the stoned at home mom’s guide to soothing pregnancy & postpartum pain with cannabis-infused soaks & topicals

Pregnancy, birth, and postpartum are sacred, raw, and transformative, but let’s be real… they’re also hella hard on the body. Especially toward the end, when your belly’s heavy, your joints are loose, and your ankles have disappeared. As a cannamama and herbal wellness advocate, I believe in turning to nature first, using the plant medicine our bodies already know how to work with.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through the real reasons your body hurts in late pregnancy, and how cannabis-infused Epsom salt soaks and topicals can offer gentle, effective relief. Plus, I’m sharing my favorite DIY recipes for belly rubs, nipple creams, and more so you can create your own rituals of care through every stage.

💫 Why You’re Feeling This Way: Joint Pain & Swelling in Late Pregnancy

By the third trimester, your body is fully in baby-launch mode. Hormones like relaxin loosen up your joints and ligaments to help with delivery, but that also makes things wobbly, achy, and sore. You’re also carrying a lot more weight, which adds pressure to your hips, knees, lower back, and feet. Then there’s swelling (edema). It’s your body holding on to extra fluid to support the baby and prep for birth, but that can make you feel stiff, tight, and uncomfortable, especially in your lower extremities.

These changes are totally normal, but that doesn’t mean you should have to suffer through them.

🌿 Why Cannabis + Epsom Salt Work So Well

Cannabis isn’t just for smoking. Used topically, it offers localized pain relief and helps reduce inflammation without any psychoactive effects. When combined with Epsom salt, which is high in magnesium sulfate, it becomes a powerhouse for muscle relaxation, joint relief, and detoxification.

And when you add intentional terpenes, like Myrcene (relaxing), Beta-Caryophyllene (anti-inflammatory), and Linalool (calming), you’re giving your body serious support.

🛁 Use These Rituals by Pregnancy Stage

🤰 Third Trimester Relief

• Infused Epsom Salt Soak: Add 1 cup to a warm bath once or twice a week to reduce swelling and relieve hip/knee tension.

• Joint Relief Balm: Massage onto lower back, knees, and feet—especially after long days or before bed.

🤱 Labor Support

• Foot Soaks During Early Labor: Use a small basin to soak swollen feet while contractions ramp up. Grounding AF.

• Lower Back Topical: Massage into sacrum and hips for natural relief during early or active labor (your birth team can help with this if needed!).

👶🏽 Postpartum Recovery

• Full-Body Baths: These are MAGIC for sore shoulders, birth recovery, and general “I just did THAT” fatigue.

• Nipple Cream + Belly Rubs: Moisturize and soothe tender, stretched, or healing skin with deeply nourishing blends (recipes below!).

🌿 Recipe 1: Cannabis-Infused Epsom Salt Soak (Elevated Edition)

Best for: swelling, aching joints, calming overstimulated skin
Safe for: third trimester, postpartum, and early labor (foot soaks)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Epsom salt

• ½ cup baking soda (optional)

• 1–2 tbsp cannabis-infused coconut or sweet almond oil

• 2 tbsp dried marshmallow root (soothes irritated or tight skin)

• 1 tbsp dried rose hips (rich in vitamin C & skin tone support)

• 5 drops lavender essential oil (Linalool-rich + relaxing)

• 3 drops chamomile EO or dried chamomile flowers (gentle anti-inflammatory)

Instructions:

1. Pulse the herbs in a dry blender until coarsely ground (optional, for faster release in water).

2. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl.

3. Add oils and stir evenly.

4. Store in a glass jar and scoop 1/2–1 cup per bath.

🛁 Soak for 20–30 minutes. Rinse gently if needed.

💞 Recipe 2: Stretch & Soothe Belly + Body Rub

Best for: itchy, tight skin, growing bellies, lower back soreness
Safe for: pregnancy, postpartum (avoid nipples!)

Key Botanicals:

• Plantain leaf (skin-healing, anti-inflammatory)

• Marshmallow root (hydrates & softens)

• Calendula (skin cell regeneration)

• Cannabis (Myrcene + BCP for pain & inflammation)

• Sweet almond oil or apricot kernel oil (lightweight, nourishing carrier)

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup cannabis-infused almond or apricot oil

• 2 tbsp plantain leaf (infused in the oil or powdered and strained)

• 2 tbsp marshmallow root

• 1 tbsp dried calendula

• 2 tbsp shea or mango butter (optional if you want a whipped texture)

• 5 drops neroli or frankincense essential oil (optional: both pregnancy-safe and skin supportive)

• 1 vitamin E capsule

Instructions:

1. Infuse your oil: gently warm the almond/apricot oil with herbs for 1–2 hours using a double boiler, keeping it low and slow. Strain.

2. Melt shea butter if using, then stir in infused oil + vitamin E.

3. Add essential oils if desired. Whip or pour into glass jar.

Use: massage onto belly, hips, thighs, back, or sore feet as a daily ritual of connection and care.

🍼 Recipe 3: Baby-Safe Nipple Balm

Best for: cracked nipples, raw or sensitive skin
Safe for: newborn feeding (no need to wipe off unless using EO)

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp cannabis-infused olive oil or calendula-infused olive oil (low-dose, THC optional or CBD-only)

• 1 tbsp cocoa butter

• 1 tbsp mango or shea butter

• 1 tsp marshmallow root-infused oil (adds glide & soothes chapped skin)

• NO essential oils in this one—keep it edible + gentle

Instructions:

1. Use a double boiler to melt the butters.

2. Stir in the infused oils.

3. Pour into a small jar or balm tin and let cool completely.

🌼 Pro Tip: Use any extra as a cuticle balm or lip repair salve—it’s THAT gentle.

🌺 Bonus: “Full Bloom” Herbal Bath Soak for Postpartum

For when you need to feel like a goddess again.
Especially after birth, when you’re bleeding, tender, and just starting to come back into your body.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Epsom salt

• 2 tbsp dried rose petals

• 2 tbsp plantain leaf

• 1 tbsp marshmallow root

• 1 tbsp calendula

• 1 tbsp cannabis-infused sweet almond oil

• Optional: 3 drops lavender EO (skip if sensitive)

🌸 Use this in a sitz bath, peri bottle blend, or gentle full-body soak.

💚 Final Thoughts

Your pregnancy, birth, and postpartum journey deserve sacred, soothing care, and cannabis can be a beautiful part of that when used intentionally. Whether it’s a warm soak after a long day, a belly rub before bed, or a balm for that aching lower back… you don’t have to suffer through motherhood to prove you’re strong. (I said what I said.)

You already are.
And you deserve to feel good.

From one stoned at home mom to another,
💚 Tatiana

P.S. If you ever need more in-depth support, whether it’s customizing a recipe, navigating infused care during pregnancy, or just connecting mom-to-mom, I’m here. You can always reach me through my contact form or email me directly at thestonedathomemom@gmail.com. You're never alone in this journey!