As a therapist specializing in anxious overachievers and entrepreneurs, and as a twin mom myself, I frequently support individuals and couples navigating the immense pressures and health decisions that come with pregnancy and postpartum. While I cannot offer medical advice on specific substances or medications, I often work with clients exploring how to cope with intense symptoms like nausea or anxiety during this transformative time. My own journey through postpartum recovery, addressing aspects like 'motherhood grief & postpartum rage,' highlights the profound emotional and physical challenges many face, and how critical self-care and professional support are. We explore the deep anxieties around choices made for health, for both mother and baby, empowering clients to develop tools for lasting change in how they manage these stresses. Often, the desire to use substances for relief during pregnancy stems from underlying anxiety, trauma, or relationship conflicts that I help clients process using modalities like Brainspotting and Accelerated Resolution Therapy. My focus is on understanding the 'why' behind seeking relief and fostering curiosity to make informed, congruent choices, rather than self-medicating.
I'm Dr. Maya Weir, and through my therapy practice with new parents in California, I've witnessed how pregnancy substance use decisions ripple into postpartum mental health struggles. What many don't realize is that maternal anxiety about past pregnancy choices often becomes a major barrier to parent-child bonding after birth. In my practice, I've worked with mothers who used cannabis during pregnancy for severe anxiety or PTSD symptoms, only to develop intense guilt and hypervigilance postpartum. One client spent months unable to sleep, constantly checking her baby's breathing because she feared her cannabis use had caused developmental damage. The trauma from this self-blame was often more damaging to the family system than the original substance use. The intergenerational pattern I see repeatedly is mothers who used substances to cope with untreated mental health conditions during pregnancy, then struggle with postpartum depression or anxiety that affects their ability to respond sensitively to their baby. This creates attachment disruption that can persist for years if left unaddressed. What's particularly striking is how partners often blame each other for pregnancy decisions after complications arise, whether real or perceived. I've seen couples in crisis therapy where one parent's pregnancy cannabis use becomes the scapegoat for any child behavioral issues, creating deep relationship fractures that require extensive work to repair.
Neuroscientist | Scientific Consultant in Physics & Theoretical Biology | Author & Co-founder at VMeDx
Answered 7 months ago
Good Day, 1. What has the history of marijuana use been in obstetric practice? Cannabis has historically been used in the alleviation of labor pain and the treatment of pregnancy nausea, but both instances lack scientific evidence and therefore fall within the realm of folklore. With the dawn of modern medicine and stricter medicines regulations, the use of cannabis in obstetrics began to decline. The use of cannabis in obstetrics is now back on the map due to legalization in Canada, but we still have no good clinical data showing for or against the use of cannabis during pregnancy. 2. Is there any medical advantage for the use of cannabis in pregnancy? Pregnant women have reported some levels of relief from nausea, anxiety, and poor appetite due to the use of cannabis, but these are only anecdotal. THC passes the placenta, and the evidence we currently have raises concerns regarding fetal brain development. Major medical bodies do not advocate the use of cannabis in pregnancy because no proven benefits outweigh its associated risks. 3. How do the risks of marijuana in pregnancy compare to alcohol or caffeine? Cannabis is riskier than caffeine but less risky than alcohol. Whereas caffeine use in moderation is deemed safe, there are associations between cannabis use and low birth weight, preterm birth, and the possible risk of long-term neurodevelopmental effects. For cannabis, there is no safe limit established during pregnancy, unlike caffeine. 4. What are the risks with medications like Zofran for nausea and Hyperemesis Gravidarum? Zofran (ondansetron) is widely used and generally well tolerated. Early concerns raised about the risk of birth defects have largely been dismissed following larger studies. As such, it is still the best-documented and safest option to use for severe nausea during pregnancy. 5. Will cannabis assist in minimizing opioid use during pregnancy? Although cannabis may help some population groups, outside of pregnancy, reduce opioid use, it cannot be safely construed as an alternative in pregnancy. It presents its own set of risks and cannot be recommended as a treatment for the opioid use disorder. Buprenorphine and methadone are still regarded as the gold standard in pregnancy. If you decide to use this quote, I'd love to stay connected! Feel free to reach me at gregorygasic@vmedx.com and outreach@vmedx.com.
Honestly, the history of marijuana in pregnancy shows more concern than benefit, and most medical voices still urge caution. Some women may hope it helps with nausea, but the risks to the baby's growth and brain development outweigh that relief. It reminds me of when a client skipped our 5% commission thinking they'd save money, but they ended up losing $7,800 on poor packaging. Quick fixes usually carry hidden costs. Compared to caffeine, cannabis is far less studied, and alcohol is clearly more damaging, but none are risk free. Anyway, I was reading Influize and it stressed how informed choices matter most, and that rang true.