Is cannabidiol safe for breastfeeding mothers?
Mother or child?
Life after childbirth brings with it a whole host of changes, both mental and physical. According to experts, one in five women suffers from postpartum depression. In addition, she often has to contend with insomnia, chronic pain, hormonal imbalances, emotional fluctuations and a tendency to inflammation and infection. For women mothers, not only the first months of life with a baby are very stressful. At the same time, it is often almost impossible for them to find the appropriate remedies on the fly to bring them the desired relief. No wonder they look to CBD as a substance with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antipsychotic, anticonvulsant and antidepressant properties. But is the use of CBD during breastfeeding really safe for women and especially their babies?
What does science say about using CBD while breastfeeding?
Some experts claim that CBD is harmless to children (from newborn age) and should be primarily a woman's health concern. Cannabidiol can have a positive effect on her psyche, even preventing problems related to a weakened immune system.
Other experts argue that CBD, as a holistic medicine, is a better option than antidepressants with many side effects where breastfeeding must be discontinued.
So, in the extremely challenging period of the first few months, CBD can generally help to improve the relationship between mother and baby, helping them to bond more easily and form a stronger bond. This approach emphasises the view "if the mother is well, so is the baby".
However, for now, there are no studies that confirm the safety of CBD use during breastfeeding or, conversely, provide evidence of its dangers. On the other hand, there is evidence that thousands of years ago, cannabis was used during pregnancy and after childbirth, when women were fully breastfeeding. This was usually to relieve themselves during a difficult period. But today's times call for clear empirical evidence to support the use of CBD for breastfeeding. And that has not yet happened. It is difficult to test on infants and 'measure' the effect that cannabidiol can have on them in the short and long term.
The only known research has primarily focused on THC and its presence in breast milk. Eight mothers with babies aged between three and five months were tested. The infants were shown to pass on 2.5% of their THC dose through breast milk.
It is THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) contamination that poses the greatest risk. CBD should not cause such complications, but experts are concerned about the effect of any cannabinoid on child development in the absence of relevant research data.
Alcohol (for example, a small amount of wine) is eliminated from the body relatively quickly and may not be a problem for the child. It is enough to pump breast milk in advance or replace one feeding with a vegetable feed. However, cannabinoids work differently and can bind to fats. Breast milk is viscous and has long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, so cannabidiol can theoretically remain in it for several days.
So is there a total ban on CBD? It also depends on the form
Until science accumulates sufficient evidence of the safety of CBD for the health of newborns and infants, CBD use cannot be recommended for breastfeeding mothers. CBD drops or capsules (and other internally taken products) are therefore off limits during breastfeeding. However, the situation is different for topical products. They are absorbed more slowly and are only a topical surface treatment. This means that CBD and other active substances do not penetrate the lower layers of the skin (below the epidermis), so they do not enter the bloodstream in any way, and thus cannot contaminate breast milk. CBD in nursing creams, ointments for a C-section scar or to soften stretch marks and veins, or in gels to relax tense muscles, does not harm the baby and cannot harm him. Only in the case of treatment of sore nipples, take care that the baby does not come into contact with residues of the product when latching on.
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