# How does smoking pot affect breast-feeding?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-smoking-pot-affect-breast-feeding/92671>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 10, 2001, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-smoking-pot-affect-breast-feeding/92671 "2001-11-10T20:59:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\
**Post date:** [November 10, 2001, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-smoking-pot-affect-breast-feeding/92671/1 "2001-11-10T20:59:00Z")

</div>

OK, I’m sure this has been asked before. But what effect does smoking pot have on breast-feeding? Is there any evidence that THC and what-have-you accumulate in breast milk? Would your baby get stoned if you smoke up before feeding?

Any helpful information would be appreciated.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\
**Post date:** [November 10, 2001, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-smoking-pot-affect-breast-feeding/92671/2 "2001-11-10T22:00:20Z")

</div>

Do a Google search on marijuana and lactation - you’ll get a bunch of hits. It seems as though marijuana can be found in breast milk of women who smoke it, and that it might possibly decrease lactation in some women. I wouldn’t be surprised if it did affect an infant.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![tygre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c4cdca/32.png) [@tygre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tygre)\
**Post date:** [November 10, 2001, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-smoking-pot-affect-breast-feeding/92671/3 "2001-11-10T22:21:29Z")

</div>

Here’s a link on how drugs transfer into breastmilk:  
[http://neonatal.ttuhsc.edu/lact/html/drug\_entry.html](http://neonatal.ttuhsc.edu/lact/html/drug_entry.html)

Here’s a post from Lactnet, the list for lactation professionals by Tom Hale, widely considered to be ne of the premiere experts on the transfer of drugs into breastmilk and the author of Medications and Mother’s Milk:

[http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/scripts/wa.exeA2=ind9601C&L=lactnet&P=R8899](http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/scripts/wa.exeA2=ind9601C&L=lactnet&P=R8899)

In short - while enough will transfer to make the baby (and mom) test positive for pot, it’s unlikely the baby would get stoned. This does NOT mean it’s safe to do!

As a volunteer breastfeeding counselor myself, we were advised during training that drugs of abuse are not generally considered safe during breastfeeding and that it is better to use alternative foods for baby than to nurse and abuse drugs.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\
**Post date:** [November 10, 2001, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-smoking-pot-affect-breast-feeding/92671/4 "2001-11-10T22:49:14Z")

</div>

Well, you won’t get too uptight about keeping the baby on a feeding schedule.