CBD during pregnancy: good idea or bad?

CBD is often presented as risk-free, yet taking it during pregnancy may have various effects. Tempting though it can be when pain sets in, caution is called for. Here is an overview of CBD and pregnancy, and of whether taking it has any bearing on the development of the foetus.

The various ways of taking CBD

CBD is recommended by those who sell it for easing stress and for setting aside everyday complaints, and it is presented as an aid to letting go. While a number of studies are cited as having found CBD beneficial and free of risk, research on pregnant women remains scarce. As a precaution, expectant mothers are therefore advised not to take CBD during pregnancy, nor hemp in other forms. There are two ways of taking CBD, ingestion and application to the skin. Here is what each means during pregnancy.

Taking CBD by mouth during pregnancy and the consequences for the baby

During pregnancy, the mother produces endocannabinoids, which are cannabinoids of her own. During breastfeeding, these are passed on to the baby. The development of a breastfed child is therefore directly affected by the ingestion of those endocannabinoids. This natural process may be disturbed if the mother takes CBD as a supplement. That is why the advice is to let nature take its course and to avoid CBD for at least 9 months, and longer if you are breastfeeding.

Applying CBD to the skin during pregnancy

There is, on the other hand, no stated contraindication to applying CBD to the body of a pregnant or breastfeeding woman. Some health professionals even recommend applying oils to reduce the discomfort and the common aches of pregnancy. According to them, acne, lower back pain and heavy legs can be eased with a CBD oil applied locally to the areas concerned. One caution, though: hemp essential oil remains off limits as a precaution, since no long-term experience and no serious study has been published on it to date.