Is CBD Safe With Breastfeeding?

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Unless you live in a faraway distant galaxy, you have heard of people using CBD products. Regardless if it’s used for epileptic seizures, joint or muscle pain, anxiety, or something as simple as getting a better night’s sleep or fighting acne, people have been finding relief for many symptoms through CBD.

CBD is no longer just oil or lotion you rub into your skin. These products are being drunk with coffee or tea, eaten through all kinds of delicious treats, taken in capsule form, and now even being smoked through vaping products. If you have a desire to use CBD, there are now multiple sources of how it can be used.

The products can be purchased at many of the places you go on a regular basis. Coffee shops and gas stations, the local bar or a pharmacy, the other day I was even in a video rental shop that was selling CBD products on the counter. If you have been considering joining the many people who find relief for several symptoms with CBD, you don’t have to look very hard to find the stuff.

Breastfeeding

So, with so many people saying CBD is working for them, many different forms of using the products, and more places than you can count selling the products, why aren’t even more people taking advantage of the opportunity?

There was recently a study completed on hundreds of people who knew of someone who was using CBD on a regular basis. They are told by these people quite often they were finding relief with CBD and that they highly recommended the products. But, there’s something these people who were studied weren’t being told.

They still had the misconception that using CBD products will produce a “high” or alter their state of mind, similar to smoking marijuana. These individuals were regularly hearing the benefits and effects of using CBD. They simply didn’t know enough in regards to exactly what CBD is. So, let us be very clear about something right now. No, using a CBD product, regardless of how it’s used or the amount, will not get you high.

Yes, CBD is extracted from a cannabis plant, just like marijuana. But, CBD is not full of THC, the compound in marijuana that produces the effect of someone feeling high. CBD has more in common with hemp. It’s commonly used more for its healing properties. Again, no, you will not get high from using CBD.

That being said, is using a CBD product safe for someone who is breastfeeding? This is definitely a question that needs to be looked at.

If you are a mother who is breastfeeding, you are already fully aware of how close you need to be monitoring what you consume. There are plenty of both beverages and foods alike that are off-limits. That being said, if you are currently breastfeeding your child, is it safe for you to be using a CBD product?

Because of specific changes in the United States legislation and many of the potential health benefits, there has recently been a huge rise in people willing to say they are using CBD products. If you are a mom who has recently had a child, an increased appetite, reduced stress, and a better quality of sleep are all definitely areas where you could use some help. Plenty of people are saying they receive aid in each of these categories and many more with the use of CBD. The only question, if you’re breastfeeding your baby, is it healthy for them?

There is currently a ton of research being done considering exactly how CBD interacts with our bodies. Because of ethical constraints, conducting research or a study directly on how a CBD product affects both a baby that is being breastfed and its mother would be extremely difficult. That being said, this doesn’t exactly mean there’s no information available on the matter. We have put together some of the most recent and up to date information about breastfeeding and using CBD.

What concerns should you have?

Regardless of what the substance is, even if it’s natural like a CBD oil, there should be plenty of concerns if you are a breastfeeding mother. Here are a few of the more commonly asked questions we are asked about CBD products by breastfeeding moms.

Will CBD oil pass through my milk?

As frustrating as it is to say, we simply can not answer this question at the time. As new as CBD products are on the market, the research simply hasn’t been completed as of yet. Yes, we know that THC is able to pass through breast milk and can be extremely harmful to the baby. But, we don’t know the effects CBD will have on an infant. As we mentioned at the beginning of the article, there is very, very little THC in CBD products.

That being said, it is worth keeping in mind, breast milk does have some cannabinoids that are naturally present. These cannabinoids are regularly produced in the human body through the endocannabinoid system. No, during pregnancy or while breastfeeding, marijuana should not be used whatsoever. But, there has been just a minor risk to both children and adults using CBD oil. There may be no problems with this at all concerning breastfeeding. We simply do not know the answers at this time.

Due to the fact that research has not been completed in this area, make sure that you always speak with a doctor before making the decision to use a CBD product, especially if you have recently had a child.

If I am breastfeeding, why would I even consider using CBD oil?

There are many breastfeeding mothers who make the decision to avoid using CBD oil at all costs with so much uncertainty surrounding the products. But for several other of these moms, they have been given plenty of reasons to remain open about the subject.

Postpartum depression, PPD, is something that affects many women who have recently given birth and are breastfeeding. Some of the effects that come with this cruel condition include detachment from the child, mood swings, fatigue, and anxiety. More often than not, antidepressant medication is used to treat PPD. In what is already a stressful and troubling time, using an antidepressant medication brings a mother’s nursing journey to an end.

There are many ways that depression has been shown to reduce the use of CBD oil. The impact CBD has on anandamide is one of these ways. Anandamide, a neurotransmitter that is usually called molecule, plays a significant role when it comes to how we are able to experience motivation, happiness, and even joy. CBD will act as an anandamide reuptake inhibitor. This means the level of anandamide that is available to the human brain is increased. If you are a mother who is suffering from PPD, the amount of anandamide in the brain being increased could lower the serious effects experienced with PPD.

There are several other benefits along with mood and anxiety being positively impacted for a mother who is breastfeeding with the use of a CBD product. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says if a mom is breastfeeding, their regular diets should be supplemented with 450-500 additional calories each day to make up what is being given to the baby through breastfeeding (1). A mother could experience an unhealthy loss of weight or go through serious fatigue if they are not consuming enough calories. According to research, there are specific strains of CBD oil with the ability to both increase appetite and reduce nausea, making it easier for a breastfeeding mother to consume calories.

For someone like a new mother who is constantly being woken up throughout the night so the baby is able to nurse, it can be nearly impossible to get a decent amount of sleep. It has been proven that the quality of sleep improves with CBD oil and these products are able to help with insomnia. The production of cortisol is also reduced with CBD oil. This is a hormone that stress is able to trigger, making it even more difficult to fall back asleep after waking.

Is CBD oil right for you?

If you are currently breastfeeding a child, there simply isn’t enough research available to determine whether or not using a CBD product is a good idea. Depending on the answer you want to hear, there’s a ton of information you can find, both negative and positive, with a simple Google search.

If this is a decision you have been thinking about, the best advice we can offer is to speak with a doctor that has been seeing you for a while. Make sure that the doctor is someone who knows both your medical history and the specific reasons why you are considering using a CBD product. You may also consider reaching out to a naturopathic doctor. These doctors specialize in medical treatment through CBD. Again, make sure you discuss with them anything you would want any medical doctor to know considering your history and exactly what the reasoning is behind your wanting to use a CBD product.

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