home Audience 2 How smoking affects the baby. Smoking and breastfeeding: how not to cause irreparable harm to the child

How smoking affects the baby. Smoking and breastfeeding: how not to cause irreparable harm to the child

Smoking during breastfeeding negatively affects not only the health of the mother, but also the well-being of the baby. Nicotine is absorbed into the blood within half an hour and then enters the baby through milk. Therefore, smoking and breastfeeding are incompatible things!

Many women are looking for excuses for themselves, coming up with unsubstantiated facts that smoking during feeding does not affect either the quality of milk or the well-being of the crumbs. The most common misconceptions about this issue are:

Nicotine does not enter the mother's milk, but "walks" through the lady's body. This is absolute nonsense. When smoking, nicotine first enters the lungs, and then into the human blood, within half an hour it is reached in the body. maximum concentration. Spreading throughout the body, the "poison" enters the milk.
You can smoke while breastfeeding, because milk neutralizes negative impact nicotine per child. What provoked such a myth, it is difficult to say. Be aware that milk does not make nicotine safe for a newborn. True, a smoking mother during breastfeeding does less harm to her child than those ladies who teach the baby to passive smoking while exhaling smoke.

Now we can move on to the facts about smoking while breastfeeding. It is unlikely that there will be a woman who gave up cigarettes during pregnancy, and after giving birth she resumed her addiction. Most often, a young mother begins to smoke because of severe stress, but it is better not to do this, to be patient a little. After all, the presence of nicotine in breast milk can adversely affect the condition of the child. According to experts, the newborn gets a tenth of the cigarette smoked by the mother. It seems that the figure is small, but it should be borne in mind that the "poison" enters the child's body constantly, accumulates there, exerting its destructive effect.

The mother's body can be completely cleansed only after 48 hours, after 90 minutes the concentration of poisons in milk is reduced by 2 times, but they are still present and can harm the baby.

Women who constantly drag on a cigarette do not allow the body to cleanse itself, their nicotine is kept at a certain level, which means that it is also in milk. That is why you should not get involved in tobacco during lactation.

Harm of smoking while breastfeeding (video)

The effect of nicotine on milk

Those who decide to smoke while breastfeeding should know how to bad habit may affect the quality and quantity of milk. Nicotine negatively affects the production of the hormone prolactin. It is he who is responsible for the production of the first food for the newborn. For this reason, those who smoked during lactation, the amount of milk is reduced, it ceases to be produced ahead of time. Very rarely, women who have the addiction under discussion breastfeed their baby for more than 6 months.

It is precisely because the poison is contained in the first food of the newborn that the food has bad taste. A child who has never tried anything else will suck on his mother's breast, but if he had a choice, then the baby would refuse harmful milk. Every person who has smoked at least once remembers the taste that remains in the mouth after cigarettes, about the same aroma is felt by a baby whose mother cannot give up a bad habit.

The mother's body can be completely cleansed only after 48 hours, after 90 minutes the concentration of poisons in milk is reduced by 2 times, but they are still present and can harm the baby

Women who have smoking and breastfeeding on the scales often refuse the latter, feed the newborn with mixtures. On the one hand, it is simple and convenient way. Mom does not need to limit herself, think about the effect of nicotine on her baby. But on the other hand, the child remains a loser. He does not receive such valuable and necessary milk during this period. And the woman herself, having gained imaginary freedom, continues to poison herself. Even an experienced smoker can quit smoking if needed. A nursing mother should try it, because lactation is not forever, you can endure a little for the health of the newborn. He is entitled to breast milk.

Children and smoking (video)

Consequences of smoking

If a woman smokes while breastfeeding, then this behavior can affect the health of the child. Tobacco negatively affects the body of an adult, let alone a newborn.

