Last week, in a post called “Marijuana and Morning Sickness,” guest blogger Jessica Katz wrote about how sick she has been throughout her second pregnancy. “It’s not morning sickness, it’s 24-hours-a-day sickness,” she blogged. “Even though I am taking Zofran, I am deathly ill.” Jessica was floored when her doctor suggested that she treat her morning sickness with marijuana. “Don’t they take your kids away from you if you do drugs while you are pregnant?” she asked. She Googled it, though, and found that many moms had successfully used medical marijuana to treat severe morning sickness. Yet in the end, she decided against trying it herself.
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Imagine her — and our — surprise when dozens of momlogic moms wrote in saying that they themselves had toked during their pregnancies, and that they recommended it … er, highly.
Check it out:
“If I [hadn’t smoked] marijuana when I was pregnant with my second child, I would have never eaten,” wrote Anonymous. “The smell [and] taste of food made me so sick I couldn’t stand it. I didn’t do much — just a small hit, and then I was fine. If [your doctor] said it will help, believe him.”
“Ladies, I smoked weed nearly every single day throughout my entire pregnancy, and it sure got me through it!” wrote Girlie. “We have a bright, alert, strong and happy girl. Our doctor always [remarked], ‘Keep doing whatever you’re doing — she’s perfect.’ Great birth weight, too! Just a little research will show how much safer [marijuana] is than alcohol and most over-the-counter drugs during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. Proud smoking mama here, just can’t wait ’til it’s legal.”
“I used [marijuana] during one of my pregnancies,” commented Mom of 2. “My kid is super smart, quick, funny, charming and healthier than the one I didn’t smoke with.”
“When I was pregnant a decade ago, I went through several weeks where I just kept getting sicker and sicker,” said Leese from Indiana. “My husband began to worry enough [that] he spoke to someone at work who ‘hooked him up’ with a joint. I took a hit that evening, and a couple more throughout the next few days. Worked like a charm. I could sleep … and the nausea disappeared. If you are afraid of smoking, a vaporizer is the best way to inhale, but eating is a mellow experience, if you can eat.”
“I smoked when I was pregnant back in 1969, and my child weighed in at 8.5 pounds,” wrote Sungirl. “He was put into gifted classes in third grade and has never shown any adverse effects from my having smoked.”
“I have an 11-month-old son and went through the same issues,” said Amanda. “Zofran, peppermint tea, seabands, EVERYTHING. I actually lost 60 pounds in the first and second trimesters. Marijuana was the only thing that allowed me to move …. I do not live in a medical marijuana state so I took a HUGE risk, but I knew what I was doing was right for my baby and myself.”
“I smoked through both pregnancies,” wrote Mother of Two. “My kids are fine; they do great in school and are really good kids …. They also make a pill called Marinol that is THC-based [and] is supposed to decrease nausea and increase appetite, but smoking works better.”
“I was extremely sick with my first pregnancy, 24/7,” said Amie. “It was to the point where I had to go to the ER because I was dehydrated and couldn’t even keep ice cubes down. Marijuana helped a lot, and now I have a healthy son who is extremely smart — almost too smart, lol. It would be worse if you weren’t able to gain weight and get proper nutrition to your baby.”
“I used a hit of marijuana once a day for my nine-month-long ‘morning’ sickness,” commented Karmadillo. “I found it helped when nothing else did. This was in 1977. Just one case, but my daughter is fine. BTW, Zofran is a drug, is it not? What are the effects of that versus a small amount of an herb that is known to be very safe?”
“I am now 8.5 months pregnant with [baby] number six,” wrote JG. “I have been soooo sick throughout this entire pregnancy that I … lost 60 pounds in the first four months. My OB put me on Phenergan, which is AWFUL. Then my family doc gave me Zofran …. I gave up and started smoking a little in the early AM. Finally I was able to get out of bed — which I couldn’t even do before — [and] oh yeah: I could EAT again! While my weight loss had been severe, my unborn daughter is doing well; her heart rate is strong, her size is good … and now we are just waiting on her arrival. I still get sick, so I still toke a little here and there. It has worked so well that I wish I had started smoking a little earlier, when I couldn’t do anything but puke. I don’t live in a medical MJ state, but after having to have a tooth pulled at eight months [and being] put on narcotic pain pills — which the OB said were completely OK — I figured, ‘If hydrocodone is OK, why wouldn’t MJ be?'”
“I was fortunate enough to live in a place where medical marijuana is legal,” said Michelle. “I only smoked when I really needed to, and also vaporized and ate cannabis treats. My son was 11 lbs., 10 oz. at birth, is sharp as a tack, strong as a bull and seems to be developing more rapidly than the norm. Your doctor isn’t some silly pothead: Cannabis is a medicine. It has only been illegal in the U.S. since 1937, and it’s mostly for racial, political and economic reasons. Don’t let that reefer madness scare you into finding relief. Check out this study.”
“With my first pregnancy I smoked MJ … [and] my boy came out … healthy as a horse,” wrote Green Mom of 2. “One thing to ask [your doctor], though: Is he going to have the hospital drug-test you when the baby is born? Lots of hospitals do it now, and you need to be aware if they do, and the laws in [your] state.”
“I used during both of my pregnancies,” said Julie. “My doctor had offered me pharmaceutical drugs that would have affected my liver as well as the development of the babies’ livers. My 17-month-old is amazing, with no adverse effects whatsoever! She has an over 150-word vocabulary, sings, dances and is way ahead of other children her age. Her memory is unbelievable! It is great that your doctor recommended herb, because my midwives illegally drug-tested my urine and threatened to tell my pediatrician of the results because they were “concerned as to the home environment” my baby was going home to!”
Rachel commented, “Zofran — chemically manmade drug. Cannabis — made from the earth. Which is more natural, in your opinion?”
“During my first pregnancy, I was hospitalized repeatedly for dehydration due to severe hyperemesis,” wrote Holly. “Zofran didn’t work. I was so sick that I told my husband it was a good thing we didn’t own a gun — and at that point, I wasn’t kidding …. Did I eventually break down and try marijuana? You bet. Did it work? Yes. Do I feel guilty about it? Not a single bit. How are my kids? They have performed above-average on all academic measures thus far, and have no problems focusing. :)”
“I suffered through [morning sickness] with my first baby, but during my second pregnancy, I was working full-time,” wrote Theresa Knox. “[After] the third time I stopped on the way to work to vomit on the side of the road, I spoke to my OB/GYN. She said, ‘Obviously I can’t legally tell you it won’t hurt your baby to smoke pot. But it won’t hurt your baby to smoke pot, and it’s better to smoke the pot than be sick all the time.’ [Now] I have a healthy, normal, active, above-average intelligent 13-year-old girl.” Note: Knox suggested that readers visit MomsforMarijuana.com.
Ladies, your pro-pot arguments are VERY convincing! Moms, what say you? Is it better to uphold the law, or have a healthy baby?