Smoking is the scourge of modern society. It is sad to see how the younger generation smokes, hiding behind corners, which destroys their fragile body. But even worse when a baby is poisoned. Alas, many mothers think that breastfeeding and smoking are completely compatible. This is a big mistake!
Dangerous behavior
When the mother of the baby smokes, exhaling smoke, it creates an unfavorable environment. A small child is forced to inhale the poisoned air, clogging its forming lungs with tobacco carcinogens. This harmful effect of smoking is not limited. Even worse is the result that occurs 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 psychophysiological dependence, which is quite difficult to get rid of on its own. The smoking process gives an imaginary pleasure, but at a high price. Nicotine is the most harmful. It is an extremely toxic substance that poses a significant danger to humans. Many people confuse it with the beneficial nicotinic acid, which is necessary for a person to function properly (it is also vitamin PP). Remember: these are completely different things. The 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 proceeds of this poison, then it will be much more difficult for a child. It should be borne in mind that nicotine passes into breast milk in fairly large quantities, sufficient to make the baby disabled for life without special efforts. Down syndrome, impaired functioning of internal organs and much more - this is what awaits a baby in adulthood.
What other harmful substances are in one cigarette
Let's see what compounds are released when smoking:
- Nicotine. Interesting fact: this substance is also an insecticide, due to which it is used as a remedy for insects.
- Butane. Widely used as a lighter fluid.
- Methane.
- Stearic acid. It is used in the production of wax for candles.
- Arsenic. One of the most famous poisons.
- Toluene. It is a technical solvent.
- Acetic acid. In large quantities, it burns a number of soft tissues, for example, the mucous membrane.
- Hexamine. Tourists know it as a bonfire lighting fluid.
- Cadmium. Used to create electric batteries.
- Ammonia. Do you have a toilet cleaner in your house? And it has ammonia.
- Methanol. He is rocket fuel.
- Carbon monoxide.
- Paint. Used in paper.
Therefore, if someone else thinks whether it is possible to smoke a nursing mother, cast aside doubts. The answer to this question is only negative.
Bad influence
Tamu that such a habit is harmful is taught back in school. But few pregnant women are ready to part with her only in order to ensure a good healthy sleep for their baby. The list of harmful substances was also considered above. He is far from complete. In total, one cigarette contains about four thousand components hazardous to the human body. Of these, 70% are carcinogens, that is, substances that contribute to the onset of cancer. Therefore, one should not expect that negative consequences will be avoided. A child of a nursing smoking mother will feel the oppression of a bad habit, even if her mother abandoned it two to three years before conception. Therefore, it is necessary to abandon it much earlier, because one month of abstinence can reduce the concentration of a number of substances by several times. which gives the baby a better chance of a healthy life.
First consequences
It should be remembered that breastfeeding and smoking, if you want to get a healthy baby, are incompatible. To verify this, let's turn to medicine. To nicotine is absorbed into the blood, it takes about half an hour. Then from it he enters milk (and then to the child). This affects the following indicators:
- The volume of milk produced - they are decreasing. Such a development of events is associated with the fact that the concentration of the hormone prolactin decreases. Therefore, food for the baby is not produced enough.
- The quality of milk is deteriorating. Under the influence of harmful substances, saturation with various vitamins, protective antibodies, hormones, and useful enzymes deteriorates.
What's next
Once again, it should be recalled that healthy children, breast-feeding and smoking are incompatible. The situation described above is complicated by passive smoking of children. Tobacco smoke will gradually provoke an allergy in the baby, vascular cramps, nausea, various respiratory diseases. The most obvious example of such a development of the situation is when the 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 from the body of the mother many useful substances. Those who smoked while breastfeeding can tell that they feel tired, exhausted, and recover more slowly after pregnancy.
After birth, the crumbs need to restore lost resources thanks to nutritious and wholesome food, adherence to sleep patterns. It is more difficult for smokers in this regard, because poisonous substances kill the body, slowing down and worsening the quality and speed of all the necessary processes. In addition, dependence on cigarettes affects the emotional state of a nursing mother. This may be an additional reason that the milk will burn out. It is noticed that the baby in many ways takes an example from his mother. In parents who smoke, children tend to try cigarettes at a very young age.
