Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Smoke or Vape When Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is an incredible way to nourish and connect with your baby, with important health benefits for both baby and parent. We want to support families who choose to breastfeed and help them continue for as long as they desire. Every family’s feeding journey is different, though, and what matters most is that your baby is safely fed, growing and cared for. 

If you breastfeed or are planning to breastfeed and use cigarettes, e-cigarettes, vapes, smokeless tobacco or other nicotine products, quitting is the healthiest choice for both you and your baby. If quitting right away isn’t possible, you are still encouraged to breastfeed. Breast milk continues to offer important benefits for your baby while you work toward reducing or stopping nicotine use.

How does nicotine affect breastfeeding?

If you use nicotine or tobacco products while breastfeeding, nicotine and other chemicals can pass into your breast milk. Smoking may also make it harder for your body to produce as much milk, although this can vary from person to person. 

Breast milk isn’t the only way babies can be exposed. Secondhand smoke is smoke that your baby can breathe in from the air. Some tobacco smoke and its chemicals can also settle on clothes, furniture, car seats and other surfaces. This residue is known as thirdhand smoke. 

Creating smoke-free spaces, especially in your home and car, is one of the best ways to reduce your baby’s exposure.

What are the risks of secondhand and thirdhand smoke for babies?

Babies are especially sensitive to tobacco smoke because their lungs and bodies are still developing. We know that secondhand smoke exposure can increase a baby’s risk of:

• Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)

• Respiratory infections, including bronchitis and pneumonia

• Ear infections

• Breathing problems, including asthma and impaired lung growth and function

Reducing exposure to both secondhand and thirdhand smoke is a good way to protect your baby. Keeping your home and car smoke-free can make a meaningful difference.

Should you still breastfeed if you use nicotine?

Yes. If you use nicotine and want to breastfeed your baby, you are still encouraged to do so. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, breast milk remains the recommended food for infants, even while a parent is working to cut back or stop nicotine use. 

Quitting smoking is the best way to reduce your baby’s exposure to nicotine and tobacco. If quitting feels out of reach right now, focus on the changes you can make. Cutting back and keeping your baby away from smoke can help reduce exposure. 

What are the best ways to lower a baby's nicotine and smoke exposure?

Small, steady changes can make a real difference over time in reducing your baby’s exposure to nicotine, smoke and other potentially harmful chemicals. Here are some steps you and your family can take: 

• Keep your home and car smoke-free and vape-free.
• Smoke or vape outside and away from your baby, as well as away from doors, windows, and air vents. 
• After smoking, wash your hands and change your outer layer of clothing, if possible, before holding or feeding your baby. 
• If you are breastfeeding, try to smoke or vape immediately after a feeding rather than right before one. This gives more time for nicotine levels in your blood and breast milk to decrease before your baby feeds again. 
• Ask family members, visitors, and other caregivers to follow the same smoke-free and vape-free practices. 

You don’t have to do everything perfectly for these steps to matter. Each change you make can help reduce your baby’s exposure and create a healthier environment. 

How can families find support to quit nicotine?

Quitting nicotine isn’t easy, and the postpartum months can be an especially challenging time to make a change. Between caring for a new baby, getting less sleep and adjusting to a new routine, quitting may feel overwhelming.

However, you don’t have to do it alone. Support is available and can make a difference when you are ready. Your medical provider, lactation consultant, WIC staff or a tobacco cessation specialist can help you explore options that work with your feeding goals, including counseling and medications that may help you quit. 

How can Ochsner's Smoking Cessation program help?

If you are thinking about quitting smoking or vaping, Ochsner’s free Smoking Cessation program is here to help. The program offers one-on-one support from a certified tobacco treatment specialist, either in person or virtually. Together, you can talk through what quitting might look like for you and explore counseling and medication options that fit your needs.

The program is available to Louisiana and Mississippi residents who are 18 or older and ready to quit smoking or vaping. Research shows that people in structured programs have a much greater chance of success, and Ochsner's program reports a success rate three times higher than the national average. Whether you’re ready to quit now or could use some extra support getting there, the program can help you find an approach that feels manageable.

Learn more and take the first step at ochsner.org/quit.