The child's body can give the following reaction to addiction during lactation:

Frequent vomiting. This phenomenon is observed in infants, whose mothers smoke more than 1 pack per day during HB. The child's body is in a state of constant intoxication. According to doctors, 20 cigarettes a day is the amount that can poison a newborn, causing him irreparable harm. Therefore, women should not smoke in large quantities.
Restless behavior. Some people have this notion of smoking to calm their nerves. In a child's body, everything works differently. Nicotine affects the psyche of the baby, exciting it. The child becomes nervous, irritable, often and strongly cries. Such children have severe colic, pains torment them for several hours in a row.
Weakened immunity. Experts say that smoking while breastfeeding makes newborns vulnerable to disease.
Weight loss. Since nicotine suppresses the production of prolactin, lactation in a woman with an addiction is not very good, the child does not have enough milk. The newborn is gaining weight poorly, and even frequent regurgitation aggravates the situation.
There is an increased risk of developing sudden infant death syndrome. Smoking while breastfeeding saturates milk with nicotine, which negatively affects blood vessels, causing them to constrict. This situation can lead to the death of the child.
Poor absorption useful substances. This negatively affects harmonious development baby.

Tobacco negatively affects the body of an adult, let alone a newborn

Some babies even refuse to breastfeed, as the first food does not taste milky, but nicotine.

Every woman is free to decide for herself whether to combine smoking and breastfeeding. But before you take up a cigarette, you should think about the consequences for the health of the baby. If you look for reviews of women who smoked in, it becomes clear that someone is lucky, and the child does not show anxiety, grows strong and healthy. Others fail to save good health baby, he sleeps poorly, gains little weight, is naughty. The best decision is to end breast-feeding, and only then, if you really want to, start poisoning your body again. lactation is not best time for smoking, that's a fact!

Smoking and breastfeeding at the same time is definitely unacceptable. But despite harmful effect cigarettes on the body of mother and child, in our society, especially in the metropolis, there are smoking nursing mothers. Many mothers manage to quit smoking only when they find out that they are pregnant. Many girls who lead a carefree lifestyle, as soon as they see 2 strips on a pregnancy test, immediately or after a few days decide to quit smoking. It is one thing when you poison your body and harm your health, another thing is when the life of an unborn child, his health, is in your hands. And the thought of smoking disappears somewhere - the girls enter into a new consciousness - "I am the expectant mother." It happens that the toxicosis of the first trimester completely discourages the desire to smoke - here the body itself intervenes in the situation, because it now has other needs - to save the fetus, to provide everything necessary. morning sickness- sign hormonal adjustment- It's not about cigarettes. It's a big deal if expectant mother manage to quit this bad habit. And if not?

In this article, I will not condemn or "feed" moralizing. I just want to analyze this situation in detail: a nursing mother smokes, how to reduce the harmful effects on the child?

I just want to debunk one myth.

MYTH: If mommy smokes, she should not breastfeed.

Vice versa! If mommy smokes, she really needs to keep breastfeeding. Nicotine in breast milk, of course, appears, as well as in the blood of the mother. But at the same time, breast milk softens harmful action nicotine, protects the body of the child. Do not continue to smoke and switch to artificial mixtures for feeding the baby - the child will be a passive smoker at the same time, but he will not have life-saving protection breast milk. The artificial mixture will not protect it from cigarette smoke. Therefore, if you are breastfeeding, breastfeed as long as possible.

Keeping breastfeeding will protect your baby as much as it can, but not 100%. The nicotine that enters the body of babies makes them more restless. In such children, colic is more common and lasts longer. These babies are more susceptible respiratory diseases. A child who receives milk from a smoking mother is more likely to get sick allergic disease. And, of course, since nicotine is by nature a narcotic substance, accordingly, the child will be addicted to nicotine and in the future there is a high probability that he will also become heavy smoker like its parent.

I was in the hospital in the same room with a smoking mother. This mother 10 times a day (and even at night) ran to smoke. Her baby was more restless. Mom did not understand why her child wakes up and cries all the time, and the neighbor's child (that is, mine) sleeps peacefully after feeding. The doctors explained to this mother that the child was also addicted to cigarettes. Just a child gets his dose of nicotine with milk.

Nicotine affects the production of milk, in particular, it inhibits the production of prolactin (the hormone responsible for the formation of milk). A smoking mother runs the risk of stopping breastfeeding earlier than she plans, due to a lack of milk. Nicotine speeds up metabolism (metabolism), thus, a smoking mother spends more calories and she and her baby need more food. Babies whose mothers smoke have less weight gain.

