Vaping while breastfeeding can allow harmful chemicals to pass from mother to infant through breast milk. You can breastfeed if you are vaping. Although it is true that nicotine moves readily into breast milk, the advantages of breastfeeding are believed to outweigh the risks of nicotine exposure compared with choosing to feed your baby formula.
What happens if you smoke weed while breastfeeding?
Your baby will be vulnerable to the chemicals and toxins. If your baby experiences lethargy and sleeps far more often, this could lead to slow weight gain and possibly hindered development because your baby will not be awake and eating often enough. When a mother breastfeeds and smokes weed, her baby can experience slower developmental growth.
What are the effects of smoking while breastfeeding?
Other effects associated with smoking and milk supply include:
- Babies of women who smoke are more likely to experience altered sleep patterns.
- Babies exposed to smoke via breast-feeding are more susceptible to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and the development of allergy-related diseases like asthma.
- Nicotine present in breast milk can lead to behavioral changes in a baby like crying more than usual.
Is it safe to smoke cigarettes while breastfeeding?
The lower levels of nicotine in your body can also help you to have a better let-down reflex. Do not smoke while you are holding or breastfeeding your child. Not only is it dangerous for the baby to inhale the second-hand smoke, but you may accidentally burn them with the hot ashes from your cigarette.
Is smoking weed while breastfeeding dangerous for Your Baby?
No, you can't smoke weed while you're breastfeeding. That's because when you smoke or eat marijuana, pot's main ingredient, tetrahydrocannabinol (or THC), circulates through your bloodstream and gets into your breast milk.
How long does vape stay in your breast milk?
The half life of nicotine in breast milk is variously quoted as 95 minutes (Mohrbacher, 2020) or 120 minutes (halesmeds.com 2020).
How does vaping affect breast milk?
You may not smoke or vape anywhere near your baby, but nicotine and other harmful toxins can accumulate in the air, in your body, and in your breast milk. It's called passive exposure, and it puts your baby at a higher risk of developing health problems, like ear infections, bronchitis, and pneumonia.
Will vaping harm my baby?
Although the aerosol of e-cigarettes generally has fewer harmful substances than cigarette smoke, e-cigarettes and other products containing nicotine are not safe to use during pregnancy. Nicotine is a health danger for pregnant women and developing babies and can damage a developing baby's brain and lungs.
How long after I smoke Can I breastfeed?
Nicotine in breast milk and passive smoking can give your baby chest infections, vomiting, diarrhoea and irritability. Avoid smoking for half an hour before you breastfeed.
How much nicotine gets in your breast milk?
Dose Delivered to Infants Baseline levels of nicotine (nonsmoking day: 10.2 ± 4.4 ng/mL; smoking day: 12.4 ± 4.0 ng/mL) and cotinine (nonsmoking day: 154.3 ± 31.8 ng/mL; smoking day: 141.3 ± 31.4 ng/mL) in mothers' milk at the beginning of each testing session were similar.
Can a baby get addicted to nicotine through breast milk?
Exposure to high levels of nicotine through breast milk can potentially cause nicotine dependence and nicotine poisoning in babies. The symptoms of nicotine poisoning are rare and occur in babies who are exposed to a lot of smoke.
Will my milk supply increase if I quit smoking?
Smoking can cause a decreased milk supply and interfere with the letdown reflex. Here are some things you should do: Try to quit or cut down. Smoke after nursing, not before.
Can smoking while breastfeeding make baby fussy?
Furthermore, mothers who smoke are more likely to think that their milk supply is inadequate and are less motivated to breastfeed. Finally, breastfed babies whose mothers smoke more than 5 cigarettes daily exhibit behaviors (e.g. colic and crying) that may promote early weaning.
What effects can tobacco or e-cigarette exposure have on infants?
Regardless of feeding method (breastfeeding or infant formula), maternal smoking is a risk factor for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), as well as lower respiratory illnesses (such as bronchitis and pneumonia), ear infections, and impaired lung function in infants and children .
How to promote smoking cessation?
recognize pregnancy and lactation as two ideal times to promote tobacco and smoking cessation. To minimize exposure to the infant, mothers and others who smoke should: not smoke near the infant. smoke outside. have smoke-free rules for the car and home.
What to do after smoking and prior to handling an infant?
change clothes and wash hands after smoking and prior to handling the infant.
What is an e-cigarette?
E-cigarettes, and other vaping devices, are battery-powered devices that typically deliver nicotine, flavorings, and other additives through an inhaled aerosol. Little is known about the effects of e-cigarette use by the mother on the infant’s health.
Can you smoke while breastfeeding?
Using tobacco or e-cigarettes while breastfeeding can allow harmful chemicals to pass from the mother to the infant through breast milk or secondhand smoke exposure. Mothers who use tobacco or e-cigarettes should be encouraged to quit; regardless, breastfeeding provides numerous health benefits and breast milk remains the recommended food for an infant.
