breastfeeding and smoking...

[madmish]

i smoke, and i breastfeed. just wondering if anyone else does and what others think.
obviously alot (if not all) will think i am selfish and mean to my baby.i know that myself, but it's one of those things. i asked my health visitor when jamie was born if i should stop breastfeeding because i am a smoker,and she said it was better for jamie to get my milk(even if i smoke) than to have formula.(obviously she advised me to quit also)
i do feel guilty,and i have tried to quit,on numerous occasions, but i just don't seem to beable to get past 2 weeks, which is really annoying.

 

[Melanie]

My cousin smokes and breastfeeds. To be honest i was pretty shocked that she even attempted to breastfeed, she didn't seem overly bothered when she was pregnant and didn't stop smoking through out her pregnancy.
Her doctor and HV gave her advice about how to minimise the risk, im not sure what they were, things like not smoking just before a feed i think. I do know she was told her baby was better off with breast milk from a smoker than with formula.
Personally im not sure i would have been comfortable breastfeeding if i was still a smoker (i stopped after 9 years when i found out i was pregnant).
Is there no help you can get to quit from the NHS?

 

[nicki]

I quit smoking when I found out I was pregnant, always said I would, I smoked for about 12 years I only managed to breastfeed for 3 weeks before the pain got the better of me!! I have had a few sneaky ones since Jamie was born but it tasted nasty & I realised how badly I smelt so haven't bothered since.

If you can get to 2 weeks without smoking you can quit all together, I know its very hard but if you take each day as it comes then you'll be able to do it, don't think about the future & when you get an urge do something else. It only takes a 48 hours I think (or something like that) for the nicotine to disappear from your body, after that it just habit, so break the habit.

We all know smoking is bad for us & baby etc etc & bleating on about it won't change that fact so just do what you want & do the best you can, if you want to b/f then do it if not then bottles are fine too.

 

[budge]

i think smoking is disgusting anyway never mind doing it whilst pregnant or breastfeeding.
have u tried quitting and if so how? there is lots of help out there the NHS have wasted precious loads of money trying to get folks to quit.