A pregnant woman from Leeds, England, is sharing her story about how she turned to cannabis to help treat her severe morning sickness. After being diagnosed with hyperemesis gravidarum during her first pregnancy in 2015, Sammy Warnes decided to do her own research and found that other moms suggesting cannabis as a way to treat her chronic vomiting and nausea that made it difficult for her to even work.
More from MamásLatinas: Woman claims she sees her late dad in ultrasound of her unborn baby
Now that she is pregnant again, and dealing with the same symptoms, she shared her experience with Wales Online about how smoking cannabis helped treat her extreme morning sickness after prescribed medications, which come with their own risks for birth defects, didn't help treat her symptoms. Now she is opening up about how smoking has been helping her get her life back while she is pregnant.
Sammy Warnes was dealing with hyperemesis gravidarum.
The 30-year-old mom-to-be was struggling with hyperemesis gravidarum during her pregnancy at the time when she was expecting her now 3-year-old daughter, Arabella. Hyperemesis gravidarum is a severe form of morning sickness that affects some pregnant women. The symptoms include frequent vomiting and extreme nausea.
She said it got so bad that she considered terminating her second pregnancy.
Doctors gave her a prescription for Domperidone, which is a drug that is used to relieve nausea and vomiting, but she said the symptoms disappeared for only 20 minutes. After the strong medication her doctor prescribed didn't work, she turned to Google for answers and found forums where other mothers suggested she tried cannabis.
"The thing is the prescription drugs do more damage," she claims. "There's risk of birth defects so they're quite scary to be fair. One of them was making my body do random movements. That stuff panics me."
She reveals that she began taking a puff or two from a joint and that alleviated her symptoms up until they disappeared 25 weeks into her pregnancy. "It's actually saved both me and my baby's life," she added, noting that her baby was born healthy.
She has again turned to cannabis during her second pregnancy.
After dealing with a severe case of morning sickness during her first pregnancy, she's facing the same symptoms now that she's expecting her second child, but this time she is a firm believer that cannabis will help.
"This time around has been 10 times worse," she tells Wales Online. "I've had to give my job up because I just couldn't do anything. With just two puffs I'm able to be a parent to my daughter. I only do it a few times a week. I can do normal things like go to the shops, take her to nursery and just be a mom. Beforehand I was just being sick or waiting around to be sick."
She knows people are judging her. "People will say 'Oh she just wants to be a druggie' but it's not that at all. But I don't get high off it. It's a couple of puffs with a minimum bit of [tobacco.]"
Sammy says that other women dealing with chronic vomiting and sleepless nights like she did should consider it.
Although she said she did try smoking weed when she was a teenager, this is something she tried as an adult for her health when she was pregnant in 2015, and she's not alone. As many as 8 in every 10 women experiencing morning sickness as a side effect of pregnancy with symptoms improving or disappearing around 14 weeks, but those suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum can see symptoms up to half way into their pregnancies, like Kate Middleton did when expecting each of her three children.
"There needs to be a conversation about this so other women know there's something out there that can help them," the moms says. "Unless you've been through it you don't really get it. I decided to do my own bit of research. It was all getting too much. I wanted to see if there were any old-wives' tales or 'old fashioned tips' that would help me out. Then I found quite a few forums on women using cannabis to stop their morning sickness. I was so desperate I thought I'd give it a go. I was a bit nervous when I first did it but I was reassured by all the things I read on the forums. I think anyone would be at first."
She went against experts and her doctor's advice, but she says it worked for her.
Using cannabis regularly during pregnancy can affect the baby's brain development, but it's a risk she took. But the mom claims her daughter was born "fit and healthy" in June 2016. Now that she is pregnant again, and expecting another child in May 2020, she has been dealing with the same symptoms and says she has had no choice but to take it again.
"This time the sickness was 10 times worse and I was considering having a termination," she says. Her partner is supportive and she has chosen not to share the details with her midwife and although her family is "anti-drugs," they support her. "When I told them the full story, they were like 'if it works for you that's fine,'" she says. Although this worked for Sammy, every woman and situation is different, so please consult your doctor.
