| Many women are aware of the adverse health | | | | and health reasons and because of this it is widely |
| implications of smoking when pregnant and most | | | | considered that you should breastfeed even if you do |
| manage successfully to quit smoking altogether during | | | | smoke. |
| this time. In an ideal world they would never smoke | | | | There are some considerations that you should |
| again and enjoy the extra health benefits for | | | | observe if you are smoking and breastfeeding though. |
| themselves for the rest of their lives. However, | | | | It has been found that breast milk tastes most like |
| smoking is highly addictive and it is tempting after the | | | | cigarettes around 30-60 minutes after smoking and |
| stress of labour to 'light up' and use smoking to | | | | just after smoking is when you will have the most |
| alleviate anxiety. This article relates to tobacco smoke | | | | amount of nicotine in your bloodstream and breast milk. |
| only and does not replace individual medical advice but | | | | You should therefore smoke just after feeding your |
| is for information purposes only. | | | | baby to minimise both of these effects. |
| Most women are aware of the significant health | | | | Smoking as few cigarettes as possible is obviously |
| benefits for both themselves and their newborn baby | | | | more preferable and it has been shown that using |
| but what are the implications of breastfeeding if you | | | | nicotine replacement products is better than smoking. |
| smoke? | | | | Under no circumstances should you smoke while using |
| Firstly, and most obviously, you shouldn't put your | | | | nicotine replacement products as the levels of nicotine |
| newborn child (or any child for that matter) in an | | | | would possibly become dangerously high. |
| environment whereby they are forced to inhale | | | | There are some interesting findings related to smoking |
| second hand smoke. The dangers of this are well | | | | and breastfeeding that should be addressed to make |
| documented elsewhere and need not be gone over. | | | | this article complete. Research has shown that |
| Ideally you should make your home non-smoking for | | | | mothers who smoke and breastfeed continue with |
| as long as possible and smoke outside but if this isn't | | | | breastfeeding for a shorter period of time on average |
| possible you should allocate a room for smoking which | | | | than those who don't. It has also been found that |
| is shut off from the rest of your home. Your newborn | | | | smoking can reduce the amount of milk produced by |
| baby should not be taken into this room. | | | | the mother. |
| So what about chemicals from tobacco and your | | | | The reduced breast milk production and knowledge of |
| breast milk? The most commonly known chemical is | | | | nicotine being passed to the baby may cause a |
| nicotine and this is changed into cotinine by the body. | | | | mother to believe that her milk is not good enough for |
| The levels of cotinine in a breastfed babies have been | | | | her child. This may be the reason that mothers who |
| found to be 10 times higher than those found in formula | | | | smoke choose not to breastfeed at all or breastfeed |
| fed babies of mothers who smoke. This shows that | | | | for a shorter time. |
| the chemical is passed on through breast milk. | | | | In summary breastfeeding offers so many health |
| Breastfeeding is, except for certain medical reasons, | | | | benefits that women who smoke should be |
| by far the best choice of food for your baby, | | | | encouraged to breastfeed and to continue to do so |
| especially early on in your newborn baby's life. It helps | | | | until their child is a normal weaning age. |
| both mother and baby for a large number of medical | | | | |