pregnant and concerned

Don't worry too much, huh?

I was 5 months pregnant (long story short, I have fertility problems and don't bleed like a normal gal and so I had no warning until I started to show) and had been enjoying a bowl or two a day, 1/2 packs of reds, and weekends drinking with the guys and I freaked out when I discovered I was preggers. I stopped drinking and smoking herb, but stopping the cigs was much harder. Around once a month I'd break down and buy a pack, but that was it.

Looooooong story short, Jeffrey was born a month ago and he's totally fine. Hell, the smoking didn't even make him small! (9 Lb 6 oz - we've nicknamed him babyzilla.) I asked the baby doc about the consequences of what I did, and she really wasn't all that worried. She said, realistically, that Jeff *might* be more inclined to have ADD/ADHD, but that his chances of major mental retardation were quite low.

I tell you what though, those 4 months were hell waiting for him. All I did was worry. Anyway, the point is, the numbers are on your side, and the odds say your baby will be a perfect little monster.

~Liz

I used to work for an OB/GYN and trust me, they will drug test you without your knowledge or consent and if you test positive, they will ask you to sign a release to leave their practice. At least that is what our doctors did. They will not be responsible for anything that happens to the baby if you are taking any kind of drugs and they cover their ass for their malpractice insurance. We released quite a few patients from our care because of their testing positive for drug use: marijauna and other drugs. They just will not take the risk and be put in a position for you to sue them if something happens to the baby.

So, besides losing your doctor, its just a really bad idea to smoke or drink while you are pregnant. Anything you do affects the baby.
I have a 14 year old with bad sinus and kidney problems and I have always worried that it was the pot smoke and cigerrette smoking for the first 3 months until I found out I was pregnant that caused her to have these problems all her life. She's had 2 surgeries for these problems. I know it may not have been, but it also may have been my actions and I'll never know and always wonder. For your child's sake, give it up, it's only for a few months.

I have two beautifull little girls and I smoke pot, but I didnt when I was pregant. It just didnt seem right or fair to my unborn children. I've seen alot of ppl do drugs while they were pregant and I've seen the effects on them later in life. I didnt even want to risk that on my child. Besides what's nine months outta a lifetime? I'm sure quitting for nine months wont be that big of a deal. Besides it'll benifit your child for there entire life, plus you have the rest of your life to smoke. And I'm sure if you talk to your doctor you can work something out for the pain.

And as for ppl who say you shouldnt smoke pot when you have kids cuz it's to big of a risk obviously you dont have kids. I've talked to quite a few doctors who all happen to agree that smoking pot does'nt make you a bad parent. As a matter of fact in some cases it actully makes you a better parent, due to the fact that your not as stress or easily annoyed.

Wonderful news...:D
Jacob is now 5 mths old... doing great 13.10 lbs:dance:
Stopped smoking everything ... just in case... pre birth : glad to be able to smoke again.
not in the house any more, Hubby and i now use the deck a lot more, and thats a nice change.
Just wanted to update the board, and tell all ... what a wonderful gift a child is.:thumbsup: :dance:

Hello everyone, I'm 36 and preg with my 3rd and last child.
My first I smoked weed about 3 x a week, 5 cigs a day.
(he's 10 now and healthy and happy) My 2nd, didn't smoke with, except 1 cig a day. She's 8 and has slight asthma (never weezes, takes meds to prevent it). This pregnancy is different. I only have 8 weeks to go and just found out I have gestational diabetes. For those of you who have never gone through this, it means my body isn't producing insulin so the sugar in my body isn't being processed. The baby is getting too many calories and producing extra insulin to compensate. This means I have to test my blood about 5 times a day (prick my finger *yuck*). I've been doing this for about 3 wks and I'm really stressed out! I've been smoking more (1 cig a day and weed 3 x a week) now than earlier in pregnancy. Now my doc says I'm going to have to get insulin SHOTS because just changing my diet hasn't worked. (I was 110 before preg). I'm also Italian and love my pizza and pasta. So I've been on a DIET too. Low carbs and no dessert. No juice (that's all I usually drink). I actually lost a couple of pounds because of this.

I don't think I can handle the stress without weed. (Also, I noticed by checking my blood that when I'm stressed my sugar levels are more elevated, than by the FOOD I eat.)

Any comments/advice from someone WHO's BEEN THROUGH THIS (please, no insults from those who have no clue what I'm going through...thanks.) ?????

Hey, Hotmama. I'ts been a long time since I had my son (he's 20 now), but my blood sugar got sort of high at the end. As it turned out, he was born before I had to do anything about it other than check my blood sugar and modify my diet, but I know it's stressful. If you can, try walking or exercising to help you burn up some of the sugar more efficiently. and deal with the stress.

This late in your pregnancy, weed probably isn't going to harm the baby, but I still think it's not the greatest idea in the world for any expectant mother, and you aren't going to find any ob/gyns who recommend it. A lot of people find that weed affects diabetes in negative ways, making your glucose levels have a lot more highs and lows, and that's another reason I'd try and refrain from smoking it. Here at the end of your pregnancy, that baby is maturing its lungs, putting the finishing touches in its reflexes, doing the last of its third-trimester neurological development. But more than anything, it's starting to put on weight. As you probably already know, the higher your sugars are, the more weight it's going to gain, and your doc has probably already told you horror stories about diabetic moms giving birth to 13-pound "moon-faced" babies, as they sometimes call them. If all else fails and you're so stressed that you feel you can't cope, tell your doc and see what he/she can prescribe to help lessen your anxiety and stress. (I'm betting the doc will recommend exercise, too.) Fortunately since you're in your third trimester, you can take more things than you could if it were earlier.

Hope things turn out OK and that you're able to get through these last few weeks without too much more stress! My thoughts are with you!

This one doctor said something about there being no proof that it adversely affects the fetus and said, "It's important for them to know this, because some women may find out that there pregnant and realize that they smoked marijuana, thinking that they harmed their baby."