Pediatricians claim that Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS in Russian literature) is more common in children of smoking parents.

Recommendations for organizing breastfeeding for a smoking mother

Since smoking affects milk production (production of prolactin), it is necessary to strictly not smoke from 22 pm to 8 am.
Smoke only after feeding, if exactly before the next feeding there is at least 2 hours left
Smoke as little as possible.
Consume more liquids and eat fully, taking into account all the necessary proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals.
And, of course, do not smoke with a child.
From myself, I would advise you to quit smoking.

Here are some stories from life:

On one forum, one young mother writes that she smokes and breastfeeds and is very tormented by torments of conscience. Another mom with smoking experience answers her like this:

"I know what you mean. I promised myself 100 times that I would get rid of this habit. And so I suffered throughout my pregnancy. My baby is now 6 months old and I still smoke. But we're doing great. I smoked for 10 years and with such experience it is impossible to quit. Further more - if you quit abruptly - you will not end up with problems. Get nervous, the milk will run out. Do you need it? My advice to you is to relax, being nervous will only increase the number of cigarettes you smoke. Try to smoke less, and we don’t need to be nervous with you. ”

Here's another

“My experience is 12 years. But 3 days was enough for me to quit smoking. I just found out I'm in position. When I smoked, I firmly told myself: Honey, when you get pregnant, no cigarettes. In fact, pregnancy was the way for me to quit. Of course, later I wanted to smoke, here Alan Kara's book “ easy way quit smoking"

Here's another

“I read A. Kara's book “An easy way to quit smoking” and quit smoking. For half a year ... Then everything returned. I got pregnant and “thought” for 3 days, after which I quit. Apparently, 3 days is the deadline for pregnant women to change their minds. When my son was 9 months old, I was terribly bored with cigarettes. Started smoking again. But now I smoke very little and one. And the soul suffers that I am persecuting the baby with this muck ... "

Here's another

“I have been a smoker for 15 years and I smoke non-stop. Even when she was carrying a daughter, then she fed her. My baby was born healthy. I was able to feed her until she was almost 3 years old, there was plenty of milk. My daughter moved to the 7th grade, with her I never held a cigarette in my hands. Recently my second baby was born. And again the same story: pregnancy, breastfeeding with a cigarette in hand. I think about quitting all the time. What do I need healthy mom my children and my husband. I read books, went to seminars, and used different gums and band-aids. Nothing helped me. Now I think, why did I start smoking??? Why do I condemn myself to suffering, my children? Why am I putting myself at such a health risk? Smoking is terrible disease, terrible habit! Girls! avoid smoking! Don't start smoking! Quit who already smokes before it's too late. Quit before things get worse. Don't ruin your life!"

» It happened to me. I smoked before pregnancy and the first 5 weeks. Then she quit. And at 30 weeks my husband said he was leaving me and leaving our baby. Out of grief, I again took up cigarettes and smoked until the birth. I don’t know how, apparently God took care of the child - the son was born with a good weight, healthy. Everything is fine with us now, I still smoke, but only at night. My conscience constantly torments me, I can’t give up this poison in any way. ”

“I managed to smoke only 1-2 cigarettes a day during my pregnancy. At 32 weeks, the waters broke, contractions began ... The baby was born cyanotic, small. They put him in a ditch, poked pipes into him. He breathed through the mask. Thanks to the doctors, he survived. Every day I prayed to God that my son would not leave me. Only God knows what hell I went through. I forgot about cigarettes. My son is a year old and I breastfeed him. He grew up, got stronger and very developed. Since then I have not smoked. (My husband, by the way, also quit)

Can smoking be combined with breastfeeding? It is worth understanding in detail how nicotine affects the health of mother and child and how you can reduce the negative impact on their bodies.

Two types of smoking are known: active, when a person directly smokes a cigarette, and passive, when a person inhales the smoke from someone else's cigarette. In the case of a mother smoking, she is an active smoker, and her baby is a passive one, because in addition to smoke, his body harmful substances passed along with mother's milk. In fact, the baby drinks already poisoned milk.