Can you smoke e-cigarettes while breastfeeding?
Yes. Mothers who use tobacco or e-cigarettes should be encouraged to quit; regardless, breastfeeding provides numerous health benefits and breast milk remains the recommended food for an infant. recognize pregnancy and lactation as two ideal times to promote tobacco and smoking cessation.
What is Vaping?
A vape or electronic cigarette is a device created to heat up liquid containing tobacco or marijuana to create a vapor that the user can inhale. Vaping has become one of the most popular methods of consuming both tobacco and marijuana products.
Types of Vaping Devices
Whether a vaping newbie or someone who has vaped for quite some time, you may not know the different types of vaping devices available. There are standard devices and then those for the technology savvy. Vaping devices come in four categories:
Is it Safe to Vape While Breastfeeding?
The CDC encourages breastfeeding mothers to quit vaping. Even if they are still vaping, they still consider it best to continue with breastfeeding. Breastfeeding provides numerous health benefits, and breast milk is still the recommended food for infants. As with smoking, it is highly recommended to avoid vaping around your infant.
Does Vaping Affect Breast Milk Supply?
Vaping does affect breast milk supply. The effects are due to the fact that nicotine easily crosses into breast milk from the mother. This nicotine is ingested via breastmilk and absorbed into the system of the infant. In some studies, the impact on infants who ingest the breast milk supply that has nicotine in it include:
Vaping Health Risks
Vaping is seen as a safer alternative to smoking cigarettes. It contains anywhere from one-third to half the nicotine found in a regular cigarette. Although there may be less nicotine, there are many other risks to vaping. The liquid itself and the vapor it produces contains harmful substances like:
Can I Vape With No Nicotine While Breastfeeding?
It is not recommended to vape nicotine-free e-cigarettes. The recommendation is because even some nicotine-free advertised e-cigarettes still contain nicotine. In a 2019 Australian study, six out of 10 nicotine-free e-liquids still had nicotine. There were also test samples that found 2-chlorophenol.
CBD Vape While Breastfeeding
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) strongly advises against using cannabidiol (CBD), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and marijuana while breastfeeding. There are many negative health effects from using marijuana and other THC-containing products while breastfeeding.
How does nicotine patch work?
Nicotine skin patches provide a steady level of continual nicotine. This prevents the possibility of timing breastfeeds so that nicotine levels are lower in breast milk at the time of a breastfeed. However, using the lowest strength patch available e.g. 7 mg is said to reduce a baby’s exposure to nicotine by as much as 70% compared to smoking or using a high strength patch. 6 7 Removing the patch at bedtime can lower the levels of nicotine at night. 8 Following a clinical trial, breastfeeding and medications expert Thomas Hale and colleagues say nicotine patches are safer than smoking:
What is an electronic cigarette?
Electronic cigarettes or e-cigarettes (electronic nicotine delivery systems) are battery powered fake cigarettes consisting of a mouth piece, a cartridge with nicotine and other chemicals, and an atomiser that converts the liquid into a vapour. Some look like a traditional cigarette and some look more like a pen and are called vaporisers. In the UK e-cigarettes are regulated under the UK Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 which translates the European Union Tobacco Products Directive (2014/40/EU) into UK law. 9 In America different brands are not safety regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and contain various chemicals and flavourings with varying amounts of nicotine 10 11.
How much nicotine is in gum?
Hale says levels of blood nicotine from chewing gum may be 30-60% of the levels of blood nicotine found in cigarette smokers. Hale also states however that if the gum is chewed rapidly the levels of nicotine may be similar to smoking itself.
What is the P592?
2020. p592. Nicotine replacement products provide blood nicotine levels high enough to prevent or reduce withdrawal symptoms but without the “buzz” of cigarettes. They are also missing the tars, carbon monoxide, and lung irritants that come with smoking.
Is nicotine inhaler safe for breastfeeding?
Medications author Thomas Hale says levels of nicotine dispens ed in an inhaler are probably too low to affect a breastfeeding baby (Halesmeds.com. 2018) . But as with all nicotine replacement products, levels will depend on how used:
Does nicotine gum affect breastfeeding?
Blood levels of nicotine from nicotine gum can vary quite widely and may be similar to smoking traditional cigarettes however there aren’t any studies on breastfeeding mothers using this product ( Lactmed, 2018). Hale says levels of blood nicotine from chewing gum may be 30-60% of the levels of blood nicotine found in cigarette smokers. Hale also states however that if the gum is chewed rapidly the levels of nicotine may be similar to smoking itself. Breastfeeding mothers are advised to avoid breastfeeding for two to three hours after chewing this product (Halesmeds.com. 2018)
Does nicotine nasal spray work?
A nicotine nasal spray delivers nicotine to the blood more rapidly compared to other NRT products and is closer to the rate of nicotine delivery of cigarette smoking ( Benowitz et al, 2009). Even so Lactmed says that a nicotine spray reduces blood and probably breast milk levels of nicotine by two thirds compared with smoking a cigarette although no studies on breastfeeding mothers have been reported.
