i'm not experienced in this but isn't a joint normally rolled up with tobacco as well as the pot? you've given up smoking but unless you're rolling it pure, you're still smoking tobacco as well.
everything else has been said. babies are precious miracles and you have to do your best for them. smoking anything is not doing your best, you may as well give it up now because what are you going to do with your newborn while you're lighting up that stuff?

In America I have always known it to be normal to smoke marijuana pure. I learned mixing it with tobacco from a Canadian friend, but I don't like tobacco so I don't do it. Actually among my friends I find it is more common to smoke marijuana from a pipe than a joint.

ah interesting, maybe its a uk thing then.

it's an aussie thing too. means the weed lasts longer because you're not putting it all in a joint.

OMG PIECE OF Poo A$$ COMPUTER!!!! I just spent 20 minutes typing out my response to this thread for the OP & I went to save it and BAM... it logged me out.

*shakes an angry fist at the computer*

I will try this again...


"When you are pregnant, it is important that you watch what you put into your body. Consumption of illegal drugs is not safe for the unborn baby or for the mother. Studies have shown that consumption of illegal drugs during pregnancy can result in miscarriage, low birth-weight, premature labor, placental abruption, fetal death, and even maternal death. The following information can help you understand these drugs and their effects.

Marijuana:
Common slang names: pot, weed, grass and reefer
What happens when a pregnant woman smokes marijuana? Marijuana crosses the placenta to your baby. Marijuana, like cigarette smoke, contains toxins that keep your baby from getting the proper supply of oxygen that he or she needs to grow.
How can marijuana affect the unborn baby? Studies of marijuana in pregnancy are inconclusive because many women who smoke marijuana also use tobacco and alcohol. Smoking marijuana increases the levels of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide in the blood, which reduces the oxygen supply to the baby. Smoking marijuana during pregnancy can increase the chance of miscarriage, low birth-weight, premature births, developmental delays, and behavioral and learning problems.
What if I smoked marijuana before I knew I was pregnant ?According to Dr. Richard S. Abram, author of Will it Hurt the Baby, "occasional use of marijuana during the first trimester is unlikely to cause birth defects." Once you are aware you are pregnant, you should stop smoking. Doing this will decrease the chance of harming your baby."

http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth/illegaldrugs.html

I use to smoke marijuana. Even though it was home grown & definitely not full of pesticides and things that would harm me, I wouldn't smoke it while I was pregnant. My mother -in- law use to own a headshop long ago, and she smoked pot while she was pregnant with my brother -in- law. He was born with asthma... keep in mind that he did have the cord wrapped around his neck for a considerable amount of time before he was born. It's uncertain whether or not he was affected by his mother smoking marijuana while he was in the womb, however I think it's safe to say that the risks of your baby being affected negatively by you smoking marijuana while you are carrying it, could possibly be detrimental to the development of your unborn fetus.

Is it worth the risk? It never was for me, and yes I smoked marijuana for years, until I found out I was 7 weeks pregnant. I quit that very day & didn't smoke again for years after my son was born (I smoke once in a while, very very seldom).

Smoking marijuana while pregnant could cause your child to have breathing problems, and possibly even learning problems. Whatever the outcome, keep in mind that it is your problem. You are it's mother, you will be the one to suffer as well. If your baby is born sick (breathing problems, asthma, etc) you will have to take care of it which means you will be lacking sleep, meaning you will be missing work to care for your baby, which means you might need to take them to see a pediatrician, which means you will be paying for it (financially), which is going to be harder on you because you're missing work therefore you're not making as much money as you could be making if your baby wasn't sick.

I really don't see how or why this is even a question in your mind.. you know that there are POTENTIAL RISKS & yet you are trying to find that one article, that one person who is going to tell you that it's just a risk, that there's a chance your baby will be perfectly fine, etc... you posted this thread for answers and yet you don't seem to want to accept them, therefore causing tension You really need to put your baby before yourself, put down your pipe for the duration of your pregnancy & feel free to pick it back up again after you are finished breast feeding, if you so choose to.