Scientific studies show that breast milk is produced in smaller quantities in women who smoke.

This is due to the fact that nicotine has a certain ability to suppress the production of prolactin, the hormone that causes lactation.

Prolactin is actively produced at night, so smoking categorically cannot be combined with breastfeeding at this time. The rest of the time, the harm of smoking is obvious, but it is still possible to combine it with breastfeeding if you follow some tips.

The health risks of smoking while breastfeeding

Throughout pregnancy female body gives all the nutrients to the fetus, so a woman improves her health immediately after the birth of the baby. But the recovery process will be much slower for smoking woman, since nicotine has firmly taken the place of useful substances and now they are simply not absorbed in the body.

The emotional state of the mother, already severely tested, suffers from a lack of vitamins and becomes extremely unstable.

The irritability and constant whims of the child do their job, and the mother soon becomes exhausted not only physically, but also psychologically. In addition, a woman who smokes has the following problems:

Milk is produced in a smaller volume, since the amount of prolactin in the body decreases;
The quality of milk is deteriorating: it contains much fewer vitamins and useful enzymes, almost no protective antibodies;
With 1 smoked cigarette, 4,000 toxic substances enter the body, negatively affecting the work of all organs of a woman, destroying beneficial compounds and oxygen cells in the blood;
Nicotine narrows blood vessels and milk ducts, which slows down the flow of oxygen to the tissues and makes the removal of milk difficult.

As a result, motherhood turns into a serious test for a woman. And it is worth asking the question, is the smoked cigarette worth it?

Smoking while breastfeeding: consequences for the baby

A child who is breastfed becomes a passive smoker and is prone to serious dangers because of this:

Syndrome sudden death babies - this is the biggest danger when the mother smokes. This is not related to organic pathologies or diseases, the baby simply stops breathing in a dream. If the mother smokes, then the risks increase by 3 times, if the father also smokes, by 5 or more times;
Hypotrophy (problems with the weight and height of the baby) - this is due to a decrease in the mother's lactation and due to poor absorption of nutrients;
Sleep disturbances in a child, anxiety, increased regurgitation and vomiting, irritability, a violation of the nervous system, a slow pace of development;
Nicotine has an exciting effect on the baby: it disrupts appetite and sleep, causes bouts of crying for several hours a day and meteorological dependence;
Increased susceptibility respiratory tract to microbes and viruses, which leads to frequent bronchitis, otitis media, pneumonia and seizures false croup with laryngitis.

Children of smoking mothers often and for a long time get sick, they have more colic and more often have stool disorders and stomach pains, because nicotine activates receptors in the small and large intestine.

Since smoking is an addiction, the child becomes addicted to nicotine and in the future this leads to smoking already a child from an early age.

The harmful effects of smoking on breast milk and the process of feeding

The negative effects of cigarettes do not end with the lungs, breastfeeding women experience serious problems with lactation, since the substances contained in cigarettes strongly affect the vessels and milk ducts, narrowing them.

Because of this process, breast milk cannot pass through the ducts in full and the hormone prolactin ceases to be produced in the required amount, hence problems with lactation.

In addition to a decrease in volume, breast milk loses its nutritional value: there are practically no useful substances in it, protective antibodies are not in sufficient volume to form in a child strong immunity. Breast milk also has the ability to absorb the taste of food eaten by the mother and cigarettes are no exception.

Because of the persistent tobacco taste, the child begins to have colic and eventually refuses to eat. Typically, mothers who smoke breastfeed for no more than 4 to 6 months. After six months, the milk begins to dry up, or the child simply refuses such food.

How smoking affects breastfeeding: the opinion of Dr. Komarovsky and other doctors

Many mothers greatly appreciate the opinion of the famous pediatrician Komarovsky. Here's what he says about breastfeeding mothers smoking:

“Reflect on the well-known question “what is good and what is bad?” does not make sense, because each of us knows what is what. Our mother loves to smoke. How to reduce the harmfulness of her smoking for a child? Minimize the amount of nicotine.

