Ask the Pros
Birth Plans
Birth Stories
Bookstore
Boy or Girl
Cesareans
Chat Room
Complications
Doulas
Educators
Episiotomy
FAQs
Feeding Baby
Fertility
Finding a Class
Health
Interactive
Labor
Message Board
Monitoring
Newborns
Postcards
Postpartum
Pregnancy
Reviews/Awards
Search
VBAC
Week by Week

Ask A Doula
Questions and Answer

Q. Can you breastfeed and smoke?

A. The more cigarettes you smoke, the greater risk there is to your baby. Best to stick to less than a pack a day.

Smoking has been shown to interfere with the let-down, or milk-ejection reflex. For this reason, it is best not to smoke immediately before or during breastfeeding.

No matter how the baby is fed, breathing second-hand or "side-stream" smoke poses health risks. Studies show an increase in the incidence of pneumonia, bronchitis, and SIDS during the baby's first year of life.

So while the answer is, yes. It is not the best thing to do, as I'm sure you are aware, but you can. Smoking will decrease your milk supply. It is best not to smoke near the baby. If you can cut down that would be terrific. For more information you can try the Feeding Your Baby or contact your local LaLeche League. Breastfeeding is a wonderful gift to give to your baby.

Ilana Stein has been working professionally with pregnant women since 1983 as a childbirth educator, labor assistant and breastfeeding consultant. She was originally certified by the American Academy of Husband-Coached Childbirth (The Bradley Method), The Association of Labor Assistants and Childbirth Educators (ALACE), and Doulas of North America (DONA). She teachs the ALACE Labor Assistant training workshop nationwide. She has spoken at conferences and at the New York University Graduate Program in Midwifery about labor support. She is a Positive Pregnancy and Parenting Fitness (PPPF) instructor and La Leche League Leader. She is also a certified personal trainer and fitness instructor at the local YMCA. She volunteers as the coordinator of the annual New York Area YM-YWCA Women’s Wellness Weekend.