If you want to use CBD during breastfeeding, you might want to think again. While cannabidiol is generally regarded as a safe substance, we have limited data on how it works for pregnant women as well as females who are breastfeeding.
Things become even more complicated if you consider the fact that the market is not properly regulated. A lot of companies are prepared to misinform their consumers, often putting various substances in their products. So, not only do you have to worry about THC and CBD when breastfeeding, but you also have to worry about other ingredients.
In this article, we will talk a bit more about CBD and breastfeeding, how this substance may affect you, and whether or not you should even use it in the first place. Check it out!
What is CBD?
Most companies advertise CBD as a miraculous substance that will regulate numerous internal processes without causing any harm to the body. And while this might be true for healthy individuals, things might be a bit different if your hormone levels are messed up during pregnancy or if you need to breastfeed your newborn.
CBD or cannabidiol is one of the numerous cannabinoid substances that can be found in hemp and marijuana. Nowadays, most governments of the world are restricting the CBD market by limiting how much THC there can be in a product.
If you didn’t know, this substance causes psychedelic episodes. There is a lot of THC in marijuana but very little in hemp, which is why most companies prefer using the hemp plant for their cannabidiol substances.
How does CBD affect women who are breastfeeding?
Scientists have yet to create a comprehensive study that would focus on pregnant women, breastfeeding women, and CBD. As you can presume, the focus of this study should be on a baby’s or fetus’ health.
At this moment, most of our knowledge is based on anecdotal data, based on rare stories of breastfeeding women who used CBD. There were also a few animal studies that explored this issue.
One of these studies implies that animals had major reproductive issues when given CBD. For example, it was noticed that male fetuses were especially endangered.
Besides this potential issue that may occur during pregnancy, infants may encounter similar problems during breastfeeding as cannabidiol would be transferred via mother’s milk.
However, we need to add that we’re not completely certain whether CBD is causing issues to breastfeeding women. There is also an argument to be made that these problems are caused by THC as well as other toxins that might’ve ended in the bottle. For example, the issues might be caused by microbes, pesticides, metals, etc.
According to what we know so far, CBD and breastfeeding don’t mix well. Cannabidiol products may lead to extreme sleepiness, liver damage, and various issues when consuming other substances and medicines.
If we’re talking about breastfeeding in particular, there are two major concerns that we need to mention. First, CBD may alter the milk itself, delivering all these harmful substances to the baby.
The second potential issue comes with milk production. Basically, cannabidiol might affect the mother’s ability to produce milk. Based on that, the issue becomes even more complex.
How does FDA see CBD products?
At this moment, the US FDA has allowed only one hemp-based product, and that is Epidiolex, which is for certain types of seizures. However, if we’re talking about the regular CBD oils and edibles, none of these items have the necessary approval to be considered drugs or supplements. Furthermore, if a hemp company advertises them as anything but wellness substances, they can easily get in trouble.
According to the official statement, FDA hasn’t properly evaluated or approved these products. So, they don’t know if they’re safe or effective for specific ailments.
They also know very little about their safety and potential interaction with other medicines or foods. Lastly, the FDA doesn’t know everything about the product’s potential side effects. Naturally, all of this also holds true when we are talking about CBD during breastfeeding.
Main things you need to know if you decide to use CBD during breastfeeding
Although all of this is very concerning, there is no law that would prevent women from using CBD while breastfeeding. That is if cannabidiol products are legal in your state and/or country.
Anyway, here are some of the main things you need to consider before buying this product:
- The FDA advises against using CBD, THC, or marijuana during pregnancy or while breastfeeding. Although CBD may seem a bit safer than THC, there are still a lot of concerns surrounding these products. As we’ve mentioned, you might not necessarily have trouble with cannabidiol, but perhaps with some of the other substances. Keep in mind that while medicinal hemp shouldn’t have more than 0.3% THC content, it will still have some THC inside of the bottle.
- Potential side effects of using CBD products worsen if you take larger quantities of the product. So, if you do decide to administer cannabidiol, make sure that you start with a smaller quantity.
- Higher quality, lab-tested products are always safer, but there are no guarantees that you’ll avoid side effects when using CBD during breastfeeding.
- Lastly, it is very important to consult a medical professional before you start using CBD. Furthermore, it is much better to consult an expert who has experience with cannabidiol products. This is especially important if you’re using some other substances along the way.
No matter what, we suggest that you avoid using cannabidiol products, especially those made from the marijuana plant. You should especially be careful of any substance that has high THC levels.