It is best to switch to light cigarettes with minimal nicotine content and smoke as little as possible. Unfortunately, vitamins or medicines that can neutralize Negative consequences nicotine does not exist.

Therefore, it is necessary to provide the child normal nutrition, long walks and physical activity(swimming, gymnastics). There is nothing better than breast milk, so smoking and milk is better than just smoking.”

Other doctors believe that it is better to stop smoking while breastfeeding or reduce the number of cigarettes significantly. Otherwise, it is better to initially feed the baby nutrient mixtures or purchase milk from a dairy kitchen.

Nicotine and lactation: myths and facts

Despite the official statement by doctors and scientists about the dangers of smoking, there are 2 common myths:

Nicotine does not circulate through the mother's body, penetrating into milk.

It initially enters the lungs and blood of a woman, who brings it into milk;

Milk neutralizes the harm from nicotine.

Unfortunately mother's milk doesn't have that kind of power.

But the real and scientific facts few people know:

In smoking mothers, every 5 baby has a low body weight;
Obesity and diabetes 3 are more likely to occur during pregnancy of smoking mothers;
Increased risk of bronchial asthma;
The risk of autism in a child increases by 40%.

These are just a few facts that are obtained by ruthless statistics. Despite the fact that nicotine through breast milk is equivalent to only ¼ of a cigarette smoked, it is enough to cause irreparable harm to the health of the child. And this, unfortunately, is not a myth, but a harsh reality.

Artificial feeding - a way out for a smoking mother?

Unable to give up smoking, many mothers decide to transfer their child to artificial feeding. Is this the way out? Despite the fact that nicotine will no longer enter the child's body with milk, it will still enter through smoke and air, because the mother will not quit smoking.

Therefore, the best solution is to stop smoking. This is easy to do if you imagine that on one side of the scale is the health of the child, and on the other is an addiction.

But if you don’t have the strength to quit smoking, then you still shouldn’t abruptly transfer the child to mixtures. Despite the harm of nicotine, the beneficial substances found in breast milk are enough to help the child adapt to the world around him and lay the foundation for his immunity.

But artificial mixtures do not possess these substances, so mother's milk is even more useful in this case.

Alternative to cigarettes

To quit smoking, people have developed entire programs, coming up with several alternative means to cigarettes. Are they useful and should a smoking mother use them? It is necessary to consider them in detail:

Electronic cigarettes - seem safer than regular cigarettes, but it's not. The cartridge of the electronic simulator contains nicotine liquid, the vapor of which contains large quantity carcinogens than in a regular cigarette;
Nicotine patches are the safest remedy for lactation, since the concentration of nicotine in milk is reduced by 60%, but in small quantities it is constantly in the body;
Nicotine gums and smoking gums - this method is recommended by doctors as a replacement for cigarettes, because the level of nicotine in them is 3 times less.

When quitting smoking, you should replace cigarettes with something tasty and healthy (dried fruits, fruits, etc.) in order to quickly cope with psychological withdrawal.

How to quit smoking for a breastfeeding woman?

The main motivation for a mother is the health of her child. Therefore, this is what needs to be put at the forefront when quitting smoking. To quit smoking, firstly, you should activate all your willpower and at first use alternative means and secondly, follow these simple tips:

Do not smoke in the morning, on an empty stomach and 2 hours before meals;
Use candies or seeds as an alternative to cigarettes;
Smoking in an uncomfortable position;
Do not carry a lighter;
Do not inhale deeply;
Smoking cigarettes you don't like;
Don't buy more packs of cigarettes.

You can seek help from a psychologist or special groups, to combat bad habits. The main thing to remember is why all this is for the sake of the health of the child.

Breastfeeding mother's smoking causes great harm her child. The health of the baby and its full development are at risk. Is it possible to somehow protect him from this negative impact?

The harm of smoking is so obvious that no one dares to argue with it. And for young children it is even more dangerous. First, because passive smokers suffer no less than the active. Second, because children's body is just being formed, and any external factors, no matter how many there are, have an impact on this formation. And such an impact often leads to consequences that will be impossible to change. Therefore, when a mother is breastfeeding, she should not smoke categorically.