Is it ok to use e-cigarettes or JUUL to help me quit smoking if I'm pregnant?
No. E-cigarettes or JUUL are not yet regulated nor approved by the FDA as a way to quit smoking. They both contain significant amounts of nicotine and are NOT safer. There are more effective and safer ways to quit smoking when you are pregnant, including:
Are e-cigarettes safe to use while pregnant?
No, e-cigs are NOT safe to use while pregnant. Tobacco companies advertise e-cigs as safe alternatives to traditional cigarettes, since they don't release the same chemicals as burning tobacco smoke. However, e-cig vapor or aerosol still contains many other harmful substances. Also, due to the lack of regulation, the chemical compounds in e-cigarettes can vary between brands.
What are the effects of nicotine on a developing fetus and newborn baby?
Research on the effects of vaping on fetuses and newborns has lagged behind the quick rise in e-cigarette use.
Does nicotine from e-cigarettes get into breastmilk?
Yes. Inhal ed nicotine enters a mother's blood through her lungs, and then easily passes into breastmilk. Research shows that nicotine in a mother's breastmilk can affect infant sleep patterns―raising the risk for blood sugar and thyroid problems that can lead children to become overweight. Nicotine is also thought to decrease milk supply in nursing mothers, possibly by lowering levels of the breastmilk-stimulating hormone prolactin.
How to keep a baby from smoking?
Make your house and car smoke-free to keep your baby away from secondhand smoke. After vaping, change your clothes, and wash your hands before holding your baby. Nurse your baby before, rather than after, vaping. Your body will have more time to clear the nicotine from breast milk. Don't give up trying to quit.
What are the chemicals that are in the air?
cancer-causing chemicals such as nitrosamines, formaldehyde, and propylene glycol (a solvent used in anti-freeze). heavy metals, including nickel, tin and lead.
What is the chemical in e-cigarette vapor?
flavoring like diacetyl, a chemical linked to a serious, irreversible lung disease called obliterative bronchiolitis.
What is the liquid in an e-cigarette?
E-cigarettes usually contain a liquid mixture of flavourings, nicotine, water, propylene glycol and glycerine. Propylene glycol is used in foods to keep them moist and as a carrier for medicine in inhalers. Glycerine is a slightly sweet, moistening food additive.
Why is breastmilk important for babies?
Your breastmilk protects your baby against infections and has the perfect balance of nutrients to help her thrive. It's also a lovely way for the two of you to bond.
How does an e-cigarette work?
As you draw on the e-cigarette, the liquid is drawn into a chamber. This heats the liquid and turns it into a vapour, which you breathe in. A hit of nicotine goes straight into your lungs, and is quickly absorbed into your bloodstream.
Does nicotine affect breastmilk?
Nicotine makes blood vessels become narrower in adult smokers. In theory, nicotine in breastmilk could have the same effect on babies as it does in adults. However, the amount of nicotine that passes to your baby through breastmilk would be a lot less than the nicotine you take into your body when you vape.
Does prolactin make you feel more maternal?
It's also thought that prolactin can make you feel more maternal, so you may miss out on the emotional effects of this milk-stimulating hormone.
Can e-cigarettes pass into breastmilk?
We already know that nicotine and other toxins from tobacco smoke pass into breastmilk. So the same could happen if you use an e-cigarette.
Is it safe to smoke e-cigarettes while breastfeeding?
It's safer to use e-cigarettes than smoke conventional cigarettes while breastfeeding. E-cigarette vapour has many fewer toxins, and at much lower levels, than tobacco.
Roflobster New Member
Hello everyone, my fiance is due with our first child in December, and during this time she had quit smoking cigarettes. I quit along with her and switched to vaping, which I really enjoy now. For the first few months of he pregnancy she was vaping some 0 nic juice, but without the nicotine it wasn't really satisfying her.
swedishfish Vaping Master Verified Member ECF Veteran
Use of nicotine patches in breast-feedin... [Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2003] - PubMed - NCBI
swedishfish Vaping Master Verified Member ECF Veteran
CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that the absolute infant dose of nicotine and its metabolite cotinine decreases by about 70% from when subjects were smoking or using the 21-mg patch to when they were using the 7-mg patch. In addition, use of the nicotine patch had no significant influence on the milk intake by the breast-fed infant.
swedishfish Vaping Master Verified Member ECF Veteran
C.B. I have yet to talk to one doctor that is opposed to vaping. Every single doctor I've spoken to about it (and it's been a lot) have all had positive things to say regarding vaping over smoking. Most even say they recommend it to their patients. And I'm not alone, many people on the board say this.
Roflobster New Member
Thank you everyone for the replies. That article was very informative. I agree that asking her doctor would be a good thing to do, and I will be sure to bring that up at her next appointment.
