CBD + pregnancy: How Safe Is IT?
AN EDITED ARTICLE ORIGINALLY WRITTEN BY KL & LG
Recently, we posted an article about breastfeeding while consuming CBD and if it was a good thing or not. We thought it would be important to take a step back and discuss whether it is a good thing to be pregnant while consuming CBD as well.
Pregnancy is an exciting time, but it does come with a lot of unpleasant experiences as your body changes to grow a baby. Expectant moms can expect changes in mood, extreme sleepiness, morning sickness, aches, and pregnancy-related anxiety.
Unfortunately, many of the common over-the-counter medications you may have taken before pregnancy are no longer safe options.
What Are The Benefits Of CBD Use?
Researchers continue to investigate the potential therapeutic benefits of CBD and other cannabis plant cannabinoids, as well as their potential side effects.
So far, CBD is considered safe and well-tolerated in most individuals. However, there aren’t any studies related to CBD and pregnancy in humans as it’s not ethical to conduct these studies.
That being said, let’s look at the recognized benefits of CBD, and why many people turn to it as a gentle and effective compound.
1. CBD May Support Pain & Discomfort
There are many people who swear by CBD’s benefits towards pain relief without the nasty side effects of many prescription pain killers.
Right now, there are no CBD-based medications approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for pain relief. There is one FDA-approved CBD pharmaceutical called Epilodex available but it’s used to treat rare forms of epilepsy.
There are studies that have investigated CBD for chronic pain with promising results. Canada and parts of Europe have approved CBD-based drugs for cancer pain and for mitigating the side effects of chemotherapy [1].
2. CBD May Support Pain & Discomfort
Nausea typically starts with an uneasy feeling in the stomach, followed by the urge to vomit.
There are many things that can cause nausea, and the way to settle nausea is to figure out the underlying cause.
In animal studies, CBD oil and other cannabis compounds have been found to support nausea through multiple pathways, including regulating serotonin which plays a role in regulating the nausea control center in the brain (medulla oblongata) [2].
3. CBD May Support Pain & Discomfort
One of the most common complaints about restless nights is stress—your body may be exhausted, but you can’t seem to shut off the chatter going on in the mind.
CBD has been shown to work on GABA receptors in the brain, which is the main mechanism for slowing down neurological activity from stress and anxiety, which may help some people drift off to sleep easier [3].
There was one recent three-month study conducted on 72 human subjects who had experienced anxiety and insomnia. The study found that the group who took CBD oil consistently experienced reduced stress levels and saw an improvement in their overall sleep quality within the first month of the trial [4].
CBD Is Not Considered Safe For Pregnant Women
Muscle and joint aches, nausea, and high-stress levels are all common experiences with pregnancy, but the FDA strongly advises against CBD use during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.
While CBD doesn’t have psychoactive effects or very serious risks (in most non-pregnant individuals), there just aren’t any reputable studies to understand the benefits and side effects of CBD use during pregnancy.
And this is for good reason—studies of the effects on a developing fetus and pregnant test subjects are not ethical.
Will CBD Affect A Developing Fetus?
High doses of CBD in pregnant test animals have led to developmental toxicity, embryo-fetal mortality, low birth weight, and central nervous system inhibition and toxicity in developing male fetuses [4].
This doesn’t necessarily solidify that the same could result in human fetuses. However, the FDA strongly advises against maternal cannabinoid exposure to err on the side of caution when it comes to fetal health.
Can CBD Transfer In Breast Milk?
As discussed in our breastfeeding article, mothers should abstain from cannabinoid use. FDA experts believe that traces of CBD will be transferred through breast milk.
According to the Center For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the evidence on the effects of CBD exposure on an infant through breastfeeding is limited and conflicting.
Cannabinoids like THC and CBD are fat-soluble and stored in body fat, and experts hypothesize that these compounds can be released over time to the infant through breastmilk.
If a mother consumes a poorly made CBD oil that contains other contaminants such as pesticides, heavy metals, or other bacteria, it could be dangerous for the mother’s milk production and the infant.
The FDA strongly advises that CBD-containing products should be avoided while breastfeeding to stay on the safe side.
Can I Eat Hemp Seeds While Pregnant?
Hemp seeds are an excellent source of fiber, protein, and fatty acids and make an excellent topping in smoothies, yogurt, and salads.
