Smoking is the scourge of modern society. It is sad to watch how the younger generation smokes, hiding behind the corners, which destroys its fragile body. But it's even worse when a baby is poisoned. Alas, many mothers think that breastfeeding and smoking are quite compatible. This is a big mistake!
Dangerous behavior
When a mother of an infant smokes by exhaling smoke, she creates an unfavorable environment. A small child is forced to inhale poisoned air, clogging his developing lungs with tobacco carcinogens. The harmful effects of smoking are not limited to this. Even worse is the result that is obtained when breastfeeding. After all, a cigarette is a hellish cocktail of harmful elements. But let's talk about everything in order.
What is smoking
In fact, it is a persistent psycho-physiological addiction, which is quite difficult to get rid of on your own. The process of smoking gives an imaginary pleasure, but at a high price. The greatest harmnicotine. It is an extremely toxic substance that poses a significant danger to humans. Many people confuse it with useful nicotinic acid, which is necessary for a person to function properly (aka vitamin PP). Remember: these are completely different things. Same as phosphorus (necessary for the skeletal system) and phosphorus bombs (weapons of mass destruction).
The lethal dose of nicotine is about one milligram per kilogram of live weight. If an adult organism more or less copes with the intake of this poison, then it will be much more difficult for a child. It should be borne in mind that nicotine enters breast milk in fairly large quantities, sufficient to make a child disabled for life without much effort. Down syndrome, dysfunction of internal organs and much more - this is what awaits a baby in adulthood.
What other harmful substances are there in one cigarette
Let's see what compounds are released when smoking:
- Nicotine. An interesting fact: this substance is also an insecticide, due to which it is used as an insect repellent.
- Bhutan. Widely used as lighter fluid.
- Methane.
- Stearic acid. Used in the manufacture of candle wax.
- Arsenic. One of the most famous poisons.
- Toluene. It is a technical solvent.
- Acetic acid. In large quantities, burns a number of soft tissues, such as mucous membranes.
- Hexamine. Tourists know it as fire starter fluid.
- Cadmium. Used to create electric batteries.
- Ammonia. Do you have a toilet cleaner in your house? And it has ammonia in it.
- Methanol. It's rocket fuel.
- Carbon monoxide.
- Paint. Used in paper.
Therefore, if someone else is wondering if a nursing mother can smoke, cast aside doubts. The answer to this question is only negative.
Harmful influence
Tamu that such a habit is harmful, they teach at school. But few pregnant women are ready to part with her only in order to ensure a sound he althy sleep for their baby. The list of harmful substances was considered above. It is far from complete. In just one cigarette, there are about four thousand components dangerous to the human body. Of these, 70% are carcinogens, that is, substances that contribute to the occurrence of cancer. Therefore, one should not expect that it will be possible to avoid negative consequences. The child of a nursing smoking mother will feel the oppression of a bad habit, even if the mother abandoned it two or three years before the moment of conception. Therefore, it must be abandoned much earlier, because one month of abstinence allows you to reduce the concentration of a number of substances several times. which gives the baby more chances for a he althy life.
First consequences
It should be remembered that breastfeeding and smoking are incompatible if you want to get a he althy baby. To see this, let's turn to medicine. To absorb nicotineinto the blood, it takes about half an hour. Then from it it enters the milk (and then the baby). This affects the following indicators:
- The volume of milk produced - they are decreasing. This development of events is connected with the fact that the concentration of the hormone prolactin decreases. Therefore, food for the baby is produced in insufficient quantities.
- The quality of milk is deteriorating. Under the influence of harmful substances, saturation with various vitamins, protective antibodies, hormones, beneficial enzymes worsens.
What's next
Once again, it should be reminded that he althy children, breastfeeding and smoking are incompatible. The situation described above is complicated by passive smoking of children. Tobacco smoke will gradually provoke allergies, vascular spasms, nausea, and various respiratory diseases in the baby. The most obvious example of such a development of the situation is when a child receives not clean air, but carbon monoxide, which has toxic properties.
It must be remembered that pregnancy is a very complex process. It takes away many useful substances from the mother's body. Those who smoked while breastfeeding can report that they feel tired, exhausted, and recover more slowly after pregnancy.
After the birth of the crumbs, it is necessary to restore lost resources thanks to nutritious and he althy food, observing sleep patterns. It is more difficult for smokers in this regard, because toxic substances finish off the body, slowing down and worsening the quality and speed of the flowall necessary processes. In addition, dependence on cigarettes affects the emotional state of a nursing mother. This can serve as an additional reason for the milk to burn out. It is noticed that the baby in many ways takes an example from his mother. Children of parents who smoke tend to start trying cigarettes at a very early age.
