Healthy Living

Alcohol and Tobacco Use

Alcohol

It is best not to drink alcohol at all while breastfeeding. Alcohol may affect your baby’s sleep or decrease the amount of milk your baby takes at feeding time. Since breast milk is so good for your baby, you do not need to stop breastfeeding if you have a drink. Alcohol is not trapped in breast milk.

If you choose to drink alcohol, try to feed your baby before you have a drink. You can also wait for 2‑3 hours after a drink before you breastfeed. This allows the alcohol level in the breast milk to drop.

If you are taking street drugs or drinking alcohol in large amounts, do not breastfeed. These substances pass through your breast milk and can affect your baby. Talk with your health care provider, public health nurse, pharmacist or HealthLink BC at 8‑1‑1 about getting help. You can also call the Motherisk Alcohol and Substance Use Helpline at 1‑877‑327‑4636. The Alcohol and Drug Information and Referral Service (1‑800‑663‑1441) also has information about drug and alcohol programs.

For information about alcohol and your health, click here.

Smoking

Quitting smoking will benefit both you and your baby. It is never too late to stop smoking or using other substances. For more information about how smoking affects your health, click here.

Smoking and second‑hand smoke after birth contribute to a higher risk of:
  • Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
  • More infant hospital admissions in the first year of life than infants of non‑smoking parents. Children of smokers have more ear infections. They also have more illnesses, such as asthma and bronchitis.
  • A reduced milk supply in the mother.
  • Your child also becoming a smoker.

Cigarette smoking is not recommended if you are breastfeeding. Nicotine and other harmful ingredients in cigarettes pass through your breast milk. They can affect your baby. Smoking can also reduce the amount of breast milk you produce. However, because breastfeeding is so good for your baby, it is better to breastfeed than not. This is true even if you do not stop smoking.

To help you quit smoking or reduce the amount you smoke:

  • See your health care provider.
  • Join a stop‑smoking program.
  • Contact QuitNow by phone at 1‑877‑455‑2233 for free, confidential, no‑pressure counselling and support from trained specialists. Or visit the QuitNow website for support in the privacy of your home.
  • Call your public health office or Health Link BC at 8‑1‑1 for information on local stop smoking programs.
  • Ask for the support of your partner, friends, family, and co‑workers.
  • Buy yourself something special with the money you save.
  • If you find that you smoke to deal with stress, find other healthy ways to relax.
  • Focus on the health of your baby as a motivator.