Are you expectant and can’t handle how nauseated you feel every morning? Your friend may recommend some few doses of marijuana due to its medicinal effect of reducing your nausea. Some people claim that this drug helps a pregnant mother control her morning sickness and as well as take her through postpartum depression. States are also supporting the use of recreational cannabis to help mothers through pregnancies. In as much as this drug may help you through the nine months, are you really considering the safety of your baby?

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In our society today, studies show that more than 7% of young mothers turn to marijuana as an alternative to help them with pregnancy complications. The fact that smoking marijuana during this period is taken as a child abuse, makes most numbers go unreported because no one wants legal actions to be taken against them. Some have been found to miss clinics so that they don’t undergo drug tests. If this is you, marijuana detox and finding better options to help you with your morning sickness will help you deliver a healthy baby.

What makes marijuana harmful during pregnancy?

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As a pregnant lady, you should understand that you and your baby feed and inhale the same things.  Marijuana contains tetrahydrocannabinol commonly referred to as THC which is responsible for your temporary highness. With every smoke that you inhale, up to 30% of this chemical finds its way into your baby’s bloodstream.

For a moment, think about what marijuana does to a healthy grown man and then consider an infant who is still yet to be born. There is no way a fetus can handle all those chemicals and toxins you are passing on to them without getting affected. Marijuana withdrawal is what you need before prayers because slowly, you are damaging your God given blessing.

Other than THC, marijuana contains harmful herbicides and drugs that are unhealthy for your baby. As you smoke, more carbon monoxide is produced in your blood suffocating your baby’s oxygen thus affecting their respiratory system.

What causes the use of marijuana in most pregnant women?

Teenage pregnancy

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You may have gotten pregnant in your teen years from your addicted boyfriend who does not advise you to stop smoking while pregnant. The depression of being pregnant so young combined with poor life choices makes you continue using the drug as a stress reliever without thinking about the dangers of it to your child. Studies reveal that young mothers below the age of twenty, are reported to be the most marijuana users in America.

Legalizing it
Some states such as California have made it easier for women to use marijuana as a medical therapy. Availing this drug in pharmacies makes it tempting for you to prefer being high rather than having to deal with your morning sickness

Effects of marijuana during pregnancy

Pre term birth and your baby’s weight
Smoking marijuana while pregnant exposes you to the risk of giving birth before the recommended time as well as getting an underweight child.  Anything less than 2500 grams poses a great danger to your child because they might develop respiratory problems such as bronchitis and Asthma. Diabetes and hypertension are possible conditions that your baby may suffer from due to your marijuana smoking habit.

Heart defects
Smoking or taking marijuana edibles regularly while pregnant means that it stays in your system for almost a month. This is unhealthy for your baby because the more it remains there, the more your baby’s heart rate is affected due to too much carbon monoxide. This is what causes some babies to be born with heart conditions.

Irritability
After 9 months of being uncomfortable, you don’t want a baby who never gives you a minute to rest right? Eating edible marijuana may cause irritability to your child making them restless all the time causing too much crying with no reason.

Academic performance

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Tests conducted have shown that your baby may lag behind in class due to your negligence with marijuana. High order thinking may make your child perform poorly in class just because you exposed their brain to the drug. Signs of low memory and lack of attention may be exhibited too.Would you want this for your baby’s IQ?

Smoking habit
You must have seen a baby who looks like a replica of their mother or father. Children are known to be a reflection of their parents.Do you know that you can actually pass your smoking habit to your child? Apart from affecting the health of your baby, they may emulate the same smoking habit in future.This is because your genes are passed down to your baby making them adapt behavioral patterns such as smoking weed.

Legal issues
Though some states advocate for this drug for recreational purposes, you may find yourself in the hands of the law in most states smoking marijuana while you carry a pregnancy. It is better to suffer temporary withdrawal symptoms as you get clean rather than losing custody of your baby after nine months of pain and agony. Criminal charges are even set in some states to help you understand the seriousness of marijuana abuse.

Treatment


Weed detox
Detoxing safely in a medical facility will help you fight your addictionsafely without the risk of further harming your baby. Get rid of the toxins that may affect the development of your child by staying clean from this substance.

Medication
Natural remedies that have been approved by FDA are provided to help you with your morning sickness. No matter how much nausea puts you down, marijuana should not be a solution to feel better. Go for safe medication that will not affect your unborn child.

Therapy
Talking to a therapist will help you reduce the anxiety that makes you turn to drug abuse. If you are going through teenage pregnancy that makes you depressed with the rejection from family members, a therapist will help you get your self-confidence back as you find better ways to fight your depression.

Final thoughts
Using marijuana while pregnant just to feel better with your anxiety, remains a selfish move that shows lack of maternal love for your child.A baby has no control over how they are raised but nurturing them in the right way will make them healthier leaders of tomorrow.