The negative impact of maternal smoking on the child

Nicotine enters the developing body not only through the respiratory tract. It is absorbed into the blood and breast milk. But in a smoking mother, the production of the hormone prolactin, which ensures the formation of milk, decreases. Since there is little milk, the baby starts earlier (or from birth) to feed with mixtures and stop breastfeeding earlier. There is a whole list of other paid consequences:

Suffering nervous system child. He becomes overexcited, after that, on the contrary, inhibited. Bad, restless sleep. Sometimes there are even convulsions.
Immunity is poorly formed.
The child is oxygen starved.
rises arterial pressure and frequency heart rate, the heart and blood vessels suffer, which can lead after some time to diseases of the cardiovascular system.
Digestion suffers, which in infancy is already the most vulnerable. More often there are colic, disorders, weight gain is poor.
Amazed respiratory system, and colds often occur. The risk increases more serious illnesses- bronchitis, pneumonia.
The child develops a dependence on nicotine, after which the children of smoking mothers often become smokers themselves.
The risk of allergies is increased.
Lack of vitamins and other nutrients.
Lag in development.

Even if this list consisted of only one item, it would still speak in favor of quitting smoking for a young mother. If you have not done this, then the further development of the child will not proceed in the best way, and for you it will be accompanied by additional difficulties and worries.

When a breastfeeding mother smokes, the baby is more likely to die suddenly. This is difficult to explain from the point of view of physiology, but such facts, unfortunately, do exist.

Should a smoking mother transfer her child to artificial nutrition

If the mother did not stop smoking during pregnancy and continues to do so during feeding, then the question arises: is it possible for her to breastfeed her baby or would it be better to transfer him to artificial nutrition? Both options are undesirable - in any of them it is obvious that the health and development of the child will suffer. That's why we are talking about the choice of such an option that will cause the least harm to a small organism.

Breast milk is so unique product that scientists have not yet been able to invent a tool that could fully replace it. Adults can only dream of such a thing. With mother's milk, the child receives antibodies that protect him and form immunity. Children after artificial nutrition then suffer all their lives from a strong susceptibility to various diseases even the lightest. When a mother breastfeeds her baby, he gets everything essential vitamins and micronutrients.

At one time, doctors expressed great doubts that a child fed on milk with nicotine and other poisons would be healthy. Now many are inclined to believe that although the milk of a smoking mother carries a lot of harmful substances to the child, it still provides the baby with antibodies and beneficial substances that he will not receive from any type of artificial mixtures. Therefore, it is still better to breastfeed the baby.

Quitting smoking is also undesirable. But even if you did not do this before the birth of the child and decided only in the first months of your baby's life, it will still bring him less harm than constant, even rare, smoking.

Is a compromise possible?

When a young mother still does not part with addiction, she can at least minimize the harm from smoking for a child. It is definitely necessary to protect the baby from inhaling smoke: do not smoke at home and even on the street refrain from doing so if he is nearby. Babies get much more nicotine from inhaled smoke than from breast milk. Since the pungent odor persists on clothes, hair, and skin, after smoking, you need to thoroughly wash your face, wash your hands and rinse your mouth. Change clothes and only then pick up the baby.

No matter how many cigarettes you smoke per day, their number should be reduced to at least five. From evening to morning, do not smoke at all, since it is at this time of day that breast milk is produced the most. Do not smoke before, but immediately after feeding, so that in 3 hours most of the nicotine is removed from the blood and does not enter the child's body.

Since the harmful substances from cigarettes kill many of the beneficial substances that are rich in breast milk, the mother will have to drink a lot of vitamins and antioxidants to neutralize this process. You can consult your doctor for advice on the best effective means. Complete nutrition also needed when breastfeeding.

Mothers need to drink more water - it removes toxins from the body. In addition, milk production will increase. You can, in addition to water, use other liquids - juices, fruit drinks, milk.

Some doctors argue that when smoking, irreversible processes occur in a woman's body, and therefore, unlike a man, a woman is unable to quit smoking, even if she tries hard. But statistics show that 35% of women still succeed!

