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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

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Original poster

Smoking and Breastfeeding, I need some ammo

65 replies

RoRoMommy · 25/10/2007 08:44

A friend of mine smokes three cigarettes a day and claims that this does not harm her DD, who is bf. She is reluctant to give up because it feels like "the last bastion" of adult things she gets to do for herself (DD is napping, she gets a fag), and she says that spaces them so she doesn't smoke within an hour of bf. I don't know the health ramifications of this, so I can't say either way to her, though it seems to me that it can't be a good thing.

Anyone know the effects on a baby of smoking? Would they be the same for someone smoking so few a day? I want to go to her with hard facts before I utter a word, because really, to each their own.

OP posts:

GarrottedbyElasticband · 25/10/2007 08:46

i would have thought she knows it is wrong, though how wrong we don't know, that is why she only smokes 3, and doesent do it within an hour.
i wouldnt say anything.

Original poster

RoRoMommy · 25/10/2007 10:06

Thanks, Garrotted, you're probably right...

Does anyone know if this is going to impact the health of her baby? More generally, what is the impact of smoking on breastmilk?

OP posts:

FioFio · 25/10/2007 10:08

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

DevilishDonna20x · 25/10/2007 10:36

Smoke doesnt pass on through breast milk as far as i know. Prob gonna get jumped on now but im a smoker and a bfer. I dont smoke in the house at all. I dont smoke when im out with dd and i dont smoke within a hour of feeding dd. I always change my top/brush my teeth/wash my hand etc after having a cigarette. Imo i wouldnt say anything to her. 3cigs a day is better than 30.

bossykate · 25/10/2007 10:46

if you search on this you will find citations to studies which show that harmful chemicals from smoking do not pass from the mother's bloodstream into breastmilk. however, smoking in the same room as one's baby is not a good thing. so sorry, you won't find any "ammo" so perhaps best not to say anything.

bossykate · 25/10/2007 10:52

Smoking & Breastfeeding

imo, your friend is being very conscientious in minimising the effects of smoking on her baby.

colditz · 25/10/2007 10:54

aPPARENTLY IT IS HEALTHIER TO SMOKE WHILE BREASTFEEDING THAN IT IS TO GIVE FORMULA - BUT THAT MAY BE A MYTH

Snaf · 25/10/2007 11:00

Of course it's not 'a good thing' for all the reasons that smoking isn't 'a good thing' - but actually there is very little evidence that smoking will harm the baby if we're talking purely about chemicals being passed through breastmilk. The amount of harmful substances that will actually get into the milk are miniscule. The advice is always that it is better to breastfeed and smoke than to not breastfeed at all. The benefits of breastfeeding still cancel out the negatives of smoking.

The effects of the baby of her being a smoker are more to do with smoke in the air, chemicals on her hands, hair, clothes, etc than of anything being passed directly through breastfeeding. She certainly shouldn't be smoking anywhere in the house or near the baby, should wash her hands well after having a fag etc. Cot death is an issue with smoking and she shouldn't be co-sleeping, for example, even if she says she's only smoking 3 a day.

Obviously she'd be better off not smoking at all, but in this case I'm not sure the breastmilk argument is the most effective one. It's a tough one.

Original poster

RoRoMommy · 25/10/2007 12:29

what is the co-sleeping danger? i know she does occasionally.

OP posts:

bossykate · 25/10/2007 12:32

you really have a bee in your bonnet over this, don't you? i doubt if three cigarettes a day poses much of a risk. what's your real issue?

Lowflyingbat · 25/10/2007 12:33

This is your about friend's life and her baby. I think this is her decision and nothing to do with you!

Original poster

RoRoMommy · 25/10/2007 12:34

i am a lawyer/researcher...now my interest has gone from concern (i think she and dd will be fine) to curiosity. no bees in my bonnett

OP posts:

pooka · 25/10/2007 12:34

Leave her alone, is my advice. Why would you want to make her feel bad? Doesn't seem very friendly to me.

Original poster

RoRoMommy · 25/10/2007 12:35

And I've never understood the co-sleeping/cig smoking contra-indication.

