Lesley,

I agree with Nancy's response to your post.
Since we seem to be having true confessions about tasting our own milk,
please allow me to share my own confessions as a smoker.

As a first time mom, I was definitely more committed to making breastfeeding
work for me BECAUSE I was a smoker. I suffered extensively with yeast, and
probably would have quit. There were two central reasons that I believe I
persevered through the really difficult times.
One was that my mother was not very supportive, and had persuaded my sister
to switch to formula. So, I had to be especially stubborn and prove them both
"wrong" (Very Big Grin). The second was that I knew that since I was not having
any success with my attempts to stop smoking my baby really needed my milk. I
had read all the studies about the increased risk of ear infections, allergy,
asthma, etc., associated with smoking parents and the studies about the
apparent decrease of risk of these same diseases associated with breastfeeding. My
personal belief at that time was that the breastfeeding would 'cancel out' the
smoking, and my children would at least have a chance to average risk. Had I
not been self-informed, I probably would not have chosen to breastfeed. If I
had felt that I had to choose between the two, I would have chosen formula. I
already had plenty of failed attempts to stop smoking ... I would not have been
confident enough to 'risk' breastfeeding if it meant I would have to stop.

As I counsel moms now, I can understand this very strong addiction first hand
and I usually suggest the following:

    If the mother has been able to stop smoking during her pregnancy, I
encourage her to remain smoke-free. I have had moms tell me that they couldn't wait
to get home after having the babe. They had quite literally been counting the
days until they could light up again. Some of these moms are responsive to
remaining smoke free for the baby's health, some are not.

    If the mother was not able to stop during pregnancy, but has a c-section
or long postpartum hospital stay and has been smoke-free for 4 or more days, I
also encourage her to remain smoke-free. Some attempt to light up, find it
not as pleasant as they remembered, and manage to remain smoke-free. Others
struggle through those first days (much like a first-time smoker) and continue
smoking. Remember this is an addiction.

    If the mother has been unable to stop smoking during pregnancy, and
walked the parking lot of the hospital so she could smoke during labor, and checked
out of the hospital early, so she get that next cigarette sooner ... I advise
her to seriously consider the many therapies available for smoking cessation.
I give them copies of Hale and information on the dangers of the smoke itself
versus the nicotine replacement.

    However, I also advise these moms that since they smoke, it is very
important that they provide their baby with breastmilk. I also strongly encourage
them to smoke outside the house, wash their hands after smoking, and
(especially in cold weather when the smoke really clings). to change shirts before
holding/cuddling/nursing the baby.

    But, in the end my message is: It is better to smoke and breastfeed than
to smoke and formula feed.

Laura Wright
Mississippi

In a message dated 10/9/2003 11:08:23 PM Central Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
But for the many women who
cannot see their way clear to quitting smoking altogether, the question is
not "Should I stop smoking?" (I think that nearly all smokers agree
intellectually that this is ideal), but rather "Since I can't stop smoking,
is it better to breastfeed or not to breastfeed?"

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