Is It Safe To Use CBD While Breastfeeding?
Is It Safe To Use CBD While Breastfeeding?
A number of women that are new mothers, or are about to become new mothers wonder if they might be able to use CBD oil while breastfeeding instead of a number of other medications.
It's true that while pregnant or nursing, anything that you put in your system is passed to the baby. That's why medication has to be carefully considered before using, and why you shouldn't drink, smoke or take other recreational drugs while nursing or pregnant.
Bear in mind that this isn't medical advice, this is the discussion of the idea among grown-ups. Please see a doctor about anything related to your pregnancy or breastfeeding.
But what about CBD?
Why Would Someone Use CBD While Breastfeeding?
A common concern is that depression or anti-anxiety medications such as Prozac or Xanax, or pain relievers, will be passed through to the baby and harm them. Since CBD is a natural product and isn't toxic, the idea goes, it's better to use in this situation.
It seems like a slam dunk; avoid use of a heavily synthetic medication, switch to a natural product such as CBD oil or CBD capsules and that has to be safer for you and your baby.
Women who have a prescription they take daily should be concerned about how that prescription medication may affect their child when breastfeeding, and that is definitely a concern that should be raised with your doctor.
If you're thinking of taking CBD instead of a prescription drug while pregnant or nursing, you definitely need to talk to your doctor about that BEFORE you start. Doctors, physician's assistants (PAs) and Nurse Practitioners are trained professionals, and that is who you should get your medical advice from.
Is there any evidence that use of CBD while breastfeeding is bad? Or, for that matter, good?
Can CBD be Safely Used While Breastfeeding?
The FDA Advises You Don't Use CBD While Breastfeeding
FDA's Advice on Using CBD while Breastfeeding
The Food and Drug Administration strenuously recommends and advises that pregnant or nursing women should not use THC or CBD while nursing or pregnant, at all.
The FDA has only approved CBD in the form of one prescription medication, Epidiolex, for treatment of two specific types of epilepsy.
There is some evidence to believe CBD might be harmful for newborns, as an animal trial found an increased incidence of birth defects in animal trials. However, other than that, there is no evidence for CBD being beneficial or harmful to developing human fetuses or breastfeeding babies.
In other words, the FDA recommends you don't because they don't really know if it's safe or not.
And neither does anyone else. The science on CBD use...just isn't there yet.
With that in mind, you should proceed cautiously. Talk to your doctor, and see if they have any ideas or opinions based on their knowledge and expertise.