How does smoking affect the amount of breast milk you make?

How does smoking affect the amount of breast milk you make?

Nicotine goes into your breast milk. Your baby is exposed to these chemicals through breastfeeding and inhaling cigarette smoke. Smoking can also decrease the amount of breast milk you make. Do not use e-cigarettes or smokeless tobacco in place of cigarettes or to help you quit.

Is it safe to breastfeed if you are using tobacco?

Mothers who use tobacco or e-cigarettes should be encouraged to quit; regardless, breastfeeding provides numerous health benefits and breast milk remains the recommended food for an infant. Nicotine and other harmful chemicals are found in cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, and chewing tobacco.

Is it safe to chew nicotine gum while breastfeeding?

Blood levels of nicotine from nicotine gum can vary quite widely and may be similar to smoking traditional cigarettes although no studies on breastfeeding mothers using this product have been reported ( Lactmed search: nicotine). Breastfeeding mothers are advised to avoid breastfeeding for two to three hours after chewing this product 6.

How does nicotine affect a baby while breastfeeding?

And babies exposed to nicotine—one of the highly addictive substances found in tobacco smoke—can be fussier, have more colic, disturbed sleep, nausea, and are more likely to become smokers themselves (see Nicotine in Breast Milk ).

What are the risks of smoking while breastfeeding?

In addition to the risks of secondhand smoke for all exposed infants, the chemicals found in tobacco, including nicotine, can be passed from a breastfeeding mother who uses tobacco to her infant through breast milk. Smoking also decreases maternal milk supply,…

What are the effects of nicotine in breast milk?

Nicotine crosses into breast milk readily; increasing a baby’s risk of SIDS and affecting their lung development. See Nicotine in Breast Milk for further information on the effects of nicotine.

Blood levels of nicotine from nicotine gum can vary quite widely and may be similar to smoking traditional cigarettes although no studies on breastfeeding mothers using this product have been reported ( Lactmed search: nicotine). Breastfeeding mothers are advised to avoid breastfeeding for two to three hours after chewing this product 6.

Can you use nicotine replacement therapy while breastfeeding?

Nicotine can affect the breastfed baby via breast milk and the effects will be greater the more heavily nicotine products are used. If you are considering nicotine replacement therapy while breastfeeding, contact your health professional or stop smoking service to discuss which product is recommended for your situation.