Angela Bacca begins her piece, “The Inexact Science of Cannabis and Pregnancy” succinctly, saying:

“There is plenty of conjecture about cannabis use during pregnancy but very little fact. Despite women using cannabis for millennia during menstruation, pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding, doctors and government officials have become increasingly wary of the topic. Some cite flawed studies to prove it is dangerous to the development and growth of offspring, but from a truly scientific point of view, medical professionals have very little knowledge on how cannabis use during this critical time affects real human babies. Either way, more and more women are doing it.”

Yes, more and more women ARE doing it and that’s why breastfeeding guru Dr Jack Newman of The International Breastfeeding Center recently started to lay out his updated stance on weed and nursing.

His take on toking mamas?

Well he states that “THC, the compound in marijuana is very highly protein bound, 99.9% protein bound.  Furthermore, if taken by mouth (as might the baby) it is very poorly absorbed from the intestinal tract with only 6 to 20% of it absorbed.  With such high protein binding, it is unlikely that significant amounts will get into the milk.  But note again, that the “high” the mother experiences could last for a few hours, and so her judgement will also be impaired.”

He goes on to explain what he means by ‘impaired judgement’…

“That is, if the mother is so impaired that she cannot make a good judgment about what her baby needs, that is potentially dangerous for the baby.  For example, if the mother is high on marijuana and the baby is sick and gets sicker, would she notice that the baby is sick? Would she get into her car and drive the baby to the doctor or the hospital?”

My guess is no you would not, but either way the message is simple: don’t get so high that you’re a total write off. And we think that’s fair.

(Oh and take it slow, girl. Never assume any level of tolerance, especially when trying new methods of use. And never drive high. If you find yourself in an unfortunate stoner situation that requires a late-night trip to emerg with a small child, call either a cab or an ambulance.)

Now, who’s got a lighter?

 

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Featured Photo by @kitchentoke
www.kitchentoke.com

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