Comments on: Smoking While Breastfeeding: What Are the Risks?

By: MGH Center for Women's Mental Health

MGH Center for Women's Mental Health — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 18:42:58 +0000

@anon daddy, All of these are great points. Thanks for your comment.

For those of you who would like to learn more about third-hand smoke, here is an article from the Mayo Clinic on the topic.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/third-hand-smoke/AN01985

By: anon daddy

anon daddy — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 01:43:51 +0000

Fascinating article but it does not touch on an important subject. Smoking during pregnancy and after birth can double or triple your babies chance of dying of SIDS. Why risk it? If you really need the nicotine use the patch or gum and abstain from nursing for at least a couple hours.

Also- there is the risk for both bottle and breast fed babies of being harmed by second and third hand smoke. For those who don’t know, third hand is what happens when you smoke. The particles from the smoke remain on the clothes and there is a lot of research that indicates this is also harmful to your baby. It is less severe than secondhand but still bad. The only way to remove the particles is to shower, wash your hair and change your clothes.

So simply smoking outside or in another room is not enough! Get support from the La Leche League and your pharmacist who can help you find smoking cessation products ASAP.

By: jessica bills

jessica bills — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 20:29:48 +0000

I smoked for 4 years before i was pregnant and stopped the second i found out i was pregnant. I feel so much better health wise and about my self i have had a few smokes since i delivered my baby but never around her. Reading this has helped me not start again as hard as it is but its not worth risking my babies health and i want to be health and alive when she grows up she deserves to have a mom.

By: dania ezzeldin harid

dania ezzeldin harid — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 20:34:16 +0000

I smoke sometimes not every day, and I am breast feeding my baby. I want to quit this bad habit, can you help me?

By: mayra

mayra — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 08:33:24 +0000

wow… I was a person who did smoke previously before getting pregnant. I stoped the day i found out i was… but now that i had my baby i started up again. I have about 5 cigs a day but after reading this article im definitely stopping. Even though there’s really not concrete studies i still wouldn’t risk the health of my baby for anything. I just rather avoid it then to me sorry later on in life. I also think there should be more studies done… Because there are a lot of women out there who are breastfeeding without really knowing the risk.