Birth Allowed Radio

In this episode, we talk about the world of pregnancy, breastfeeding, and marijuana use. To help make sense of this topic – and sort the science from the pearl-clutching - I brought in a special guest: Heather Thompson, PhD. Heather discusses the research and helps make it relevant to worried moms and birth workers. Heather has a doctorate in molecular and cellular biology and has worked in clinical research in maternal and infant health for 25 years. She is now Deputy Director at the reproductive justice organization Elephant Circle. http://www.elephantcircle.net/ > First, a note about the relevance of most drug research. As a whole, drugs are not tested on pregnant women to see how they respond. Most drugs are tested on a “control” made up of white men, and we cannot always extrapolate drug effects onto other groups. The female metabolism, especially in pregnancy, differs greatly. *What are the benefits of marijuana use during pregnancy/post-partum?* During pregnancy, it is often used for morning sickn