Marajuana VS Alcohol.. which is worse?

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Originally Posted by Kate07
I think you also have to concerns for when the baby is born. If Mum is unable or unwilling to stop drinking and smoking during pregnancy, she most likely will continue after the baby is born. Babies need a carer who is unaffected by drugs or alcohol and sounds like Mum might not be willing to do that. Is there another carer who will be able to step in when Mum is taking her time?

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Secondly;

I just want to say (as a healthcare professional and also as someone who worked in the field of Alcohol and Other Drugs for a long time) that every parent has the right to prove they are a good parent. Just because someone has a substance abuse issue, please do not assume they are bad parents. You do not know the finer details of their habit. It may be that they only use when the children are asleep (and somewhat safer than during the day when they are awake and running around). It may also be that they only use when the children are away. But please, do not brand someone a bad parent simply because of their extra curricular activities - give them a chance to prove themselves first.
MG

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My post did not say anything about being a bad parent, and that was certainly not how i intended it to be interpreted. However, i stand by my statement that if a parent is impaired by alcohol or drugs and unable to care for their child, someone needs to be there for the child, at the times when Mum is unable to provide care. This might be her partner or a friend but the child needs to be cared for.

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I just want to say (as a healthcare professional and also as someone who worked in the field of Alcohol and Other Drugs for a long time) that every parent has the right to prove they are a good parent. Just because someone has a substance abuse issue, please do not assume they are bad parents. You do not know the finer details of their habit. It may be that they only use when the children are asleep (and somewhat safer than during the day when they are awake and running around). It may also be that they only use when the children are away. But please, do not brand someone a bad parent simply because of their extra curricular activities - give them a chance to prove themselves first.

MG

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i agree,well said :clap:

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However, i stand by my statement that if a parent is impaired by alcohol or drugs and unable to care for their child, someone needs to be there for the child, at the times when Mum is unable to provide care.

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But, as a former pot-smoker and having lots of friends who *do* continue their habit after becoming parents, I can say that in my personal experience (as in, seeing others, I stopped using before TTC) that marijuana use doesn't necessarily 'impair' a person, or impact negatively on their ability to care for their children. The effect you get from a few bongs is vastly different to what you get after a few drinks, and of course an entirely different story to 'hard' drugs like heroin, speed etc (where yes, a person truly does become impaired).
I suppose what I'm saying is that a parent can smoke a fair bit of pot and not have it affect their parenting ability - if they can function normally in day-to-day life in every other area while they're buzzed, the kids are very unlikely to be at risk of any harm.


Anyway, onto the actual question, which is worse... I personally would say the booze. Obviously it all depends on the frequency and level of consumption, but as the OP said, this particular person may not drink every day, but does drink a relatively large amount on the frequent occasions she *does* drink. Alcohol does some pretty scary things to adults, just think of what that does to a growing foetus. Marijuana though... yes, there are dangers, but they're more akin to those associated with smoking tobacco - lower birth weight, risk of prematurity (which are both also associated with alcohol abuse, and therefore it's neither here nor there as far as I'm concerned), and heightened risk of SIDS (although how much that has to do with a parent smoking *while pregnant*, or smoking around the baby *after it's born*, I don't know).
Personally, I'd be inclined to say that alcohol consumption is worse than smoking the ganga... Obviously they both have their bad points (and, really, no good points), but I'd be inclined to say that a lot of the 'marijuana = worse' feelings come from people just because it's illegal, whereas alcohol isn't, and it's some sacred right in Aussie culture to get blind-drunk at every opportunity. Illegal, schmillegal. If the gov't could tax it the way they do booze and ciggies, they'd have it legalized in a second. If the gov't could live without the revenue from alcohol and tobacco taxes, they'd outlaw them and make them look worse than ice and heroin.
(Whoa, I'm way off-topic here, aren't I?)

If your friend doesn't seem to show much interest in quitting or cutting out one or the other, maybe suggest she cut down on the booze and try bush (although if one is used to hydro - which is actually quite pure, just a lot stronger as the mind-altering chemicals in it are concentrated when it's grown in water, not leached into the surrounding soil as with bush - it will give you a nasty headache and take a bit more to get you buzzing)??
I don't know. I personally would not use either during pregnancy period, but each to their own. Yes, the baby has rights too, but ultimately it is going to be the mother who has to live with the guilt of knowing she has contributed to any harm suffered by the child (yes, it's unfair that the child suffers too, but where do we go from there - start locking up pg women in padded cells and feed them special diets and ensure they don't do anything at all that might potentially harm their growing babies?).

I hope no harm comes to your friend's baby, fact is though if she has had other children and smoked/drank throughout those pregnancies and the kids have not suffered any obvious ill effects, chances are she'll take the stance of, 'Nothin' wrong with these ones' and not have any 'reason' to change her habits, kwim?

But I do hope all goes well. :)

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I hope no harm comes to your friend's baby, fact is though if she has had other children and smoked/drank throughout those pregnancies and the kids have not suffered any obvious ill effects, chances are she'll take the stance of, 'Nothin' wrong with these ones' and not have any 'reason' to change her habits, kwim?

