TY - JOUR
AU - S. N. Ogden
AU - T. R. Foti
AU - M. B. Does
AU - A. Altschuler
AU - E. Iturralde
AU - S. A. Sterling
AU - D. Ansley
AU - C. Castellanos
AU - K. C. Young-Wolff
A1 - 
AB - BACKGROUND: Cannabis use among perinatal individuals has dramatically increased. Thus, it is crucial to understand postpartum individuals' experiences with cannabis use, particularly during breastfeeding, and desired postpartum interventions to improve the care and well-being of parents and their children. We aimed to understand motivations for postpartum cannabis use and desired interventions for new parents who frequently used cannabis in early pregnancy. METHODS: We conducted semistructured interviews from April to May 2022 with postpartum patients who were first-time parents and endorsed daily or weekly cannabis use during early pregnancy on a universally administered, self-reported screener at prenatal care entry in a large integrated health care system in Northern California. We analyzed the professionally transcribed interviews using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Our sample included 17 interviews with Black (n=4), Hispanic (n=4), and White (n=9) postpartum patients. Most participants (n=15) reported at least some postpartum cannabis use, two thirds of whom (n=10) reported use during breastfeeding. We identified 4 themes concerning postpartum cannabis use behaviors: (1) cannabis use to cope with mental health and physical pain postpartum, (2) minimal knowledge of cannabis risks with which to make decisions about postpartum use, (3) responsible cannabis use and concern about child's health and safety, and (4) desire for nonjudgmental postpartum supportive services to manage new parenthood. CONCLUSIONS: Findings highlight the need for supportive services for new parents and education on cannabis use while breastfeeding. Health care settings should equip their perinatal care teams with information on how to discuss the current evidence and potential harms and provide appropriate counseling regarding postpartum cannabis use.
AN - 40539624
BT - J Addict Med
C5 - Opioids & Substance Use; Healthcare Disparities
CP - 1
DA - Jan-Feb 01
DO - 10.1097/adm.0000000000001514
DP - NLM
ET - 20250620
IS - 1
JF - J Addict Med
LA - eng
N2 - BACKGROUND: Cannabis use among perinatal individuals has dramatically increased. Thus, it is crucial to understand postpartum individuals' experiences with cannabis use, particularly during breastfeeding, and desired postpartum interventions to improve the care and well-being of parents and their children. We aimed to understand motivations for postpartum cannabis use and desired interventions for new parents who frequently used cannabis in early pregnancy. METHODS: We conducted semistructured interviews from April to May 2022 with postpartum patients who were first-time parents and endorsed daily or weekly cannabis use during early pregnancy on a universally administered, self-reported screener at prenatal care entry in a large integrated health care system in Northern California. We analyzed the professionally transcribed interviews using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Our sample included 17 interviews with Black (n=4), Hispanic (n=4), and White (n=9) postpartum patients. Most participants (n=15) reported at least some postpartum cannabis use, two thirds of whom (n=10) reported use during breastfeeding. We identified 4 themes concerning postpartum cannabis use behaviors: (1) cannabis use to cope with mental health and physical pain postpartum, (2) minimal knowledge of cannabis risks with which to make decisions about postpartum use, (3) responsible cannabis use and concern about child's health and safety, and (4) desire for nonjudgmental postpartum supportive services to manage new parenthood. CONCLUSIONS: Findings highlight the need for supportive services for new parents and education on cannabis use while breastfeeding. Health care settings should equip their perinatal care teams with information on how to discuss the current evidence and potential harms and provide appropriate counseling regarding postpartum cannabis use.
PY - 2026
SN - 1932-0620 (Print); 1932-0620
SP - 102
EP - 108+
ST - Cannabis Use Behaviors and Desired Interventions Among Postpartum Individuals With Frequent Cannabis Use in Early Pregnancy: A Qualitative Study
T1 - Cannabis Use Behaviors and Desired Interventions Among Postpartum Individuals With Frequent Cannabis Use in Early Pregnancy: A Qualitative Study
T2 - J Addict Med
TI - Cannabis Use Behaviors and Desired Interventions Among Postpartum Individuals With Frequent Cannabis Use in Early Pregnancy: A Qualitative Study
U1 - Opioids & Substance Use; Healthcare Disparities
U3 - 10.1097/adm.0000000000001514
VL - 20
VO - 1932-0620 (Print); 1932-0620
Y1 - 2026
ER -