The effects of smoking on a growing baby during pregnancy extend to a breastfeeding mother as well.
Breast-feeding moms might have their milk supply reduced by smoking. As a result of passing nicotine and other toxins through breast milk, babies may also experience fussiness, nausea, and restlessness.
A new baby’s immune system is boosted by breast-feeding, among other benefits. A baby’s first few months and beyond are the healthiest time to feed him breast milk, according to organizations like the World Health Organization.
Several factors should be considered if a new mother continues to smoke and chooses to breastfeed.
Don’t stop breastfeeding if you smoke
You can also protect your own health as a new mother by not smoking.
It’s important not to stop breastfeeding if you’re having trouble quitting smoking. Breastfeeding still provides your baby with essential nutrients and protects them against infections.
You can protect your baby’s health by making your home completely smokefree if you or your partner are unable to quit smoking. It may also be necessary to ask your family and friends not to smoke near your baby.
If you or your partner smokes, you shouldn’t co-sleep with your baby. SIDS is known to be more likely if you smoke, drink alcohol recently, or take medications that make you sleep less deeply.
What happens when babies are exposed to cigarette smoke?
Smoking affects babies and children in a number of ways, including pneumonia, asthma, ear infections, bronchitis, sinus infections, eye irritation, and croup.
Babies whose mothers or fathers smoke or whose mothers who are breastfeeding smoke experience more cases of colic. In addition to the nicotine transferred into mother’s milk, the passive smoke in the home is also considered to be irritating to the baby. As a result of lower levels of prolactin, babies of smoking parents cries more, and moms who smoke could be less able to cope with a fussy baby.
Smoking by breastfeeding moms sometimes causes symptoms in the breastfeeding baby, such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps and diarrhea.
Smokers’ babies are seven times more likely to die from SIDS than those whose parents do not smoke.
Parents who smoke have children who visit the doctor two to three times more often, usually with respiratory infections or allergies.
People who are exposed to passive smoke in the home have lower HDL levels in their blood, the good cholesterol that helps protect against coronary artery disease.
The likelihood of a child becoming a smoker is higher if both parents smoke.
According to a recent study, being raised in a home where both parents smoke can double a child’s lung cancer risk in later life.
Recommendations for Moms Who Smoke
The best source of nutrition for a newborn baby is breast milk. Breast milk with the least amount of harmful chemicals comes from mothers who don’t smoke or use e-cigarettes.
In moms who smoke fewer than 20 cigarettes per day, the risks from nicotine exposure are less significant. But if a mother smokes more than 20 to 30 cigarettes a day, her baby is more likely to develop:
- irritability
- nausea
- vomiting
- diarrhea
How to minimize the risk to your baby
- Ideally, you should stop smoking altogether.
- Reduce your smoking. Less smoking means fewer chances of difficulty. Smoking more than 20 cigarettes a day will increase your risks.
- Stop smoking prior to or during breastfeeding. Smoking inhibits let-down, which can be dangerous for your baby.
- You can reduce the amount of nicotine in your milk by smoking immediately after breastfeeding. If possible, wait as long as possible between smoking and nursing. Half of nicotine is eliminated from the body in 95 minutes.
- Don’t smoke in the same room as your baby. Better yet, smoke outdoors, away from your baby and other children. Do not allow anyone to smoke around your baby.
Father of four home schooling kids.