Breastfeeding question?

Question

If a breastfeeding woman were to smoke marijuana once, would it have any ill affects on the baby

not while caring for baby, but during a night out

I appreciate all the information everyone left, escpecially mystic, but I only asked your opinion on the effects of one single time, not taking bong rips next to a babies crib every day, but thanks for all that extra info.

Answer 1

Hi!
A percentage of anything a woman puts in her body --inhales, eats, etc. appears in breastmilk...

"Pumping and dumping" for a few feedings afterwards might be a consideration.

Obviously since you are asking this question you are concerned so I probably don't need to tell you that making a habit of this is not wise.

Answer 2

marijuana stays in your system for much longer than, say, a few drinks would. If this is just a one time thing, the woman needs to pump and dump for a least a day or two and give the baby either stored breastmilk or formula. Once the drug is out of your system it is perfectly safe to breastfeed again. Do not quit breastfeeding because you smoked once, but don't let it become a habit; the baby needs a good mommy more than it needs breastmilk.

Answer 3

The molecule in marijuana that makes you high (THC) is stored in fat. It sticks around a long time. Your breastmilk has a lot of fat in it! Think - how long after smoking pot can it be detected in a urine sample? Well, that's how long it'll be found in your MILK too.

A developing neuron, as in the cells in the baby's brain, need to grow and find their way to the right place. It's normal for a percentage of these cells to go to the wrong place - they die off. Exposure to THC has been shown to confuse these neurons, making far more of them unable to find where they are supposed to go. This means more neurons die. Geee, wonder what this means???

Let's say a breast feeding mom goes out and smokes pot. She gets caught. Think her baby will be well cared for while she's in jail? How about if she or the baby's father (assuming he's smoking too) lose their job?

Assuming you're the person in question, don't do it! If you are the person in question and you have, don't do it again! If it's a friend, tell them they're being dumb and could not only harm but lose their baby.

Sorry to be so harsh, but that's reality.

Answer 4

What goes into the body goes into the milk. so yes it will have ill effects on the baby.

Answer 5

once, - its probably not worth weaning the baby anyway....but babies should NOT be a smoke filled room...whatever kind of smoke it is....and Mom should not get high and have bad judgement where her baby is concerned. But can weed directly HURT the child? i really doubt it.

Answer 6

the baby will be affected. Why would a mother do that to her baby anyway?

Answer 7

http://kellymom.com/health/lifestyle/marijuana.html

While generally speaking I think medical marijuana is a wonderful drug with few side effects sadly this isn't true for nursing mothers. THC builds up in your body fat and your baby's and stays there for a long time.

The sleepiness it causes in the infant is a SIDS risk and chronic exposure may lead to failure to thrive.

I wouldn't use marijuana recreationally while breastfeeding because of how long it takes to clear your system. However there are places in the world where mother's do use marijuana and generally there aren't any negative effects.

http://kellymom.com/health/lifestyle/marijuana.html
Breastfeeding and Marijuana

By Kelly Bonyata, IBCLC

Marijuana is on the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Drugs (2001) list of Drugs of Abuse for Which Adverse Effects on the Infant During Breastfeeding Have Been Reported. The AAP notes "Only 1 report in literature; no effect mentioned; very long half-life for some components."

Separate from the direct, chemical effects of marijuana on a baby, use of marijuana may affect a mother's ability to be able to properly care for her baby. Maternal judgment may be impaired.

Any secondhand smoke the baby is exposed to increases the amount of the drug your baby receives. Also, because street drugs are rarely pure, marijuana may be laced with other drugs or substances that can also be harmful to the breastfeeding baby.

The active ingredient in marijuana, THC, will be stored in mom's fat tissues for long periods (weeks to months) and will build up in the body with continued use. Small to moderate secretion into breastmilk has been documented, and THC is concentrated in human milk. According to Hale, analysis of breastmilk from chronic heavy users indicated an eight-fold concentration in milk compared to mom's blood plasma, however the dose received by baby was insufficient to produce significant side effects. Studies have shown significant absorption and metabolism in infants, although long term effects have not been shown.

Marijuana can cause sleepiness in the baby, which can lead to slow weight gain and possibly slow overall development in the baby long term. In addition, babies whose mothers smoke marijuana regularly have a higher risk of SIDS.

Hale reports a possibility of decreased milk production. In animals, THC decreases the amount of milk produced by suppressing the production of prolactin and, possibly, by a direct action on the mammary glands.

There is significant brain growth occurring during a baby's first months of life; marijuana may alter brain cells. Animal studies (on babies whose mothers' milk contained THC) have shown that DNA and RNA metabolism may also be affected and the proteins needed for proper growth and development impaired.

After a breastfeeding mother uses marijuana, THC is evident in her baby's urine and stools (Perez-Reyes and Wall, 1982). Infants exposed to marijuana via breast milk will test positive in urine screens for long periods (2-3 weeks).

One study (Astley and Little, 1990) found that exposure to marijuana through their mother's milk during the first month of life resulted in decreased motor development at one year of age. In another study of 27 infants evaluated at 1 year of age who were exposed to marijuana via breastmilk (compared to 35 nonexposed infants), no significant differences were found in terms of age at weaning, growth, and mental or motor development. Follow-up of these infants has been limited.

Long-term effects of marijuana exposure through breastmilk are unknown.