CBD while Pregnant? Part 1

---

Home: CBD while pregnant? Part 1

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

---

---

My Experience with CBD oil during pregnancy

Hello everyone! I am a mother of 35 years, now pregnant with my 3rd child, and I want to share my experience with the use of CBD oil during my pregnancy with you. I would like to make it clear that I am not a doctor and that this is purely about my personal experiences. It is my choice to use CBD oil, despite the fact that little research has been done on the use of CDB during pregnancy. I made this choice for a reason. I am going to keep a diary in which I will share my experiences with you every month. This month, the following topics will be discussed:

• My story Experience with CBD oil during pregnancy
• What is CBD?
• How does CBD work?
• What does science say about CBD during pregnancy?
• My choice to use CBD during pregnancy
• Which CBD oil to use

My story:

Last year, I suffered from depression and started taking Citalopram, which is an antidepressant that falls within the group of SSRIs. I am absolutely not a fan of taking medication, and so I read a lot about the drug and thought about it carefully. Because I felt so bad and wanted to feel better quickly, I decided to start taking this antidepressant. Because I'm pregnant with my third child, I'd really like to stop taking this drug. I have also discussed this with my GP. Because I'm taking a low dose, the idea is that I will phase out with CBD drops so that I don't have to stop the medication abruptly. Each week I'll take one drop less, and then I'll stop after four weeks.

---

Side effects of antidepressants

When I started taking the antidepressants last year, I had a lot of side effects. For a fortnight I couldn't sleep and I had a terrible headache. This left me exhausted and with two small children of one and three years old, this was extremely difficult. If I had known this in advance, I would never have started this medication.

I started with a Citalopram dose of 10 mg and I left it at that. I was afraid that if I started building up, I would suffer the same side effects again. I'd also read many stories of people who had so much trouble stopping that they went back on antidepressants because of the withdrawal symptoms/side effects. I was very aware of this and didn't want to take the risk. I have to say that I did feel better when I took the antidepressants for a while, so I think this dose was sufficient for me.

Learn more about CBD against anxiety and depression.

Natural products that can work as antidepressants

Because I want to stop and I'm afraid of severe withdrawal symptoms and the chance of a relapse, I started surfing the internet for natural products that can help me alleviate the withdrawal symptoms and hopefully replace the effect of the antidepressants for a while so that I can continue to feel good during the pregnancy. During my first two pregnancies, the pregnancy hormones caused me some emotional problems. The infamous mood swings were there; I have to say. Of course, so much is happening in your body. I don't expect this pregnancy to be much different.

There is a lot of information on the internet about natural products/supplements that can work as antidepressants. I can mention St. John's wort, CBD oil, pink root, turmeric or different kinds of vitamins and minerals like vitamin B, C, D, zinc or magnesium. I was surprised that so little scientific research has been done on the effects of natural products on depression. Chemical medicines are always prescribed for depression symptoms while there seem to be many other alternatives that grow simply in nature.

CBD oil caught my interest. Because this product has several positive properties including some that could help me stop the antidepressant.

---

What is CBD?

CBD (Cannabidiol) comes from the cannabis and hemp plant. The hemp plant contains more than 100 cannabinoids and the best-known substances are THC and CBD. The difference of Hemp and marijuana has to do with the amount of THC in the plants. The hemp plants are mostly used to make CBD oil because they contain more CBD and much less THC than marijuana plants.

Until recently, THC was the best-known compound in cannabis. It is the most active compound and it has a psychological effect. It causes a mind-altering high when smoked or used in food. This is because the THC is broken down when someone heats it up and puts it into the body.

Nowadays, CBD has also become very famous. CBD is NOT a psychoactive substance. It does not change the state of mind when you use it. It can, however, bring about considerable changes in the body and it can have a helping effect on various complaints and disorders.

How does CBD work?

All cannabinoids produce effects in the body by interacting with the cannabinoid receptors, which are part of the endocannabinoid system.

The body produces two receptors:

CB1 receptors: These are present throughout the body, especially in the brain. They coordinate movement, pain, emotion, mood, thinking, appetite, memories, and many other functions.

CB2 receptors are more commonly found in the immune system. They influence inflammation and pain.

---

What does science say about CBD during pregnancy

After some theoretical information about CBD, I went looking for what science says about the use of CBD during pregnancy.

There are actually no clinical studies on the use of CBD for pregnant women. The few studies that exist show very contradictory results. Despite the many advantages, the use during pregnancy is not recommended. This does not necessarily mean that it is bad to use CBD during pregnancy, there is just too little research done to assess whether it is safe to use during pregnancy. Should someone want to use it during pregnancy, it is recommended to always consult a doctor first.

Personally, I think it's a shame that no clinical studies have been done. There are many positive stories of experience from women who have used CBD oil during pregnancy.

It would have a positive effect on morning sickness, irritability, pains and ailments, and gastrointestinal problems.

---

My choice to use CBD during pregnancy

As I already mentioned in my story, I want to stop taking antidepressants. Because of all the positive properties of CBD, I hope that CBD can support me during quitting these and that it can help me to stay mentally stable during the rest of the pregnancy.

More from our blog:

• CBD Withdrawal: Are there Symptoms?
• CBD Oil and Yoga – The Perfect Combination
• The Real CBD Stories
• Can I Take CBD for Migraines? Will It Help?
• CBD Oil, before and after success stories

Which CBD oil to use

Because I want to use a good quality CBD oil, I chose the CBD oil from The Real CBD. The CBD oil from The Real CBD is always tested by a certified laboratory. The reports are also always published so that I can be sure that the product is 100% safe. Because of the good reviews on Trustpilot, I found out that The Real CBD is a good and reliable company. The product is shipped from Spain and I received it within two working days. The products are offered at a competitive price which means that the shipping costs are earned back immediately.

I also chose the full-spectrum CBD oil, which is often a bit more expensive, but then you also have a better product. Due to the high purity of this CBD oil, the substances from the hemp plant remain more intact and the CBD concentration between the bottles is easier to dose. Because of this, I am sure, that the amount of CBD on the label is also in the bottle. This concludes my first story. I would like to thank you for reading it. At the end of this month, I will share my first experiences with you. I am curious about what the next months will bring to CBD and less medication. Stay tuned….

---