There is not one person on this thread that I would so much as consider to be "mother of the year", Twixie... just accept the fact that you smoking marijuana while pregnant is a bad idea for everyone. If you weren't pregnant, this wouldn't be an issue. You have this beautiful, amazing little life growing inside of you now. It depends on you, and YOU ONLY. You have the choice to either nurture it, or to poison it. Marijuana is not the worst substance for an unborn fetus, however... it's poisonous to something so fragile. Nurture and protect it sweetie. You have a chance to be an excellent mother. It starts here, right? You know what is right for your baby. [♥]

Thanks to the people who had good points and didn't resort to name calling, and asking for my personal information so they could take my child away from me.

With that said, I have some news. I spoke to my doctor this afternoon, and she agrees that there are no extensive studies evaluating the effects of marijuana in pregnancy. However, she said that with my history of anorexia and addiction, using a vaporizer occasionally wouldn't be the worst idea, especially since marijuana helps me eat and keep down food. After battling an eating disorder for many years, my body has kind of forgotten how to digest food on its own, if that makes any sense. She (the OB/GYN) said that, because she is a doctor, she cannot recommend that I do something illegal, but she said she knows plenty of mothers who have done it and have healthy children.

I also spoke to a natural birth doula, whom my friend recommended. She said that smoking anything while pregnant is harmful to your child, but that many women prefer edibles in order to take the edge off the contractions during labor. So that girl with the beak can shut it.

As of now, I will try to quit cannabinoids for the remainder of my pregnancy, mostly because I realize that I am carrying a life inside of me and I should give it the best possible chance to be healthy. However, if I start having problems with my digestion or anxiety, I might consider getting a vaporizer.

re: eating disorder. I know what you mean. I was bulimic for only a very brief time (less than a year), but I have had long-term effects. Marijuana most definitely helps with those times when I am nauseous for no reason, or when I can't tell if I am hungry or want to vomit (weird that my body can't tell the difference sometimes, eh?). Like you it helps me maintain my metabolism and like I said before it helps me with depression and I often don't eat if I'm very depressed. However I think you made the logical, responsible choice to not use intoxicants of any type unless it is a last resort because you do not want to take strong pain killers and the like during pregnancy for the same reason you don't want to smoke weed or drink alcohol. Good for you.

(oh, when I said "like I said before," I was on my other diary when I said it. oops :P)

I can't believe I almost missed this thread.

You want evidence...

"Maternal cannabis use during pregnancy was associated with growth restriction in mid- and late pregnancy and with lower birth weight. This growth reduction was most pronounced for fetuses exposed to continued maternal cannabis use during pregnancy. " (El Marroun et al 2009)

"Although they are often considered relatively harmless, increasing evidence suggests that developmental exposure to cannabinoids induces subtle neurofunctional alterations in the offspring. In the present review, we summarize human and animal evidence examining the behavioral and neurobiological effects of exposure to cannabinoids during pregnancy and lactation. These studies show that the endocannabinoid system plays a crucial role in the ontogeny of the central nervous system and its activation, during brain development, can induce subtle and long-lasting neurofunctional alterations" (Campolongo et al 2009)

Like Lithium Layouts already said, the only reason there is little evidence for the long term damage is because these studies, following these children up long term, haven't been done.

Seriously, why would any mother RISK harming her child like that?? What are you thinking?

I can't believe I almost missed this thread.

You want evidence...

"Maternal cannabis use during pregnancy was associated with growth restriction in mid- and late pregnancy and with lower birth weight. This growth reduction was most pronounced for fetuses exposed to continued maternal cannabis use during pregnancy. " (El Marroun et al 2009)

"Although they are often considered relatively harmless, increasing evidence suggests that developmental exposure to cannabinoids induces subtle neurofunctional alterations in the offspring. In the present review, we summarize human and animal evidence examining the behavioral and neurobiological effects of exposure to cannabinoids during pregnancy and lactation. These studies show that the endocannabinoid system plays a crucial role in the ontogeny of the central nervous system and its activation, during brain development, can induce subtle and long-lasting neurofunctional alterations" (Campolongo et al 2009)

Like Lithium Layouts already said, the only reason there is little evidence for the long term damage is because these studies, following these children up long term, haven't been done.

Seriously, why would any mother RISK harming her child like that?? What are you thinking?

