Smoking and New Mothers

[The_Viper]

My buddy and his gf just had a baby girl a few weeks ago and there both avide smokers. His girlfriend is worried about brest feeding and smoking, is there somthing bad about this?

[Boss]

No.

There is a study in the cannabis facts forum on this in particular, it's very good.

[merickson]

Congradulations on the new baby. Is it a boy or a girl?

I'd ask the pediatrician.

Compared to information taken from the internet, your pediatrician knows your baby and its situation best.

[Boss]

This was a thirty year study done in Jamaica by a doctor. There is a video in 420tv. Lemme see if I can find it.

http://www.420magazine.com/forums/ca...ja-babies.html

[evanescence]

Great question. I've just rescently quit smoking due to other issues; however, I have been breast feeding for six months now, and I smoked regularly. My daughter is actually above the curve as far as her development is concerned in many areas, and I also smoked during the first six months of my pregnancy. I quit for fear that either myself or my daughter would be tested at the hospital. As others have mentioned, there are many studies on this issue, but I like this factoid: "Human milk contains 0.8% to 0.9% protein, 3% to 5% fat, 6.9% to 7.2% carbohydrates and 0.2% ash (minerals). Carbohydrates are mainly lactose; several lactose-based oligosaccharides have been identified as minor components. The principal proteins are casein homologous to bovine beta-casein, alpha-lactalbumin, lactoferrin, IgA, lysozyme and serum albumin. Non-protein nitrogen-containing compounds, making up 25% of the milk's nitrogen, include urea, uric acid, creatine, creatinine, amino acids and nucleotides.[1][2]
Mother's milk has been shown to supply a type of endocannabinoid (the natural neurotransmitters which marijuana simulates), 2-Arachidonoyl glycerol. (In case you're interested in the source of this information, it can be found in Wikipedia: Breast milk - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) So basically, there is already a substance in breast milk which has a similar chemical composition as THC, the active ingredient in Marijuana. Inadditon, very little of the active component in marijuana will be transfered into the breast milk; and certainly not enough to make the baby "high." However, it should be noted that if you are smoking while breast feeding, the THC metabolites will show up in the baby's urine and blood if by chance she is tested, so be careful. I hope this is helpful!

[merickson]

The question is being asked in a pro-weed forum. These honest answers are from people who favor marijuana use.
But people who chose not to smoke might evaluate the evidence differently.

When it comes to an infant's health, you might want to ask "Is smoking weed nessessary", rather than "Is it acceptable"?

[Boss]

I would say those are not the questions. The question is "Is it safe"

My wife stopped smoking during pregnancy because this study had not been released yet.

Me and the wife tried to have another child for almost 7 years. Everyone told me to stop smoking, so I did. Still didn't work. So I started back again, and a few months later my wife would have some every now and then,. Two weeks after she started smoking again, she got pregnant. She did stop, but like I said, we had not read the latest studies either.

Even if she had continued, it's never more then 2 times a month for her anyway.

The Jamaican women say they use it for fatigue, cramps, overall mood, among other things, and this doctor has been studying their children for many, many years. There are a few others out there, but none as in-depth as this.

If the question is "Is it safe" I would have to say from everything I have read, it is as safe as taking any other medications during pregnancy, if not safer. Codeine is one of the few pain killers doctors will prescribe during pregnancy, so what would you rather have?

[evanescence]

Almost every medication warns women who are pregnant or lactating to consult a doctor before use...even nasal spray, which I became practically addicted to during pregnancy. The point is, there are very few studies done on pregnant or lactating women in this country since such studies are illegal. However, Marijuana has been used for thousands of years for nausea, cramps, and as a pain reliever. Smoking cigarettes is far less healthy during pregnancy since it is an appetite suppressant, not to mention all the other health risks.

[ycuzican]

Mother's milk has been shown to supply a type of endocannabinoid (the natural neurotransmitters which marijuana simulates), 2-Arachidonoyl glycerol. (In case you're interested in the source of this information, it can be found in Wikipedia: Breast milk - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) So basically, there is already a substance in breast milk which has a similar chemical composition as THC, the active ingredient in Marijuana.


That's fascinating, could that be one of the reasons that breast feeding makes a baby happy and relaxed?

[J842P]

Originally Posted by merickson

The question is being asked in a pro-weed forum. These honest answers are from people who favor marijuana use.
But people who chose not to smoke might evaluate the evidence differently.

When it comes to an infant's health, you might want to ask "Is smoking weed nessessary", rather than "Is it acceptable"?

QFT

[evanescence]

That's fascinating, could that be one of the reasons that breast feeding makes a baby happy and relaxed?

[The_Viper]

Wow thanks for all the great info!!! They had a baby girl. Ill let them know this great info.

[evanescence]

Glad to be helpful. There is a place on the internet for moms who smoke. If you're interested, you can send me a personal message and I'll give you the link...

[MsRedEye]

There appears to be no risk of harm to a nursing child whose mother smokes cannabis. But when deciding whether or not to smoke with children present, you may want to take a look at a few other things.

How does it effect your ability to parent?

Take a critical look at your lifestyle. Do you get along with your friends, family, co-workers and neighbors? Do people with whom you fight call authorities on you as a form of harassment? Do things get a bit loud and heated with your partner sometimes? Do you have an older child who has a behavioral problem in school/neighborhood? If you can think of any reason the police or child protection authorities might show up on your doorstep, you may want to think hard.

Is your baby healthy? A sickly baby brings an increased risk that the child will be tested by the doctor. If a sick child tests positive, you could have a devastating problem on your hands.

Peace

[fillabong420]

wow. thanks MsRedEye.i never thought of the effects of having a bad child..i might have to sit down and talk with the fiance..its too soon for kids anyways!

wow thats very intresting information on the endocannbinoids in breast milk evanesence! who wouldve guessed?

Originally Posted by MsRedEye

There appears to be no risk of harm to a nursing child whose mother smokes cannabis. But when deciding whether or not to smoke with children present, you may want to take a look at a few other things.

How does it effect your ability to parent?

Take a critical look at your lifestyle. Do you get along with your friends, family, co-workers and neighbors? Do people with whom you fight call authorities on you as a form of harassment? Do things get a bit loud and heated with your partner sometimes? Do you have an older child who has a behavioral problem in school/neighborhood? If you can think of any reason the police or child protection authorities might show up on your doorstep, you may want to think hard.

Is your baby healthy? A sickly baby brings an increased risk that the child will be tested by the doctor. If a sick child tests positive, you could have a devastating problem on your hands.

Peace