hazards, in addition to the possibility that marijuana may lower a mother's attentiveness to her baby, dictate, by COMMON SENSE, that mothers avoid marijuana if BFing. "
I hope you make the clear and good choice to not use marijuana when you are BFing (or, really....a parent at all).
Firstly, in CA pot is partially legal for medical reasons, right? I'm guessing smoking up at on vacay isn't really medical. I love a dirty hippie as much as the next gal, but come on. Marijuana isn't crack, but it isn't spinach either. So, let's not act like it's harmless. And, if you know you might get flamed, it might be worth googling something prior to asking on The Bump. Just a thought.
No, my response would not be the same if someone asked about anti-depressants or drinking alcohol while BFing. Those things are legal. In all states. And, you can have a glass of wine without getting drunk. You can't smoke a joint without getting high.
I have to agree with MELISGOOD.
As a physician I think people need to be able to ask questions without being judged. She was asking a question before doing something that could be potentially harmful to her child...that was very responsible. She also asked not to be flamed!
I agree that marijuana is illegal and "not spinach" and "not crack". But alcohol is also a drug even though it is legal. While you can dose yourself with alcohol (as PP said a glass of wine) and not with marijuana..drinking alcohol harms more children (by irresponsible parenting) than marijuana does. I would say that both can be harmful and both can be used responsibly. Due to the lack of knowledge about breastfeeding and marijuana I wouldn't use it while BFing, but she shouldn't be flamed for asking and self-righteous responses regarding parenting and marijuana should only be given by those who never get drunk!!!
kellymom is a good resource:
https://www.kellymom.com/health/lifestyle/marijuana.html
"because street drugs are rarely pure, marijuana may be laced with other drugs or substances that can also be harmful to the breastfeeding baby.The active ingredient in marijuana, THC, will be stored in mom's fat tissues for long periods (weeks to months) and will build up in the body with continued use. Small to moderate secretion into breastmilk has been documented, and THC is concentrated in human milk."
No, you should be ashamed of wanting to do drugs while you're breastfeeding. Shame on you for putting your LO at risk.
Wow! I am a little surprised by the way everyone has responded to this post. I have read a lot of posts re: people going to get drunk and pumping and dumping. I find it surprising that the response here is different. Both are DRUGS. Alcohol is as dangerous as marijuana...probably more so. It causes more health problems and deaths than marijuana does. Though I agree it should not be used during pregnancy and breastfeeding I find the venom with which people responded to be a little excessive.
Kellymom.com is a great resource and the fact that it is mentioned there is great. I think that Melisgood will probably never ask another question here and that is a shame because this is a good resource and support group, too.
Well, I am not going out and getting drunk while BFing. So, the fact that I am critical of smoking weed while BFing isn't really that far off...
Although I certainly agree that ppl should be able to ask questions on here, I think a little common sense should also be used. But, then, I am not a believer in "there are no dumb questions". There are dumb questions. Furthermore, I am just not that open minded of a person to think that thinking about doing weed while a parent, and a BFing mother at that, is a good idea. I just can't be so open minded that my brain falls out - sorry.