I have a friend who smoked basically everyday (probably more than once everyday).... Honestly, he turned out just fine. He was small, but my friend is pretty small to begin with.

I personally wouldn't do it.... I disagreed with her smoking pot all the time, not to mention her stupid boyfriend was probably free basing oxy when she got pregnant, but I have to admit that the baby had no complications and he's developing perfectly.

Very strange and definitely not ethical, but true.

@ erin: I have a friend who smoked basically everyday (probably more than once everyday).... Honestly, he turned out just fine.

Yeah, because ONE person's experience = medical evidence. :P

We KNOW that cigarette smoking causes lung cancer. That doesn't mean that everyone who smokes gets lung cancer.

So just because many women have healthy babies after smoking cannabis in pregnancy doesn't mean that it's safe.

Furthermore, you don't KNOW your friend's baby is "just fine". The brain damage which she could have caused with the cannabis likely wouldn't become apparent until he is older and developing (possibly much older, even in his teens).

And this is why people shouldn't ask for medical advice online because they get this sort of false reassurance which actually, in medical terms, means nothing.

This. All the questions that the OP is asking should be asked towards a medical professional. Either you hear what you wanna hear or you get ppl all up on your ass and then you aren't happy. Asking a medical professional alleviates all that. Granted it's nice to have a bit of an immediate response, but at the end of the day, the majority of us aren't medical professionals.

Whoa, nowhere did I generalize. If that's what you thought I meant, then you're incorrect.

I am in no way justifying her actions at all, I am simply stating what I know.

Why would you want to risk your weed being laced with something? Why would you risk your child's development PERIOD. I'm a very open-minded person, I mean I don't want to judge you, I have no right. I'm 16 and to everyone I know nothing especially being pregnant myself at my age but I know better than to risk my own child's health weather smoking weed will effect YOUR child or not you have no idea everyone is different. Do you have any maternal instincts at all?

Ehhhhhh. I mean, it cant be GOOD for the baby but i'm not finding anything that's saying it's TERRIBLE either. So really i think at best it's neutral, at worst it might affect birth weight, which, is definitely not the worst possible thing that could happen. I dont think you'd have any SERIOUS side effects from smoking pot ALONE.

@Fraggle: not everyone who smokes gets lung cancer, because cigarettes dont CAUSE lunch cancer. They help it.

lmfao *lung not lunch. lmfao my sammich has cancer oh noes!

@Betch: WTF? Of course cigarettes cause lung cancer. We know that. There's tonnes of medical evidence to show that.

And there IS evidence that cannabis is harmful in pregnancy. I already posted it further up the thread.

You are truly awesome for posting such an educated response! I was waiting for that! :)

I don't get why Betch said smoking HELPS lung cancer? wtf??

Because when you're born everyone has the cancer centers in their body, by smoking you're opening it, kind of like a wound thats been sealed you're picking at it, that's why people that do not smoke still can get cancer, by smoking you're enabling it. I hope I explained it good enough, this is something I learned about like five/six years ago.

What the fuck? How does smoking HELP lung cancer???

But why risk it at all? She has no idea what it could possibly do to her child. I guess everyone is just going to have there own opinions. And it all boils down to who would personally do it and how people personally feel about it. I can only speak for myself, and I would never do it and I don't agree with it, but jumping down her throat isn't going to change her opinion especially since she's already spoken to her doctor. I just hope that her child is born happy and healthy.

@Twixie:
As someone who has gone through child birth without any pain relief I can assure you that women who have been through it are not exaggerating a thing. I have an extremely high pain threshold and spent my entire pregnancy doing exactly what Red Fraggle said- preparing for a birth without medication by planning other ways to handle the pain. Even then, towards the end of it I was yelling at my husband and Doula to kill me because if they didn't, I was sure the pain would. That was no exaggeration, I meant it. If you can't manage a bit of nausea and anxiety with out resorting to risking your child's health, I am afraid you are in for a very nasty surprise when it comes time to give birth.

...And everything I have to say on the matter of smoking marijuana while your pregnant has been said by other people already so I won't bother repeating it.

i'm going to go ahead and call troll on this one.

if not, then i weep for humanity. again.