Posted by GREGG A. for Try The CBD on Oct 8th 2018
CBD And Pregnancy: Are CBD and Hemp Oil Safe During Pregnancy
Congratulations! This is a very exciting time of life and an important step in elevating your life to the next level and beginning the next chapter. But if you’re also wondering what does CBD feel like or is CBD oil safe during pregnancy, there are some things you need to know about CBD and pregnancy!
Whether you or your partner are here reading this article, you should know that your questions are valid and it’s important to look into these things and do your proper research. You should never start taking something — or continue something — unless you are absolutely sure it poses no risk to you or the baby you are growing inside.
You may even be wondering if CBD could affect your ability to get pregnant in any way.
All of these are valid questions to ask and an important step to take before becoming a parent. You want to do what is best for the health of your child, even if that means making some sacrifice for yourself. You may or may not have to sacrifice anything in the CBD realm, but it’s very important to know your options and all of the details beforehand.
However, whether you already take CBD or would like to consider adding it to your health care regimen, you likely have some questions about pregnancy and CBD. If that applies to you, read on to learn all there is to know about CBD, hemp oil, and the safety of each of these during pregnancy.
Ready to learn? Keep reading!
CBD Safety: Is CBD Oil Safe During Pregnancy?
Overall, CBD is a very safe alternative to many of the medications and substances people turn to for relief from things like pain, depression, anxiety, and stress.
However, all bets are off when a person becomes pregnant. Even simple and innocent food items like pineapple or raspberry tea could pose a potential risk to a developing fetus. You can never be too careful. When you’re pregnant, your body goes through all sorts of major hormonal changes and your developing baby is very delicate and vulnerable.
This is why it’s not necessarily a given that CBD is safe during pregnancy. Usually, CBD is a safe and non harmful alternative. It may seem like a less harmful option than what else is out there, but in reality, CBD may not be safe for a person who is pregnant.
Of course, CBD or marijuana that contains some amount of THC is certainly not safe to use during pregnancy. THC can be dangerous for a developing baby.
As you may or may not know, marijuana affects the endocannabinoid system in the body. Scientists only recently discovered the existence of this system. It is a network of neurons and synapses and it produces and reacts well with cannabinoids. These are the same chemicals or substances that are found in cannabis.
Risks of Using THC Products While Pregnant
However, the fact that marijuana interacts with the body’s endocannabinoid system can also greatly affect a developing baby. This system is an important part of building your baby’s neural network.
Cannabinoids play a part in brain development. Introducing new cannabinoids through your use of CBD may pose great harm to your baby as it develops.
By interfering with your baby’s brain development, certain cannabinoids pose a great risk to use while pregnant. This is why it’s not a good idea to smoke pot while pregnant. Most people already know that, but if you didn’t, you should take it to heart and spread the word far and wide.
It seems from scientific study that THC can interrupt the formation of neural networks in a baby. Of course, this is not something to play around with. A person cannot live, function, or survive without a brain that fully functions properly. Having THC interrupt your baby’s natural development process can result in birth defects that relate to the nervous system — one of the body’s most important systems for full health, functioning, and wellness.
In fact, using THC while pregnant can threaten a baby’s birth rate altogether. In other words, it poses a threat to your baby’s entire life and survival. Doctors strongly caution against using THC while pregnant. The risks are just too high.
What About CBD?
Clearly, any medical marijuana product that contains THC is not safe to use while pregnant. You should not intake anything in this realm. Avoid THC at all costs unless you don’t care about posing a threat to your baby’s entire life and survival.
However, as you may know, CBD works differently from THC. It does not have a psycho active component. It interacts with your body differently.
CBD appeals to people not because it gets them high, but because it offers many of the same medicinal properties and therapeutic benefits that the hemp plant in general does. In essence, CBD’s draw is mostly medical. It offers the chance to reduce pain and inflammation, resist waves of nausea and appetite loss, and possibly even uplift your mood.
But does that mean it’s safe to use while pregnant? Let’s dive deeper into this to figure out just what CBD use during pregnancy may involve.
CBD Oil During Pregnancy: A Controversial Topic
The short answer is that the jury is out. The topic is actually very controversial. One side claims it’s too big of a risk and has not been studied enough yet. This side points out that it simply is not worth the chance that there is any potential of harming your baby by taking CBD.
The other side argues that because CBD does not function like THC and does not have those same psycho active side effects, it is likely safe. This side points out that CBD can be an organic, natural, and possibly even safer solution to many other treatment methods. It may be able to relieve some of the physical and mental strain of growing a human baby for nine months.
This pro CBD oil during pregnancy side claims that CBD has the power to relieve a lot of the unpleasant symptoms and side effects of pregnancy. Some of these are common conditions that people use CBD to treat all the time.
For example, pregnant women often experience nausea due to morning sickness, pain, inflammation, swelling, muscle and back soreness, cramps, fatigue, stress, anxiety, and more. People use CBD for these conditions all the time. So why not do so while pregnant, when you can really use these relieving effects, too?
CBD And Pregnancy: Our Verdict
In either case, it is likely true that we do not have have enough research or case studies to come to a definite conclusion. There is some risk involved in the choice to use CBD oil during pregnancy. That’s due to the fact that we simply do not know enough yet to declare one way or another the right thing to do.
It may offer therapeutic benefits as long as it does not contain THC, but if we do not fully know with supreme confidence that is poses absolutely no risk to a developing baby, is it really worth the chance that something could go wrong?
In many cases, this is a choice that individual women and their partners must make for themselves. You know your situation and what you feel comfortable with. You know the risks you are willing to take and lines you are willing — or not willing — to cross.
Make a mindful and well thought out decision, with the help of your healthcare provider, before you decide to intake something that could cause harm to the life you’re growing inside.
Until we have more evidence or proof for either side, we do not feel comfortable offering medical advice or recommending one path over the other. Our advice is that when it comes to producing life and raising the next generation, it is better to be safe than sorry. You don’t want one mistake or one unsafe choice to harm the life you are growing inside your womb. So speak to your OBGYN about if CBD is safe to take during your pregnancy!