Dear Miriam, About the smoking mom with the premie.... Not to be nasty or anything, really, but this mom needs to stop smoking. Period. And I say this as someone who has definitely been there, done that. Yes, breastmilk is best, but why stress a premie with a load of nicotine? If this isn't a good enough stimulus to get her to quit, at least temporarily, then I doubt that anything will. Also, consider how good this will make her feel, in spite of withdrawal, to know that she is doing absolutely everything she can to help her baby to thrive and stay healthy? I think it would actually be very good for her mental health. Think of how she may feel later if the baby is put on formula because she is smoking and then develops formula related health problems, perhaps even life threatening ones. Or if the baby does get her milk, but the nicotine does indeed have an effect. This would probably require some very finely honed counseling skills, but it would be well worth it for mom and baby alike. Just my humble opinion. And spoken in deep sympathy for anyone who has experienced this incredibly difficult to beat addiction. Sharon Knorr, BSMT, LLLL, IBCLC Lactation Consultant Services Rochester, New York mailto:[log in to unmask] ___________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]