Effects of Marijuana Use During Pregnancy and Disclosure to Healthcare Providers

Question

What are the potential consequences of using marijuana during pregnancy, and should I be concerned about it showing up in my baby's system at birth? Have any other mothers experienced a similar situation, where they admitted to marijuana use during prenatal visits? Did healthcare providers report it because they knew or because it was disclosed?

Answer 1

With you being 26wks, I assume you've had your anomaly scan around 20wks? If there were any effects I would imagine they would have been spotted at that scan. So if that looked normal, you should be good. It's a touchy subject for some but I do know some mums who have smoked weed in their pregnancies. One friend had 5 healthy pregnancies, 5 healthy babies, she smoked weed throughout all of them. My mates mum smoked weed throughout both of hers but my friend was born prematurely, 12 weeks early. Her daughter (my friends sister) is about as far along as you at the moment and has cut down but continues to smoke weed and has no issues so far. My friend smoked cigs throughout her pregnancy and had a healthy 9lb little boy. I usually smoke weed too for my genetic condition causing chronic pain but I quit when I got pregnant with my daughter (now 6) and now I'm 7wks pregnant and have quit again. Still working on the cigs. Most of the risk comes from the tobacco that is smoked with it. I learned this from a UK website that details research studies done on different drugs, medications and substance use in pregnancy. What would be safer is making cakes or brownies instead, it eliminates the chems from tobacco and smoke. Hope this helps. 

Comments

Thank you!!! Yes everything looked fine for baby girl at the anatomy scan and she's still measuring big. They say she's growing fine and doing well.  I quit at about 16-17 weeks. My question is though is did cps / dhr come try to start anything at labor and delivery because of anyone admitting to it at their first prenatal appointment . I feel if I pass my drug test as well as the baby they shouldn't be able to try to take my child. It worries me some that because I admitted to it they are going to try to monitor my baby and send off her meconium/poop diapers and look for a reason to get me caught up in the system.

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Do be warned though the side effects of smoking during pregnancy will not be noticeable, your child could still have other causes from your smoking that will show later in life, you could cause your child asthma that won't show untill later in childhood, ecsthma won't either and there could also be a whole host of neurology (brain) broblems that your smoking during pregnancy could have caused, I don't want to scare you but there is good reason why you shouldn't do that during pregnancy and most of the time the baby will 'look' normal but later in life the consequences of your smoking will come to light!