CBD and pregnancy is a tricky subject. Now that CBD has become legal in all 50 states, people have easier access to it and are experimenting with how it can help them.
This includes pregnant women too. Whether it’s in our DMs or on forums around the internet, women are asking, ‘Is CBD safe to take while pregnant?’
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Unfortunately, there’s really no right or wrong answer to this question. While the World Health Organization says that CBD has a good safety profile, there simply aren’t enough scientific studies or research to give a definitive answer about how CBD affects a developing child.
All we really have are the testimonials of women who have taken CBD while pregnant, and even then, there is no way to determine if there are long-term effects on their children and their growth.
Still, women are out there claiming that they have used CBD while pregnant to help them with their symptoms like nausea and muscle pain.
There have been studies like this one from 2017 that tested CBD on pregnant rats. It found that baby rats had a reduced risk of developing memory and behavior problems when exposed to infection inside the womb.
Another study, conducted in 2018, found that pregnant rats treated with CBD had a higher ability to prevent inflammation and that it had a positive effect on the intestinal tracts of their offspring.
While these studies on CBD are a great start, they certainly don’t determine whether or not CBD is safe for pregnant mothers.
We wanted to see what other people thought about using CBD when expecting, so we took to Reddit to tune into the conversation.
We visited several Reddit threads in which someone started the conversation with, “Is taking CBD while pregnant safe?” or “Can anyone share their experience of taking CBD while pregnant?”
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Here are the answers we found:
1. “Who knows what the effects on a brand new brain would be”
“I used it before I got pregnant to control my Crohn’s, and picked it up again after I finished breastfeeding. There isn’t enough solid research to make me feel ok using it while pregnant. Who knows what the effects on a brand new brain would be, much less on one that’s being made from scratch.”
2. Consider if CBD could show up in your urine
“I can’t give any advice on whether it’s ok to use cannabis products during pregnancy. But I can tell you that, in some places, they’ll piss test you during delivery and will call CPS if you’re positive, even just for weed. I’m not sure if CBD will show up in urine? But yeah, they piss tested me during delivery, it’s standard in Colorado evidently.”
3. I’m pro-cannabis but I wouldn’t
“I wouldn’t. I’m pro-cannabis – if that is a thing. However, there isn’t enough research on how it affects a growing baby. We know it (Marijuana in general) negatively affects growing brains.”
4. I used it for uterus discomfort and my baby continues to do great
“I take CBD oil about twice a week for third trimester uterus discomfort and painful contractions. It works great. I don’t feel high at all and my baby continues to do great. It feels much better than me being in anguish for hours and flooding my baby’s system with my stress hormones.”
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5. The research is not out there
“My guess is that if you use it sparingly and to relieve you feeling otherwise terrible and highly stressed out, your baby will probably be fine. I know people want to act like there are definitive answers out there in pregnancy and fetal health, but that research is not out there for lots of things.”
6. “I used CBD cartridges throughout my whole pregnancy”
“Yes, I used CBD cartridges throughout my whole pregnancy every day up until the morning of me going into labor. I needed it for the severe sickness (so I could eat) and then the heartburn instead. It was the only thing that helped aside from prescription meds but I didn’t wanna try those. I wanted to be as natural as possible with my pregnancy. It helped so much though, it made my whole pregnancy go smoother than I think it would have if I hadn’t. I definitely recommend, over Zofran and others.”
7. It helped with nausea
“So, I don’t quite remember the MG but you need to use the full spectrum oil. CBD is a terpene, it’s a molecule in the plant. Terpenes contribute to smell and taste of plant and oils. There are a few different terpenes in the plant and they vary depending on strain, but most oil mixtures are picked specifically to have CBD however they have some that have all or many of the terpenes.
These are called “full spectrum” CBD oil. Each terpene is responsible for helping with different ailments.. they work best in conjunction with each other, as they have noticed by studying it. For example it may contain CBD CBC CBG CBT THC (a low %, close to other ones as a 1:1:1:1 ratio is preferred, not enough to feel the effects of a “high”) THCG TCHA THCB.. etc.
You specifically want the ones that help with nausea and appetite. What it did for me was I would have some oil, and feel less nauseated for a few minutes.. enough to channel a craving for food and eat something which would then make me feel better for a good few hours. Then I needed oil again, eat, etc.
When I awoke in the middle of the night I would have some oil, puke sometimes, and then be able to munch on Saltines and go back to sleep. Good luck, let me know if you find one of those and try it out. It should really help. If that doesn’t work, your next step may be prescription like Zofran or just trying to suffer it out if you prefer no pharmaceuticals while with baby.”
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8. There could be harmful substances
“The biggest problem with CBD products is that they are not regulated, and many times the label doesn’t match what’s inside the bottle (analyzing THC and CBD is also more difficult than other drugs). So even though you may be thinking you are taking only CBD, there could still be traces or higher amounts of THC or even other more harmful substances.”