Physiological problems
The consequences of smoking during breastfeeding have a great influence on the development of negative processes in the baby's body, but are not limited to this. So, the harmful enzymes found in cigarettes negatively affect 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. In a woman who smokes, milk has an unpleasant cigarette aftertaste. In addition, the period of breastfeeding is reduced to four to six months, and not nine to ten, as doctors advise. After this period, the milk begins to leave itself. This process cannot be prevented. Therefore, do not allow breastfeeding and smoking at the same time.
What are the consequences awaiting baby
It is impossible to consider all possible options, because there are a great number of them. Consider only the situation when nicotine enters the body of crumbs through breast milk. It will spread very quickly and already with the first dose begins destructive processes. The situation is exacerbated 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 cannot be underestimated. After all, she poses a threat to his life.
What disorders are most common
Do not wonder if you can smoke when you feed your baby. The answer can only be negative. Heart failure in crumbs is not a very frequent consequence of smoking mom, but there are pathologies that occur almost always:
- Sleep disturbance. The baby will be very restless and overexcited. In this case, the child’s sleep is often interrupted.
- Decreased appetite, weight loss, slower development and growth of crumbs.
- Very often there is a tendency to allergic reactions. It will be extremely difficult to introduce new foods for feeding, the skin will respond to this with inflammation and rashes.
- There will be a malfunction in 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 the onset of asthma and various respiratory diseases.
- Immunity reduction.
- Malfunctions of the nervous system. Very often provokes a developmental delay.
- Predisposition to cancer.
- Smoking a nursing mother increases the risk of sudden infant death.
This is incommensurable with the dubious “pleasure” that a smoked cigarette gives.
Attempts to get around the inevitable
If a nursing mother smokes, the consequences for the baby are terrible. Quitting this bad habit should be done without delay. If smoking lasted 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 an ideal product for the baby. But if it is poisoned, then it is better to replace it with less wholesome artificial food than stuff the child with carcinogens and poisons.
What are the consequences awaiting the baby during growing up?
A nursing mother who does not want to part with a cigarette spoils not only her baby’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 fall under such a harmful influence are characterized by increased aggressiveness and irritability. At school, they do poorly, have problems with behavior and memory. 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 feed a newborn breast milk
Initially, you need to take care of the health of the mother. For this, it is necessary to provide a healthy diet, moderate physical exertion, moral rest, good sleep. If we talk about how much you can feed the child after smoking, it is better that years pass. Of course, it is hardly possible to completely get rid of the consequences of a bad habit, but it is possible to minimize their influence. If you were addicted to cigarettes for about a year, then you should wait 24 months before conception. If more, it is advisable to tolerate 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 it only develops in the womb, the baby is completely dependent on the state of the mother's body. The next 9 months of his life, he is also largely dependent. In order to avoid negative consequences for the baby, a healthy diet, moderate exercise, good rest - all this should be present even before its conception.
The best choice is not to start smoking at all. Many can object and give examples of the fact that smoking mothers give birth to absolutely healthy children. However, this is not a rule, but rather an 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 helps a lot to the correct formation of all the organs of the unborn child.
Having given birth, such women return to a bad habit, believing that everything is already behind. That is why so often you can see in the parks or on the streets of the cities smoking ladies walking their babies in wheelchairs. Scientists have found that a person next to a smoker absorbs 70% of the harmful substances released by a cigarette. Remember this.
Conclusion
We examined the consequences for the baby that the mother smokes while breastfeeding. If you love your long-awaited baby, who is just starting her life in our harsh world, give her a good start. It is not about buying a lot of expensive toys for a child and furnishing a nursery with modern furniture, but about providing him with good health and proper development, both physical and mental, moral, spiritual. Remember: preventing a problem is much easier than getting rid of it later.