Parentpedia

What Experts Say^*

If you smoke, you may wonder if your milk is safe for your baby, or whether it might be best for you to formula feed.

"A breastfeeding mother who smokes cigarettes, even if only occasionally, may possibly affect her baby more by the smoke the baby inhales than by the small amount of nicotine present in her milk," cautions Judith Lauwers and Anna Swisher, authors of Counseling the Nursing Mother: A Lactation Consultant's Guide.

"Smoking is not just an issue if a mother is breastfeeding. Babies who receive artificial baby milks are also exposed to undesirable chemicals in their parents' cigarette smoke without the protective benefits of their mother's milk."

Smoking and Nursing: What You Need to Know

The best choice for you and your baby is to quit smoking.
Obviously this is no news flash. You may think you've heard all the reasons to stop smoking, but you probably don't know that prolactin levels are significantly lower in smokers.

Prolactin, the "mothering" hormone, secreted while nursing, helps calm nursing moms. A smoker misses some of the relaxing benefits of this hormone. The more a woman smokes, the lower her prolactin levels.

Talk with your doctor about aids to help quit smoking.
The nicotine patch or gum can be safely used by a nursing mom. When used correctly, nicotine patches produce lower blood (and milk) levels of nicotine than if a mother were still smoking.

If using nicotine gum, chew it right after breastfeeding so there will be time for some of it to clear your system before the next feed. If you're using a patch, remove it at bedtime.

It's very important not to smoke when using either method. Smoking along with these aids can raise nicotine to unsafe levels for your baby.

It's still best to breastfeed if you can't stop smoking.
Your baby will avoid the risks associated with formula and have less risk of respiratory infections. If you decide to formula feed, research shows that your baby will still have significant levels of nicotine in her system because of her exposure to second-hand smoke -- and without the health benefits of your milk.

If you can't quit, cut back on the cigarettes you smoke each day.
Also, switch to a low-nicotine cigarette. The risk of smoking is dose related. The more you smoke, the more dangerous it is to you and your baby. Since smoking is linked with stress, it's important to find alternate ways to deal with the stress in your life.

Make your home a smoke-free zone.
Second-hand smoke is dangerous to your baby and other family members, so minimize the effect on your baby by not smoking around your little one. If it's not possible for you to avoid smoking in your house, at least keep your baby in smoke-free areas.

Nurse your baby before smoking.
This will give nicotine some time to clear your system before you nurse again. The half-life of nicotine is 95 minutes. (Half-life is the amount of time it takes for the concentration of a drug in your system to be decreased by half.)

Tweak your diet.
You probably didn't know this, but certain veggies contain nicotine. If you're a smoker, avoid those with the highest levels: eggplant, green and pureed tomatoes, and cauliflower.

Safety Note

• Do not smoke while holding or nursing your baby.
• Do not sleep with your baby if you or your partner smoke.
• Smoking affects your baby in many ways. Babies of smokers have been found to exhibit more fussiness and colicky behavior; have an increased incidence of respiratory infections, asthma, and ear infections; and have an increase in the incidence of SIDS.
• Smoking can interfere with the milk-ejection reflex and lower your milk production.