Using Medical Marijuana While Breastfeeding
Let’s face it. Breastfeeding is one of the important things that a mother can do for her newborn. In fact, it goes without saying that this is an extra special time between the two. Not only does breastfeeding form a critical maternal connection between mother and baby, but mom’s breast milk will have all of the essential nutrients needed for their baby’s overall health. And, this is because mom’s breast milk helps to naturally build up their little immune systems. Breast milk is also better for the baby since these nutrients will continue to ensure the baby’s development and growth is normal.
While all of these factors are true and confirmed by medical and health physicians all over the globe, there are some unique considerations that need to be addressed from time to time. Lately, one of the most notable and controversial is breastfeeding while using medical marijuana. Because medical marijuana has been approved for the masses to use for certain ailments, illnesses and diseases in some parts of the United States today, the question is, is this really a good idea for mom’s who are breastfeeding their newborns? Or, is this an idea that needs to be reviewed, studied and revisited again?
Now as we open up this discussion and dive deeply into the ramifications of using medical marijuana while breastfeeds, here are a few things that you should know about understanding the advantages of breastfeeding, why do women choose to breastfeed, the potential challenges of breastfeeding for moms, what are the positives of breastfeeding for the mother, what are the positives of breastfeed for the new born, what are the challenges for moms that want to breastfeeding and what are the risk factors for breastfeeding newborns while the mom is using medical marijuana for a pre-existing medical condition.
Understanding the Advantages of Breastfeeding
According to information published by numerous medical and health organizations like WHO, the World Health Organization online, the advantages of breastfeeding normally far surpasses any medical treatment that is currently offered on the market today. Because breast milk is the optimal source of nutrition for a newborn baby’s development and immune system, the advantages of breastfeeding appear to be endless. From the antibodies in mother’s breast milk protecting the infant from all kinds of common diseases and illnesses to transferring good bacteria from the mother’s body to help build a healthy digestive system, the make-up of breast milk is designed to easily accommodate the ever changing needs of the quickly growing new born baby. There is a lot a great advantages and benefits of breastfeeding for the newborn baby and the mother alike. And, this is one of the primary reasons why many moms prefer to breastfeed their babies as soon as they are born.
It is also important to note that the advantage of breastfeeding does not come without the start of a specialized chain of processes in the mom’s body. And, in all actuality, this process works solely by the supply and demand principle. Therefore, if a mom is going to breastfeed her newborn, it is very important that they make this decision as early as possible. Since the production of mother’s milk depends on changes in hormonal output signals, the fluid from the milk ducts will only rise and activate more by these alerts. Simply put, if the mom decides to stop breastfeeding at anytime during the first initial months, the milk will dry up along with the opportunity to continue to breast feed.
Why Do Women Choose to Breastfeed?
The decision to breastfeed may vary from one woman’s decision to another. Also, because there are so many different factors in play, the decision to breastfeed for most women is not taken lightly. Whatever the case or situation, here are some pros and cons that’s normally considered before or during this time.
Positives of breastfeeding for babies include:
Helps to reduce and minimize the risk of obesity and the future medical issues with cardiovascular disease
Helps with enhancing cognitive development in the new born as they grow
Minimizes the risks childhood health and medical problems like food allergies and developing asthma
Helps with minimizing the incidents vomiting and diarrhea, particularly since they are not drinking a man-made infant milk formula.
Mother and baby bonding is heightened
Lessens the chances of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome)
Positives of breastfeeding for mothers include:
Minimizes the chances of mother’s suffering from postpartum depression since the maternal bond attachment decrease stress and unnecessary anxieities
Infant formula is more costly in stores than mom’s milk
Lesses the incidents of lots of blood loss after the baby has been delivery
Rheumatoid arthritis and breast cancer is lessened after breastfeeding
Potential Challenges of Breastfeeding
Even though there are huge benefits for both the mom and the baby, there are some common obstacles that some moms encounter. These could include:
Difficult to pre-determine a baby’s milk consumption
Babies need to be fed, irrespective of the time
First weeks of feeding can be uncomfortable
Mom’s diet must be healthy to pass on the best nutrition (i.e.caffeine, alcohol, prescribed medications)
Medical Marijuana & Breastfeeding
Most people may already know the overall positive significance of breastfeeding a baby from birth until the appropriate time for weaning. Yet, they may not know that this subject matter may be a little more complex today than ever before, particularly when it relates to combining breastfeeding while using substances like medical marijuana.
Because some moms may be using medical marijuana for a pre-existing medical condition (i.e. epilepsy, seizures, Glaucoma, and multiple sclerosis), it is very important that these issues are addressed early on. This is because there are hazardous chemicals in the make-up of medical marijuana that can have a dangerous effect on the health of the newborn’s immune system, metabolism, biological functions, memory and much more.
The Risks of Using Medical Cannabis While Breastfeeding
As mentioned above, some moms are taking medical marijuana for specific types of pre-existing medical conditions. Therefore, these moms need to know the medical risks of using medical cannabis while they are breastfeeding their newborns. That said, here is some information that highly advocates against using medical marijuana while breastfeeding newborns.
- THC Adversely Affects mom’s milk. THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is known for its circulation through the user’s bloodstream and its storage in body fat. Therefore, there is a very high chance of THC finding its way into mom’s breast milk, especially because her milk contains super high levels of unsaturated and saturated fat.
- THC is known for suppressing the production of milk. The suppression of the production of mom milk can lead to very serious issues since the appetite of a newborns must be satisfied with the volume of milk that is produced from their mom.
- Slow Weight Gain. The normal development of the newborn can be impacted in a number of different ways, including affecting a baby’s weight and normal physical development. For instance, with THC in mom’s milk, the newborn is always sleepy and fatigued, which also affects the normality of their eating schedules.
- Stunted Development: The first few months of a newborn’s life is a very critical time in the development of the infant, including brain development. Therefore, it is very important that THC’s impact does not lead to brain development problems in the newborn
Conclusion
All of the essential nutrients that a newborn needs to live, grow and develop normally can be found in their mother’s milk. And, this is one of the many reasons why some moms prefer to breastfeed. In most cases, moms may not have any obstacles to providing their babies with the nutrition that they need.
On the other hand, some mothers may have to make big decisions if they want to breastfeed. One of the most notable is breastfeeding while using medical marijuana, particularly moms who have pre-existing conditions that require it. Whatever the case may be, there is an abundance of evidence that completely discourages moms breastfeeding while using marijuana. One of the most credible resources for this decision comes from the ACOG, which is the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Based on their review and studies on these topics, mom's are highly discouraged from breastfeeding their babies when they have these dangerous chemical substances in their body.
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