Is smoking bad for breastfeeding?

Question

My hospital told me to carry on smoking instead of stopping breastfeeding to smoke. I think it's weird advice from them 🥴

Answer

Or quit smoking all together. Second hand smoke still hurts babies even if you aren’t doing in in the room with them, it’s on your clothes, hair, fingers. Not to mention it’ll kill you.

Answer

Yes it’s bad.

Answer

Ideally, you should stop. But the benefits outweigh the risks and a lot of OBs encourage smoking mothers to breastfeed regardless if they quit or not.

Answer

Smoking while breastfeeding is better than smoking and formula feeding. Butttttt how about stop smoking so your baby doesn't have to breathe in 2nd and 3rd hand smoke. Smoking increases the risk for SIDS too.

Answer

If you’re going to smoke regardless and have no intention of stopping, then breastfeeding is encouraged over formula feeding. Obviously quitting smoking is the best option in any case though.

Answer

As others have said, its more important to stop smoking than breastfeeding, and that its better to breastfeed than formula feed if possible- especially if you smoked throughout the pregnancy.
Smoking increases your babys risk of SIDs, colic and respiratory diseases whereas breastfeeding reduces this risk significantly*. As well as that, breastfeeding helps protect against the potential risks of second hand smoke picked up off your clothing, hair, furniture etc.
(* Smoking mothers should still not cosleep)
It is important to note though that nicotine is passed through in your milk much like with alcohol. Its best to breastfeed and then smoke, to give time for nicotine levels to reduce before the next feed. Studies showed that 90 minutes after smoking, nicotine levels in the mothers blood reduce by half so it's best to stick to a feeding schedule that allows for around 3 hours between each feed, but obviously this isn't always possible (cluster feeding etc).
Overall, the benefits greatly outweigh the cons. It is healthier for your baby, and breastfeeding has benefits to mothers health too. If you want to quit breastfeeding for other reasons that's fine too but theres no reason to quit just because you smoke. It is the best option to quit smoking altogether though.

Answer

Depends on what you are smoking but sounds like they are pushing breastfeeding.  If your only issue preventing breastfeeding is because you want to smoke then switch to formula or reevaluate priorities

Answer

Sounds like weird advice as the baby would still get the second hand smoke even if off your skin/clothes/hair. Did they suggest pumping over ebf?

Answer

Smoking and breastfeeding is technically supposed to be better than formula feeding. But the ideal situation is quit smoking while breastfeeding.

Is smoking bad for breastfeeding?

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