OP posts:

Original poster

RoRoMommy · 25/10/2007 12:36

Whoa! I am not going to say anything! I am sure she'll be fine, I mean, I started with to each their own, for crying out loud. I just wanted to put my own mind at ease. I do care about these people.

OP posts:

ScaremyVile · 25/10/2007 12:36

"aPPARENTLY IT IS HEALTHIER TO SMOKE WHILE BREASTFEEDING THAN IT IS TO GIVE FORMULA - BUT THAT MAY BE A MYTH"

Hardly worth the effort of mentioning it then, was it?

ScaremyVile · 25/10/2007 12:39

APPARENTLY SAHM ARE LACKING IN DRIVE AND AMBITION.......BUT THAT COULD JUST BE A MYTH.

See, not really helpful, is it?

ScottishMummy · 25/10/2007 12:40

RoRoMommy- go polish your halo and leave your friend alone. 3 fags a day isn't really ingesting illicit substance is it.

i don't smoke but for what it is worth i had the odd glass of wine when i was BF, because i wanted to, i enjoyed it, so lighten up. try being supportive instead of snidey looking for a reason to get at someone (you claim is a friend). what makes it worse is you try to widen your search for "facts" to beat her up with even saying "i need ammo"

you should be ashamed of yourself

Lorayn · 25/10/2007 12:41

Why are peopel jumping on the OP here? She is just being a concerned friend, although 'i need some ammo' wasnt probably the best title!

Tbh, to get down to three cigarettes a day is good, although it may mean once she has stopped bf that she finds it easy to start smoking more again, which in the long run is not good for children, but she may not.

As long as she is making an effort not to go near her baby after smoking, not just not feeding her, smoke stays on clothes, in lungs etc for a minimum of 20 minutes after a cigarette. I remember when DS was born and friends and family would come round to see us, go outside for a fag and come straight in expecting to be able to hold him

As for co-sleeping I'm not sure why but apparently smoking/drinking/taking drugs/prescription medication etc can increase the chance of SIDS during co-sleeping.

ScottishMummy · 25/10/2007 12:45

"concerned friend" - so concerned that she choses to look for ammo to presumably ridicule, belittle and preach to someone - just because she wants to. that is not friendship - it is just plain mean, unsupportive, unkind

FrannyandGreenychordCarrier · 25/10/2007 12:46

It isn't a myth - it's definitely better to breastfeed and smoke, than to not breastfeed, Breastfeeding is startlingly protective.

RoRo, you've asked for 'ammo', and said "I want to go wo her with hard facts"

you're clearly planning to speak to her about it, why have you changed your tune? I think you should mind your own business unless she seems more open to discussing this / asking for advice. You'll frighten her off bfing at this rate - which would be detrimental to her baby's health, more than breastfeeding while the mother is smoking

FrannyandGreenychordCarrier · 25/10/2007 12:47

the co-sleeping thing is because the smoker gives off toxins while asleep - whether from lungs or from skin I don't know

being exposed to this while sleeping may increase risk of SIDS - smokers shouldn't co-sleep, but they should breastfeed

Spockle · 25/10/2007 12:50

..whilst you, of course, are being kindness and support personified.
Leave OP alone & go post somewhere else if you need to vent.

empen · 25/10/2007 12:52

Some of you are being really bitchy. I think the 'ammo' in the title was more light hearted than her planning to go in guns blazing. She just wanted a bit of advice and i think now she has got it.
If she had found different advice - that smoke gets into the milk or you need to wait 2 hours or something then she could have passed this info on as a concerned friend. As it turns out the mother is doing her best to protect her baby from the smoke. I think the OP was fair and I don't think she deserved this onslaught

Lorayn · 25/10/2007 12:54

From what I gather, op didnt exactly word this right, but thought her friend was wrong about bf and smoking not harming her dd.

RoRo, your friend isnt directly harming her DD by smoking, I think that much ahs shown, and as franny said, it is better to bf than not.

Maybe you should research into the co-sleeping and mention this, and only this to her.

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