Perspectives from women who engaged in prenatal and postpartum cannabis use in a U.S. State with legal non-medical use.

Evidence suggests fetal risks are associated with cannabis use during pregnancy. Yet, insights into women's decision-making and cannabis use during pregnancy are limited. This study explored these concepts with postpartum women who used cannabis during and after pregnancy. We conducted interviews with 15 women (4 self-identifying a race other than White and 4 self-identifying Hispanic ethnicity) who: 1) lived in the Puget Sound region of Washington State, 2) reported past-year cannabis use on a routine screen, and 3) had documented pregnancy and delivery March 2015-May 2017. Semi-structured interviews asked about decision-making and cannabis use during pregnancy and postpartum. We used template analysis for coding and analysis. The key findings included that women: 1) gathered information about cannabis use during pregnancy primarily through internet searches and discussions with peers; 2) were reluctant to talk with health care providers about cannabis; 3) used cannabis while pregnant to treat health issues, including morning sickness, pain, and mental health conditions; 4) were comfortable with their decision to use cannabis while pregnant, but had questions about long-term effects; and 5) tried to mitigate transmission through breastmilk. Women decided about cannabis during pregnancy based on their experience, health symptoms, and information gathered from the internet and peers, often without guidance from their health care provider. Results point to opportunities for providers to become informed about and engage in discussion with patients about cannabis use during preconception, pregnancy, and postpartum.

Getting through the day: a pilot qualitative study of U.S. women's experiences making decisions about anti-nausea medication during pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: Nausea during pregnancy affects 80% of pregnant women and can severely affect women's functioning and quality of life. Women often have difficulty deciding whether to take anti-nausea medications due to concern about medication risks. This paper foregrounds U.S. women's voices as they share their experiences making decisions about anti-nausea medication use. METHODS: As a pilot study, we conducted two focus groups including 20 women who had filled at least one prescription for an anti-nausea medication during pregnancy. Topics included deciding about and taking anti-nausea medications. Transcripts were analyzed by two medical anthropologists using an inductive or open coding approach. RESULTS: Women in our pilot study carefully considered whether to take anti-nausea medications. Most women preferred not to take medications, in general, but were willing to do so for severe symptoms. When considering medications, they expressed concerns about risks to fetal health. They considered information from internet research, their health care provider, and the experiences of friends and family. While some women in our study decided against taking medications, many did take a prescription medication, and they reported substantial improvement in their symptoms and sense of well-being. CONCLUSIONS: Women weighed various sources of evidence to assess the risks and benefits of taking anti-nausea medication and ultimately made a range of choices. More research is needed about the effectiveness and risks of anti-nausea medication, to help support women in their decision-making process, and also about the best methods to communicate scientific evidence to women.

"It's a Very Big Burden on Me": Women's Experiences Using Insulin for Gestational Diabetes.

Objectives Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) affects hundreds of thousands of women each year. Many require medications to manage their blood glucose levels. Only insulin is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in pregnancy. While other medications can be used, their safety remains controversial. Few studies have examined women's lived experience of using insulin for GDM. Our objective in this study was to foreground the voices of women speaking about their treatment experience. Methods We conducted two focus groups including 16 women treated for GDM with medications, primarily insulin. Topics included women's experiences with GDM diagnosis and treatment including concerns about risks and benefits of treatments. Transcripts were analyzed using an inductive coding approach. Results Many women had negative experiences with insulin use, such as feeling that they had no voice in treatment decisions, and received inadequate information about insulin, including about the impact it would have on their daily lives. Many continued to have difficulty managing their blood sugar once on insulin, and they worried about the short term and long term health effects of insulin on themselves and their babies. They wanted more information about non-insulin treatment options as well as more social support. Conclusion In our sample of women with GDM, insulin treatment resulted in negative experiences with emotional and experiential impacts lasting beyond pregnancy. There is a need for more research on other medications for GDM, so that women can have access to more treatment options and better information to guide their choices.