If a woman's decision to become a mother was conscious, then she is fully aware of the degree of responsibility for her child. In this case, future mothers give up smoking even before the conception of the baby. But if you did not have time to do this in advance, giving up a bad habit, even after some time, increases the chances of growing healthy person. And full development is the best thing you can provide for your child.

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Child development at 4 months: what the baby should be able to ...

Everyone knows that smoking is harmful. One cigarette has collected about 4,000 poisonous components, 70 of which can cause cancer. If a breastfeeding mother smokes, then toxic substances together with milk enter the body of the newborn.

Nicotine is absorbed into the blood within half an hour and then enters the baby through milk. Therefore, smoking and breastfeeding are incompatible things!

The harmful effects of nicotine

Smoking during breastfeeding adversely affects the quality of milk, the health of the baby and mother. Harmful enzymes primarily constrict blood vessels, which prevents breast milk from coming in the required volume. In addition, the rate of milk supply to the female breast is also falling.

A smoking mom will have milk endowed bad aftertaste . So, the baby gradually gets used to the cigarette taste. Therefore, many of these children begin to smoke as early as adolescence.

Nicotine is rapidly distributed in the still immature body of a newborn, in which destructive processes. The heart, respiratory tract and lungs, digestion and others suffer important organs. Simultaneous breastfeeding and smoking leads to irreversible consequences.

Consequences of smoking

The volumes of milk are significantly reduced - when smoking, milk is enough for a maximum of six months;
Milk loses vitamins, hormones and useful enzymes, protective antibodies. Nutrition is reduced;
Tobacco smoke often causes nausea, allergies, spasms, and respiratory disease in babies. After all, instead of oxygen, the child receives carbon monoxide filled with poisonous properties;
The recovery process will be slow. Nicotine replaces necessary substances lost during pregnancy and childbirth. Because of smoking, they are not recoverable;
Addiction negatively impacts emotional condition and takes energy. Mom gets tired quickly, and the baby is more irritated and naughty;
If the mother smokes the entire feeding period, then the baby may develop heart failure and disturb the heart rhythm;
Mom and baby may develop diseases such as arrhythmia and tachycardia;
Sleep disturbance and insomnia;
The child's appetite decreases and weight is lost, growth and development slows down, immunity deteriorates;
Allergy to nicotine in 99% of cases - rash, inflammation and redness, runny nose and cough;
Tendency to lung diseases, the occurrence of asthma;
predisposition to cancer;
Increased risk of sudden infant death.

How to reduce the harm from smoking while breastfeeding

Smoking while breastfeeding causes irreparable harm health and development of the child, which is incomparable with the “pleasure” of addiction.

The only way to reduce the impact of cigarettes is to complete failure from smoking. If you are unwilling or unable to quit smoking, there is an option to switch to formula feeding.

Of course, breast milk is always preferable for baby nutrition. According to some experts, smoking up to five cigarettes a day does not greatly affect the quality of milk. However, each baby has an individual reaction. In some cases, newborns themselves refuse milk because of the pungent odor and unpleasant aftertaste.

Smoking and breastfeeding or switching to artificial nutrition? Today there is no clear answer. It is not known whose immunity will be healthier: an “artificial” child or a baby fed with milk with nicotine.

If you do not want to switch to artificial mixtures, then try to reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke. As mentioned earlier, the maximum allowable amount- 5 items. You can smoke only during the day and at least 2 hours before feeding.

Do not smoke in the same room with the child and while walking next to the stroller. Keep the time interval between cigarettes at 2-3 hours. Drink plenty of fluids, as it removes nicotine from the body. Better if it will drinking water or apple compote.

Can a breastfeeding mother smoke electronic cigarettes?

Many smokers are replacing real cigarettes with electronic cigarettes in an attempt to quit smoking. Electronic cigarettes are compact devices with a replaceable cartridge that contains purified nicotine, glycerin, water and flavors. This composition often causes allergic reaction and other negative consequences. In addition, it should be understood that even nicotine-free e-Sigs still contain a small amount of nicotine.

