What the latest studies say about cannabis and the postpartum period

Giving birth to a healthy, beautiful child is every mother’s dream. However, there is no way to prepare for the dark that is postpartum depression. The severity can range from mild baby blues to severe depression. When it’s more serious, it can produce symptoms in new moms such as extreme anxiety, mood swings, fits of crying, thoughts of hurting anyone else, including your baby, anger, and more.

Symptoms of postpartum depression can last from a few days to weeks and even months after birth, especially if you haven’t treated them. Untreated postpartum depression can actually become a dangerous situation for mother and child, which is why medical attention is necessary.

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Postpartum depression is more common than we think. According to experts, around 85% of mothers experience some type of mood swing after giving birth. Still, treatment can be difficult because of all the new things a mother is going through, especially with physical changes, lack of sleep, and the fact that you’re breastfeeding. Therefore, it is not advisable to take mood stabilizers during this time. To nip postpartum depression in the bud and allow for natural treatment, it’s important to make sure you’re taking appropriate care of yourself and resting.

For many moms, cannabidiol (CBD), the non-psychoactive compound in marijuana, has been a lifesaver.

How CBD can help mothers fight postpartum depression

CBD is attracting more women than ever because of its ability to help with a variety of women’s health issues. Millions of women are now taking CBD, and companies have even developed entire lines of products specifically focused on women’s health.

There are numerous studies showing the effectiveness of CBD in treating depression, anxiety, and mood disorders. In a 2021 study conducted by Realm of Caring (ROC), people who consumed artisanal CBD products were shown to experience significant decreases in symptoms of depression and anxiety, as well as better sleep and less pain. The study also highlighted how much CBD was effective for treating mood disorders.

“The biggest misconception this study addresses is that CBD doses must be between 400 and 600 mg before positive psychiatric effects can be achieved,” explains Dr. Nicolas Schlienz, Research Director of Realm of Caring. “We’ve seen positive effects in people who were only taking about 60 mg per day on average, 1/10th that dose,” he added.

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In a 2021 study, researchers analyzed the benefits of lab-tested CBD in 279 subjects over a six-month period. The participants suffered from moderate to extreme cases of anxiety, depression and pain. Those who had more severe cases showed great relief from taking CBD. “This study of CBD-rich products demonstrates the potential of RWE (Real World Evidence) to advance medical cannabis research and practice guidelines, particularly in a world where CBD use is growing exponentially but scientific data is limited. CBD-rich treatments have been shown to have a positive impact on patients with self-reported moderate or severe symptoms of pain, anxiety, or depression and overall well-being, but not on patients with mild symptoms,” the authors wrote.

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Unfortunately, at the time of writing, there is still a lack of studies that focus on the effects of CBD on breastfeeding mothers as well as the breastfed baby. Experts are still collecting data to determine if there is an impact. The studies we have show that THC can be passed to the baby through breast milk, although ancient cultures have used (and still use, such as mothers in Jamaica) even during breastfeeding. It’s worth noting that mothers already have a certain amount of cannabinoids in their breast milk, which are produced by our own endocannabinoid system.

The presence of endocannabinoids is important as they contribute to the development of babies. They’re important in stimulating appetite and encouraging babies to suckle, and it’s widely documented that breastfed babies are clearly much calmer after breastfeeding. It’s a well-known fact that endocannabinoids are present in breast milk, although scientists are still unsure what they are.

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Mothers interested in using CBD for postpartum depression are advised to speak to their healthcare providers. It’s also important to do your own research on products and brands, as it’s always a good idea to choose CBD products from reputable manufacturers. Using isolated and clean organic CBD is your best chance to avoid consuming products that may contain harmful contaminants like bacteria, pesticides, and heavy metals. These can harm the baby as they are transmitted through breast milk. You also want to consume hemp-derived CBD that contains no traces of the psychoactive THC.

Currently, the FDA still advises against the use of cannabis products while breastfeeding. But we hope new research will change that. At the end of the day, this is a choice between breastfeeding moms and their doctor.

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For those who want peace of mind, you can opt for topical CBD products as they do not enter the bloodstream like edibles, inhaled CBD, and beverages. In fact, many moms also find relief when using topical CBD to help with sore nipples and muscles.

In addition, there are other things mothers can do to speed up recovery from postpartum depression. These include regular light exercise, asking for help, working with a therapist, and maintaining relationships with loved ones throughout your recovery.

This article originally appeared on Cannabis.net and has been republished with permission.