i had my baby oct 6th and i started smoking right after i had her but i been feeding her soy formula but im going to quit how long do i need to stop smoking to breastfeed and is it ok to Breastfeed even if she is on soy formula?
How long do i need to quit smoking to Breastfeed?
The American Academy of Pediactrics states:
"Tobacco smoking by mothers is not a contraindication to breastfeeding, but health care professionals should advise all tobacco-using mothers to avoid smoking within the home and to make every effort to wean themselves from tobacco as rapidly as possible."
Good for you for nursing your baby!
I would wait a month to let all the nicotine get out of your system and pump (don’t feed her this milk discard it) while you wait so your milk doesn’t dry up.
Edited to say i read an answer below please DO NOT breastfeed while you are smoking, you don’t want that baby to get that nicotine and other bad chemicals in cigarettes, that’s like drinking and breastfeeding. Everything you eat or drink goes in that baby’s system that’s why they tell you to stay away from so many foods while breastfeeding!
i would ask a doctor if i were you. but breast feeding and giving the baby formula should be harmless.
actually its better to smoke and breastfeed than to smoke and NOT breastfeed. you’re safe now. if she has a lactose problem try to cut all dairy out of your diet to help- even if you’re smoking your breastmilk is still best
well, stopping until she grows up might not hurt either… but pumping or breastfeeding will put it into her milk, so its best to quit until your done if you have to go back to it…
it is correct to say that it is better to smoke and breastfeed than not
of course we are all going to be encouraging you to quit smoking all together…..that is the obvious health choice for yourself and your baby
You can breastfeed right now. It’s okay to breastfeed and smoke, much better than formula feeding and smoking actually. Of course it’s great that you’re going to give up, because that will be even healthier for you and your baby, but smoking does not turn the milk into poison. Check out the kellymom link in the answer above me, it’ll give you a lot of good info.
You haven’t been breastfeeding but you are going to now? Good for you! If you can’t or won’t stop smoking, then breastfeeding is far better than formula. Formula is just another health setback, you know?
You really need a lactation consultant. I hope you find someone right away. You do not have to quit smoking to breastfeed. It’s best if you do, but breastfeeding while smoking is still far healthier than formula. Just follow the guidelines in these articles.
Better to not smoke and still breastfeed, 2nd best is to limit smoking and still breastfeed, 3rd best is to smoke and still breastfeed, last place is to smoke and formula feed.
Whatever you choose to do, do NOT smoke in the house or around the baby, and if you are smoking, don’t co-sleep/ If baby seems alergic to the smoke, stopping breastfeeding will make things even worse. In that case, if you must smoke, take a quick shower, or at least change your clothes before being around the baby. Certainly no smoking while actually putting the baby to breast 🙂
Baby will be exposed to things in the smoke whether you are breastfeeding or not. At least if you are breastfeeding, baby will get all the good stuff in the breastmilk. You may also want to inquire about using a nicotine patch to quit. According to many resources, that is better than smoking, especially as it helps you stop a dangerous habit and keeps the smoke away from the baby.
I just wanted to chime in to say that Becca could not be more WRONG. She knows nothing about breastfeeding. The other answers were correct. I normally don’t answer a question if I’m just correcting the information of another poster, but her information is so harmful and incorrect, she needs to be corrected.