Physiological problems
The consequences of smoking while breastfeeding have a great influence on the development of negative processes in the child's body, but are not limited to this. So, the harmful enzymes present in cigarettes have a negative effect on blood vessels, narrowing them. As a result of the narrowing, there are problems with the passage of breast milk. It should also be remembered that any eaten product affects its taste. A woman who smokes has an unpleasant cigarette taste in her milk. In addition, the period of breastfeeding is reduced to four to six months, and not nine to ten, as doctors advise. After the expiration of this period, the milk begins to leave by itself. There is no way to prevent this process. So don't allow breastfeeding and smoking to happen at the same time.
What are the consequences for the baby
It is impossible to consider all possible options, because there are a large number of them. Consider only the situation when nicotine through mother's milk enters the body of the crumbs. It spreads very quickly and already with the first dose begins destructive processes. The situation is aggravated by the fact that the baby's body is not yet strong. First of all, the heart suffers. Nicotine leads to dysfunction of this organ. The possibility of heart failure is also quite likely. Gradually, the rhythm of this extremely important organ will be disrupted, which may cause arrhythmia or tachycardia. For a baby, this is a serious danger that should not be underestimated. After all, she is a threat to his life.
Which violations are most common
Don't wonder if you can smoke while breastfeeding. The answer can only be negative. Heart failure in a baby is not a very common consequence of mom smoking, but there are pathologies that almost always occur:
- Sleep disturbance. The baby will be very restless and overexcited. In this case, the child's sleep is often interrupted.
- Decreased appetite, weight loss, slowed development and growth of crumbs.
- Very often there will be a tendency to allergic reactions. It will be extremely difficult to introduce new complementary foods, and the skin will react with inflammation and breakouts.
- There will be a malfunction of the gastrointestinal tract. For a child, this will result in colic, constipation, frequent vomiting.
- Tendency to pulmonary diseases. Nicotine affects the respiratory system, contributes to asthma and various respiratory diseases.
- Decreased immunity.
- Failures in the work of the nervous system. Very often provokes developmental delay.
- Predisposition to cancer.
- Smoking a breastfeeding mother increases the risk of sudden infant death.
This is not commensurate with the dubious "pleasure" that a smoked cigarette gives.
Trying to get around the inevitable
If a breastfeeding mother smokes, the consequences for the baby are terrible. You should quit this bad habit without delay. If smoking has continued for a very long time (years), then it makes sense to think about transferring the child to artificial nutrition. Without a doubt, mother's milk is the ideal product for a baby. But if it is poisoned, it is better to replace it with less useful artificial food than to stuff the child with carcinogens and poisons.
What are the consequences for the baby when growing up
A nursing mother who does not want to part with a cigarette spoils not only her child's infancy, but also his future. This harmful addiction negatively affects the physical and emotional state of the baby. Be sure to mention the danger that the child will become addicted. Children who have fallen under such a harmful influence are characterized by increased aggressiveness and irritability. They do poorly in school, have behavioral and memory problems. All this does not allow them to be among the best pupils and students. Respiratory diseases, problems with the respiratory system and allergic reactions poison the existence and do not allow you to enjoy the colors of a full existence.
How to breastfeed a newborn baby
Maternal he alth needs to be taken care of first. For this it is necessaryprovide a he althy diet, moderate physical activity, moral rest, good sleep. If we talk about how long you can feed a child after smoking, then it is better that years pass. Of course, it is unlikely that it will be possible to completely get rid of the consequences of a bad habit, but it is possible to minimize their influence. If you have been addicted to cigarettes for about a year, then you should wait 24 months until conception. If more, then it is desirable to suffer three to five years. Speaking about how to properly feed a newborn with breast milk, it should be noted that the first nine months, when he is just developing in the womb, the baby is completely dependent on the state of the mother's body. For the next 9 months of his life, he is also largely addicted. To avoid negative consequences for the baby, a he althy diet, moderate exercise, proper rest - all this should be present even before conception.
The best choice is not to start smoking at all. Many may object and give examples of the fact that absolutely he althy children are born to smoking mothers. However, this is not the rule, but rather the exception. Many women, having learned that they are in an interesting position, immediately quit smoking and drinking, fearing for the development of the fetus in the womb. Of course, this greatly helps the correct formation of all the organs of the unborn child.
After giving birth, such women return to a bad habit, believing that everything is behind them. That is why you can so often see smoking ladies walking their babies in strollers in parks or on the streets of cities. Scientists have found that a person who is next to a smoker absorbs70% of the harmful substances emitted by a cigarette. Keep this in mind.
Conclusion
We've looked at the implications for a baby of a mother smoking while breastfeeding. If you love your long-awaited baby, who is just starting her life journey in our harsh world, give her a good start. It does not consist in buying a baby a lot of expensive toys and furnishing a children's room with modern furniture, but in providing him with good he alth and proper development, both physical and mental, moral, spiritual. Remember: it is much easier to prevent a problem than to get rid of it later.