Hemp seeds and cannabinoids come from different parts of the hemp plant. Hemp seeds do not contain cannabinoids, as cannabinoids are found on the resin on hemp and marijuana flowers.
The FDA conducted an evaluation on the potential risks of hemp seeds with pregnant and breastfeeding mothers found that it was safe for consumption.
Seek Support For Pregnancy-Related Discomfort From Your Health Care Professional
It’s normal to experience some discomfort during pregnancy. However, if you are finding that the discomfort is impacting your daily life—it’s important to know that you don’t have to go through it alone.
Seek support from your health care professional, who can provide you with advice on how to manage your pregnancy discomfort without posing a potential risk to yourself and your baby.
Your doctor and prenatal team can help you find safe and natural remedies to ease muscle aches and pains.
It’s advised that you have regular check-ins with your doctor and keep them updated with your physical and mental symptoms, so they can recognize early signs of complications should they arise.
To sum it all up
CBD is NOT Recommended whether you are pregnant or breastfeeding. There has just not been enough time towards studying the impact, to give definitive answers that mothers and babies need to show valid benefits.
Health organizations strongly advise against marijuana use during pregnancy, but this caution also extends to the non-psychoactive hemp plant and its cannabinoids.
CBD has become immensely popular in the health and wellness space as a natural way to support a myriad of health goals. However, the scientific community advises against using cannabis products while pregnant or breastfeeding. Comprehensive research on animals found complications with fetal complications with high doses of CBD.
These animal studies don’t mean that the same will result in human fetuses, but it’s highly unethical to conduct these studies on humans, which is why it’s best to stay on the safe side and avoid CBD use during pregnancy.
This is you, your choice, your body, and also your baby’s body. Please always consult with your doctor before taking any CBD, new supplement, or medication to protect you and your baby.
Bobby Rapscallion’s CBD Products
At Bobby Rapscallion, honesty and integrity are values put into everything. Our hemp is farmed on American soil using organic practices. Our extracts are meticulously tested by our team and a third-party lab to ensure the highest quality standards. Since we stand firmly behind the profound effects of the entourage effect, you won’t find CBD isolate products in our catalog—but we understand that full-spectrum products aren’t ideal for everyone, which is why most of our products are also available in a THC-free broad-spectrum option.
Our high-potency oils start at a Potency Level 1 for those that are wanting to ease into CBD but need a higher dose. Keeping to this focus, we’ll be releasing Potency Levels 2 & 3 in the future. This is to make sure that all of our customers have the option to get high-quality CBD at a potency level that works best for them.
Our CBD Oil
CBD oils are a product staple for a CBD brand. We’ve carefully crafted our CBD oils to keep our high-quality hemp crops the star of the show. CBD oil also provides a wide range of versatility as you can take them sublingual (under the tongue) for fast-acting effects, or mix our flavored options into your favorite foods and drinks for wellness with a unique twist. CBD oils are a favorite for beginners and experts alike for their versatility and because you can customize your doses drop by drop.
our CBD Gummies
For those who don’t enjoy the natural bitter terpene flavor in hemp oils, but still want the whole plant benefits, CBD gummies might be a better solution for you.
We create selectively-crafted gummies at a cGMP facility and make them fresh to order. These also come in assorted flavors to mask the hempy taste and potencies start at 45MG per gummy.
Always remember that the ingestion process is different between oils and edibles like gummies. So we provide products that allow you to decide what works best for you and how you want to experience CBD.
Resources:
- Boyaji, S., Merkow, J., Elman, R. N. M., Kaye, A. D., Yong, R. J., & Urman, R. D. (2020). The role of cannabidiol (CBD) in chronic pain management: an assessment of current evidence. Current pain and headache reports, 24(2), 1-6.
- Parker, L. A., Rock, E. M., & Limebeer, C. L. (2011). Regulation of nausea and vomiting by cannabinoids. British journal of pharmacology, 163(7), 1411-1422.
- Bakas, T., Van Nieuwenhuijzen, P. S., Devenish, S. O., McGregor, I. S., Arnold, J. C., & Chebib, M. (2017). The direct actions of cannabidiol and 2-arachidonoyl glycerol at GABAA receptors. Pharmacological research, 119, 358-370.
Related Posts
