Cannabis Use During Lactation

More than ever before, today’s lactation care providers need to be prepared to counsel clients on the use of cannabis. This course provides exactly the information you need to offer judgment-free, evidence-based advice on this topic.

Instructor Leslie Southard, Board Certified Ambulatory Care Pharmacist, Certified Breastfeeding Specialist, and doula, puts the subject in context with an exploration of cannabis from 1600 to the present. Covering recreational and medicinal use, as well as the role of racism and elitism, this brief history sets the stage for a true understanding of the topic.

Southard then covers:

• Pharmacological properties
• Pharmacokinetics and human milk
• Side effects and risks in pregnancy and lactation
• Risks of exposure for human-milk-fed infants and children
• Statistics on use
• Current recommendations regarding cannabis use during lactation.

Southard then walks the learner through how to counsel a client who seeks advice about cannabis use, including:

• Listening to your client
• Remaining free of judgment and using informed consent
• Assessing individual situations
• Steps to decrease exposure for the nursling
• Supporting reduction or elimination of use through addressing reasons for use and providing alternatives
• Weighing risks against benefits of human milk

As a Certified Breastfeeding Specialist with a career focus on medication use during pregnancy and lactation, Southard brings an intimate understanding of the lactation helper-client relationship. Both the technical information she provides and her guidance on compassion and communication will leave you confident that you know how to help your clients with this potentially sensitive topic.

This Course Awards:

• 1 Nursing Contact Hour
• 1 L-CERP
• 1 CME