Smoking affects not only the mother’s health but also the baby’s. Breastfeeding women who smoke have problems such as lesser production of milk, low production of prolactin hormone, early weaning of the baby etc. If you are a breastfeeding mother and planning to quit smoking, then it is the right time now to take this decision.
Should a mother who smokes stop breastfeeding the baby?
Many experts opine that it is best for a mother to continue breastfeeding even if she smokes. Breastfeeding provides several health benefits to the baby such as greater immune health, proper nutrition, protection against health conditions etc. Hence, it is better to smoke and breastfeed rather than putting the baby on formula feed.
The Effects of Smoking on Breastfeeding:
Here are some of the effects of smoking on breastfeeding:
- Mothers who smoke produce lesser amount of breast milk
- Smoking lowers the amount of Vitamin C in the breast milk
- Women who smoke wean their babies earlier than women who do not smoke
- Smoking lowers the prolactin hormone in the breastfeeding mother, which is responsible for relaxing the mother
- Nicotine which is released in the milk due smoking, alters the taste of the milk. This lack of taste may make the infant refuse breastmilk
- Babies of mothers who smoke more than 15 cigarettes can have health effects such as restlessness, loose stools, increased heart rate, increased risk of colic etc.
It is very important for the mother to keep the baby away from secondhand smoke. Secondhand smoke can have cause health problems such as respiratory disorders, ear infections, allergies, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) etc.
Tips to Reduce the Effect of Smoking:
Here are few tips to reduce the harmful effects of smoking on breastfeeding:
- Cut down the amount of cigarettes you smoke. The lesser number of cigarettes would mean lesser amount of nicotine in the breastmilk
- The nicotine levels are high after smoking. Hence, do do not smoke before or during breastfeeding. Always smoke after breastfeeding
- Strictly avoid smoking when the baby is around
Smoking has many harmful effects on the baby. Hence, it is best to quit smoking. For quitting smoking, you can speak to your doctor for nicotine gum or patches which can help you to quit. It is also important not to combine nicotine patches along with smoking as this may raise the nicotine levels in the milk