The electronic device does not burn the larynx and does not injure the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract, like a hookah or regular cigarettes. It does not contain hazardous substances such as a mixture of oxides, benzene and various combustion products. When using such devices, the teeth do not turn yellow, and the hands do not smell of smoke. In addition, the objects around are not saturated with smoke, and the surrounding people also do not suffer from it.

However, numerous medical research show that they also cause harm. The amount of toxic substance in an electronic cigarette is greater than in a regular one! In addition, such a device does not give the usual “heaviness” from a puff and does not satisfy the need for nicotine. Therefore, soon a woman will take up a cigarette again and will smoke more often than when using classic tobacco products.

Electronic cigarettes have the following negative impact on mother and baby:

Long-term smoking causes hypertension, diseases of the heart, blood vessels and lungs;
The content of flavors and additives provoke severe poisoning and an allergic reaction
The baby may experience loss of appetite and refusal of breast milk, growth retardation, mental and mental development;
Deterioration of lactation and changes in the taste of breast milk;
Violation of the digestive system and increased colic;
Deterioration of sleep in a child, nervousness and anxiety;
Fatigue and lethargy, low activity, loss of concentration;
Blocking of nutrients, minerals and vitamins in the composition of breast milk, which the child needs for full growth and development;
The occurrence of allergies;
Development of asthma and other respiratory diseases;
The appearance of diseases of the lungs and respiratory tract;
Loss of appetite and weight;
Causes dizziness and headache, migraines, decreased concentration, attention and deterioration in performance;
They do not replace regular cigarettes, do not help to quickly quit smoking and completely get rid of nicotine addiction.

Electronic devices inflict serious harm health and an even stronger “nicotine hit” than conventional cigarettes. The consequences of this harm, of course, affect the body of the baby. Therefore, doctors in no case recommend that a nursing mother use these devices or switch to them if a woman wants to quit smoking.

If you still use electronic cigarettes, carefully consider the choice of product and liquid for the vaporizer. It is important that these are high-quality reliable devices with the appropriate WHO certificate. Today on the market you can find many fakes that will only harm the body!

How to quit smoking as a breastfeeding mom

Smoking while breastfeeding is very dangerous. If you do not want to harm the child, so that he lags behind in development, gets sick and also becomes addicted to this addiction, stop smoking.

It's hard, but it's possible to quit smoking. The main thing is to tune in psychologically and not forget about the health of the baby. IN modern world there is a mass various ways that help stop smoking. Here are a few ways:

Make a list of the positive things you will get from quitting smoking. Saving money, improving health, etc.;
Make a list of restrictions for yourself. Choose four main points that you try to fulfill. Once the rules have entered the lifestyle, add two more rules. By the way, according to experts, addiction occurs after 21 days.
It will only take three weeks to bring beneficial actions to automatism;
Do not smoke two hours before meals and do not smoke on an empty stomach. Do not smoke in the morning - delay taking the dose of nicotine as far as possible;
If you need to smoke, do something else that can fully involve you in the process;
Don't carry a lighter with you. If you run out of cigarettes, don't ask for a cigarette;
Smoke half a cigarette and don't inhale the smoke;
Do not buy more than one pack of cigarettes at a time.
A well-known method when a cigarette is replaced with a lollipop, seeds or candy. You can also use pharmaceutical products- anti-nicotine patch, special chewing gum or tablets. However, such products and preparations should be treated very carefully. Since during breastfeeding they can cause allergies, colic or poisoning in the baby;
It is better to prefer medicines folk remedies. For example, herbal tea.

Broths are attributed to the most effective way. In addition, as already mentioned, the liquid will remove toxins from the body. Safe means at breastfeeding will become a decoction of oats.

To prepare such a decoction, pour one tablespoon of oat grains or cereals into 400 ml warm water and refrigerate for 12 hours. after that, boil the oats for 15 minutes. Add a spoonful of calendula marigolds to the solution, pour into a thermos and leave for 45 minutes. You can drink such a remedy only for one day, since oats in this form tend to deteriorate quickly.

We hope that at least some of the ways will help you deal with bad habit. Remember that smoking during lactation is killing you and your baby.