Diet and Health FAQ

Tagged As: What Causes Morning Sickness

Question:
Anyway, I was just thinking -- you know how pregnant mothers have morning sickness -- nausea? And you know how pot eases nausea? I was watching a Discovery Health program about pregnancy and the narrator said that nobody really knows why the mother gets nauseas when the baby is forming, but indeed the fetus's health comes before the mother's as the fetus struggles to survive. I wonder if perhaps the nausea is caused by the fetus sucking up all the natural cannabinoids the body can produce? Now keep in mind that cannabis has been in use by man for thousands and thousands of years. You know that pregnant women were consuming the stuff throughout time. I wonder if the cannabis helps ease the nausea for pregnant mothers?

Answer:
Apparently nobody knows yet exactly what causes morning sickness, but it's believed by some to be caused by hormonal changes in early pregnancy, and perhaps low blood sugar and temporary anemia, both of which can cause nausea and lightheadedness. Didn't matter too much what the heck you did to yourself back in the days when life expectancy wasn't over 40 or so, and infant mortality was 50 percent or higher, eh? You're assuming that the developing fetus is taking something from the mother other than nourishment that has to be replaced by pot. Quite a leap, I'd say. Far better for everyone concerned to treat morning sickness by some simple dietary changes rather than a psychoactive drug. Uh, when I was pregnant, I had to take supplementary vitamins and iron. I also had to eat, drink and sleep more. I don't see how it's a dramatic leap of faith to guess that there may be OTHER chemicals the baby takes from its mother. Though I don't personally believe that cannabinoids are one of them, since I believe the body stops producing them once a person reaches a certain age. You're right about dietary changes. But these alone aren't enough sometimes. You can approach an extreme called hyperemesis gravidarum, which can injure or kill through dehydration and/or electrolyte imbalance ... which can't be too good for the baby either. Some drugs, eg, torecan, are approved for use in pregnant women under these circumstances, with varying effectiveness. Although not studied systematically, mj seems to be more consistently effective in reducing emesis and restoring appetite. I think it may have great promise in treating severe morning sickness.