But I do hope all goes well. :)

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:clap: u hit the nail on the head.

My cousin smoked (cigarettes at least, pot I'm not sure of, but I wouldn't be surprised) and drank for her first two pregnancies and quit completely by the time the third came around. She had a m/c in between and I think that (as well as a new and supportive partner) may have been the catalyst for giving up before this bub was conceived.

She isn't a *bad* parent, altho given that she was an alcoholic pretty much for the first 10 years with her first two kiddies I don't know how she could give it her best shot, but it does prove that you can turn it around and change. Her first two kids do not have any bad health affects, but she was still well aware that both drinking and smoking can have a detrimental affect on your unborn and born children. The message is surely out there.

I guess one of the things is if her partner was willing to stop with her she'd have more support to do so.

I would say marijuanna is worse, both because of the potential for addiction (which is hugely underrated) and because you have no idea what chemicals are added in the manufacture process. I've often heard it to be sprayed with bug spray and other things for extra "pep".

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From what I have read the risk associated with even a small and regular amount of alcohol (ie fetal alcohol syndrome) being ingested would be much higher than any risks associated with marijuana. Most of the research available on risk using marijuana is similar to that of smoking - low birth weight, prem baby etc.

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I would agree with Bronners. There is alot of evidence supporting that even a small amount of alcohol can cause FAS but very little evidence on the long term effects of marijuana use. I have heard it could cause behavioural problems such as ADHD. I also wonder if it could have other affects on behaviour and moods in later life such as depresion/ shciztophrenia/ additctions etc... some research has shown children of parents who used pot and other drugs through PG have a higher risk of having similar additctions themselves. In addition to ppl prone to mental illness can episodes which have been triggered by drug use, these ppl also use drugs (legal and illegal) at a higher rate than the rest of the population.

Alcohol is proven to be worse.
However she shouldn't be doing any.

:clap: couldnt said it better myself GothMum

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I would say marijuanna is worse, both because of the potential for addiction (which is hugely underrated) and because you have no idea what chemicals are added in the manufacture process. I've often heard it to be sprayed with bug spray and other things for extra "pep".

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what alcahol isnt addictive ??WTF...
maybe contact the salvation army about alcohol abbuse,as alcahol ABBUSE is at this stage one of the highest causes of divorse,female bashings,road deaths,and anit social behavoiur.yet it is available at any bottle shop after 10am every day..

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what alcahol isnt addictive ??WTF...
maybe contact the salvation army about alcohol abbuse,as alcahol ABBUSE is at this stage one of the highest causes of divorse,female bashings,road deaths,and anit social behavoiur.yet it is available at any bottle shop after 10am every day..

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Thanks for the education, i'm aware alcohol is also addictive. I have just seen marijuana addiction first hand and both the addiction itself and withdrawal is very nasty, and socially underrated. It's seen as a very soft drug in society, and in my personal experience it is not. Plus as i mentioned, you do not know what chemicals are used in the manufacturing process, hence the element of risk involved in its use (for the baby). Yes fetal alcohol syndrome is aweful, but not knowing what harm could be done to the baby (and potential for psychosis) is worse imo.

It seems very chicken and egg to me - what came first, what is worse.
What is worse - alcohol or marijuana during pregnancy? In practical terms, they're both unhealthy for a growing baby. Which should you give up? Whatever you can. One or both. Anything's better than nothing.
That's just my simple (but not easy) take.

Nelle, my thoughts exactly. Too much is going into which is worse, they are both harmful in some form.

Regards.
Dianne

Well, I've seen it all. I don't associate with people who do hard drugs, so have no insight there, but I've seen ciggarette smokers, pot smokers & drinkers pregnant.
I have had the odd drink during my last 2 pregnancies, but not more than 2 at a time & usually half strenth.
I have met a little girl, of 12 with pancreatitis due to her mother drinking during the pregnancy. The mother drank alot, every day & this is obviously an extreme case, but the poor girl has been near death too many times to count.
But, I do believe she is a good mother who didn't think about the consequences & is suffering now. She already had 2 healthy children who's pregnancies she probably also drank through, so she may well have thought it would be fine again.

I know a few people who smoked pot & the most serious thing I saw was low birthweight. A little boy born at term was only 4lb. His mother was pretty heavy on the pot.
Another had it on occasion, her DD was fine. She also later had twins & I'm not sure if she smoked during the twins pregnancy (I think its possible, but I honestly believe she may've quit). Her twins were born at 37+4 at 4lb each.
Another I don't know very well, but I heard her DD had see through skin when born & was very slow at developing.

From what I've seen every one is different. If its not every day, it more than likely all will be ok & mum will be very lucky.
I honestly felt sick when I saw the mother of the little boy put the bong to her mouth, but it is her choice.
I thought is was more disgusting than seeing a pregnant woman drink or smoke, but in reality, they are all bad. Its the luck of the draw. Simple as that.
You can't guarantee something bad will happen, just like you can't guarantee it won't.

All I can hope is that they know what they are doing & what they may have to live with if something does go wrong.
I do hope your friend cuts down, or stops altogether, but more than that I hope she gives birth to a perfect healthy baby & is a great mum.