9. You could possibly fail a drug test
“Personally, I wouldn’t risk it because some federal authorities have really been pushing for testing umbilical cords for THC to target women who used weed during their pregnancy.”
10. Your physician might not be able to tell you much
“No one will know how THC and CBD will affect babies so your physician probably won’t have much to tell you. I can’t imagine CBD having a negative impact as its used for seizure disorders and inflammation issues.”
11. Keep purity in mind
“If you plan to use it, make sure its pure and not processed with anything. The pens often contain additives that are harmful so just be careful.”
12. It could be beneficial but there’s not enough research
“I would definitely say don’t take it I wouldn’t risk it since I assume there has been no research on how it could impact your pregnancy. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if it was ok or even beneficial in some way but since there’s no way to know Id lean towards just not using CBD while pregnant.”
13. Hemp can soak up heavy metals from the soil
“Whether or not CBD is healthy, hemp still soaks up poisons and heavy metals like crazy. It’s probably better to not risk exposing a fetus to things like pesticides and lead.”
14. I used it and my baby measures fine
“I have! Its helped a lot and my baby measures fine. My doctor says plenty of her patients use it with no harmful effect.”
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15. “Midwife here, research is scant but you should empower yourself”
“Midwife here. Research on cannabis use in pregnancy (of any kind, this includes smoking marijuana, hash, oil, or using a product like CBD oil topically) is scant, which means we don’t know exactly what the outcome might be. I don’t know of any poor outcomes associated with the use of this product, but research hasn’t (and likely won’t ever) prove that it is harmless (mostly because we don’t do randomized controlled trials on pregnant folks due to ethics issues, so the research that needs to be done to prove it is harmless literally cannot be done).
In cases like this we counsel conservative use. Weigh the benefits of using the product (i.e. reduction in pain, reduction in pain-related stress/anxiety, more relaxed pregnancy) against the risk of using it (one potential risks of cannabis use in pregnancy are the theoretical alteration to the neurological development of the fetus) and make your decision from there.
Having said all of that, I have had clients who used marijuana regularly throughout their pregnancy with no apparent harm to baby. This is anecdotal evidence, which means it is not strong evidence.
But it is what I have encountered in my practice.You should feel empowered to make the choice to use/not use this product based on the available evidence about its effect. Unfortunately, such evidence doesn’t exist. It’s irresponsible to say that it’s harmless; the best I can do is say that research has not concluded that it is definitely harmful.”
16. It might be illegal federally
“Marijuana is also a legal substance, and if a child tests positive for substances (both legal and illegal) at birth, hospitals just about always contact us. Not everything is assigned for investigation based on medical history, but marijuana babies are just about always assigned. Be prepared to provide documentation to your hospital social worker if your baby tests positive. So many people here skip getting a medical marijuana card and just purchase from dispensaries.”
17. Experimented with CBD but not enough research
“I tried CBD oil a couple weeks ago. But not a full vial, only about four drops. Didn’t give me a buzz, it just mellowed me out enough to sleep. I thought it was great, but don’t plan to use it regularly until after birth as there just is not enough research on it for my comfort. However, I won’t be surprised if I’m asking my OB about CBD oil if I start getting major back pain in the coming weeks.”
18. Talk to your doctor
“They say small amounts of regular Tylenol is okay, a little CBD really cannot be worse. But I don’t have a medical PhD. So I suggest asking your doctor or your OB first before asking the internet. As they would know better than me, and anyone else on here.”
19. There aren’t enough double-blind studies
“They haven’t studied it well so there are not very accurate double blind results available. They can’t say to pregnant ladies “hey will you take these drugs during pregnancy so we can study you”. Thus it is not recommended during pregnancy.
I don’t recommend asking your Dr. because if you admit to drug use or they suspect you they will test the baby and call CPS – even in states where it is legal, this is a federal issue. You will have to read the available research yourself and decide this one on your own.”
To sum it up, it seems that while some people are using CBD while pregnant, many people in these threads think that it’s too risky based on lack of research and studies.
It appears that even those who use cannabis and CBD regularly while not pregnant, are still too unsure of the possible side effects to use while pregnant.
This article is not offering medical advice or an answer to whether or not CBD is safe to use while pregnant.
This information is just speculation, personal opinions, and personal experience that others have added to the Reddit forum. Always make sure to speak with your doctor before making any medical decisions.
References:
CBD & Pregnancy from BabyBumps
https://www.reddit.com/r/Parenting/comments/94b1pa/thoughts_on_cbd_during_pregnancy_for_morning/https://www.reddit.com/r/pregnant/comments/6no914/cbd_oil/