Marijuana During Labour: A Survey of Maternal Opinions

There is increasing use of marijuana during pregnancy, and online accounts indicate that women are considering use of marijuana for labour pain. However, the number and attitudes of women who would consider this are unknown.

In a university hospital, over a period of 1 month, a total of 132 women with vaginal deliveries completed a survey exploring attitudes towards labour analgesia and marijuana use. Patients who would and would not consider marijuana for labour pain were compared using chi-square analysis.

The percentages of respondents who reported having epidural or intravenous analgesia were 83% (95% confidence interval [CI] 76-89) and 30% (95% CI 23-38), respectively, with 87% (95% CI 79-92) and 86% (95% CI 71-94) being satisfied. However, 34% (95% CI 26-43) of the respondents reported that they would consider the use of marijuana for labour pain. Of these, 25% (95% CI 14-41) had previously used marijuana for pain compared with 0% (95% CI 0-0) who had not, and 72% (95% CI 56-84) thought it acceptable to use marijuana non-medically compared with 35% (95% CI 26-47) who did not (P < 0.001 for both). The greatest worry was the effect of marijuana on the baby, with 26% (95% CI 19-34) being highly worried and 26% (95% CI 19-34) being extremely worried. Many women (60%; 95% CI 51-68) indicated a lack of knowledge of the side effects of marijuana in labour. However, 59% (95% CI 50-67) of respondents said they would feel comfortable discussing this topic with their obstetrician.

One third of women would consider the use of marijuana for labour pain, although many are unsure of its effects. Most women would feel comfortable discussing this topic with their obstetrician.