Lit Tits Series - Puff, Pump, Peace: Cannabis, Breastfeeding & Mental Health
- Chardá Bell, IBCLC, CBE, CD
- 7 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
It's Mental Health Month, so let’s talk about mental health, the real kind. Not just bubble baths and vague "self-care" tips, but the deep, daily reality of surviving postpartum.
The insomnia. The rage. The feeling like your body isn’t your own. The fear of being judged if you admit you're struggling, and the pressure to smile through it anyway.
Some people use cannabis to modulate neurodivergent behavior and that’s ok. Some people use it medically to help with pain to get out the bed in the morning things like arthritis or fibromyalgia to reduce their pain to do their daily applications. Getting high everyday is safer than getting drunk everyday and there have been zero deaths attributed to natural cannabis use.
It can help with treatment and side effects. Makes you hungry, which helps with nutrition and helps with getting sleep which helps you heal.
For many parents cannabis has become one of the few accessible tools for coping. It’s legal in California and many other states. It’s natural. And for some, it’s been a lifeline through postpartum anxiety, depression, trauma, or just the straight-up overwhelm of parenting.
So why is society still acting like it’s taboo?
This blog is for the breastfeeding parents who use cannabis to manage their mental health and for the providers who need to learn how to talk about it without causing harm.
Cannabis Is Self-Care for Some Parents. Period.
Let’s be for real, not everyone is using cannabis to “get high.” Plenty of folks are microdosing, taking low THC strains, or using CBD forward products to manage anxiety, stress, pain, or mood swings. And guess what?
They're still showing up for their babies. They're still producing milk. They're still worthy of care.
The conversation needs to shift from “is this safe?” to “how do we support safe, informed use in a system that already stigmatizes parents?”
Mental Health Benefits Parents Report from Cannabis Use
Though clinical research is still catching up, lived experience tells us a lot:
Reduced postpartum anxiety or panic symptoms
Improved appetite and sleep
Mood stabilization without the side effects of pharmaceuticals
Pain relief
A sense of calm in an otherwise overstimulating season of life
None of these are small things. And for people whose trauma has made them wary of the medical system, cannabis can feel like a healing modality they actually control.
Safe Use = Smart Use: Harm Reduction Tips for Breastfeeding Parents
Here’s what we recommend if you’re breastfeeding and choosing to use cannabis:
Time your sessions. Wait at least 3–4 hours after using before feeding, especially with higher THC products.
Edibles or tinctures, less harsh smoke. Avoid exposing baby to secondhand smoke even cannabis smoke has implications. Cleaner smoke options include organic, dye free and bamboo papers, clean water bong, anything that filters the smoke better to make it less harsh, less hot and reduces harmful particles.
Know your body. Start low and slow. What helps you feel grounded, not impaired?
Avoid co-sleeping while under the influence. Safe sleep is paramount. Try a bedside sleeper, playpen or floor bed all free of pillows, blankets and toys.
Find a provider you trust. You deserve nonjudgmental care. If you’re using cannabis for anxiety or depression, your provider should help you, not report you. Find a cannabis friendly doctor by interviewing your doctor and switching if their views don't align with yours. Check these resources out: https://www.cannabisclinicians.org/find-a-cannabis-doctor/
Providers Please Stop Weaponizing Weed
Too many breastfeeding parents, especially Black and brown parents, are still being flagged by doctors, nurses, or social workers for cannabis use. Even in states like California, where cannabis is legal, its use can still trigger child welfare involvement.
That’s not health care, that’s surveillance.
So if you're a doctor, nurse, clinician, midwife, lactation consultant, or therapist, here’s what you can do:
Ask about cannabis like you would ask about caffeine or wine. Neutrally, without implying harm.
Learn the science about microdosing, types of cannabinoids, and how THC actually transfers into milk. Check out these resources:
Use trauma-informed language: Instead of “Are you using drugs?” try “Many parents use cannabis to manage stress or pain, is that something you’d like to talk about?”
NEVER threaten removal or CPS unless there’s actual harm. Cannabis use alone is not a parenting failure, especially when you're not offering better solutions.
Listen first. Parents are the experts on their bodies and their needs. Your job is to support, not police.
Let's Exhale For A Moment
Cannabis is a mental health tool for many breastfeeding parents. And like any tool, it deserves to be talked about honestly, used safely, and decriminalized, not just legally, but socially and medically.
This Maternal Mental Health Month, let’s honor real care. Not fear. Not judgment. Just support, education, and liberation.
Need a provider who won’t shame you for weed?
Or want help figuring out what cannabis products are safest during lactation? https://mothertobaby.org
Check out our free resources and harm reduction guide for parents AND providers:
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