Losing weight while you are breastfeeding your child is not an impossible task

How to lose weight while breastfeeding?

Are you concerned with the ways of losing the extra pounds that you developed during and after your pregnancy? Losing weight while you are breastfeeding your baby is no doubt a more challenging task than the usual times when you are struggling to shed the extra pounds. But this is something that is not impossible at all.

Don’t have misconceptions related to breastfeeding and weight loss goals

There are a lot of misconceptions among the people in respect to breastfeeding and loss in weight. There are some people who have the conception that your additional weight will simply drop off once you begin breastfeeding your child. On the other hand, a certain percentage of people have the belief that no matter how hard you try, you will never get your shape.

None of the above proposition is correct. There is no doubt to the fact that breastfeeding can burn calories up to 300 to 350 calories a day. But this doesn’t mean you will lose weight with it since you tend to become hungrier while breastfeeding. Furthermore, since you are hungry and sleep deprived, you will crave for carbohydrates in the form of excess sugar. How to lose weight while breastfeeding?

Henceforth, losing weight while you are breastfeeding is not at all an easy and simple task. If you want to shed off the extra pounds from your body, while you are still breastfeeding your baby, it is necessary that you approach the weight loss session with extreme care and caution by eating the right nutritional food and doing the right kind of exercises.

Make small adjustments to make weight loss a reality while breastfeeding

The combined job of breastfeeding and nursing your baby all day long is a difficult task and extremely time and energy consuming. Losing weight might seem like an impossible endeavor to you. But if you are able to make some adjustments to the daily routine, you can successfully lose the weight safely and also catering your baby’s needs and requirements conveniently.

Give some time for your body to recover and start with the weight loss plans

If you think that you can step into your pre-pregnancy clothes and dresses, you will be disappointed. When you hold the body for nine months in your womb, every part of the  body gets stretched out and expands starting from your hips, thighs, waist line, breasts, etc. You must atleast give 6 to 9 months to bring the shape back and get into your favorite dresses.

Don’t worry about your weight gain in the first few weeks after the delivery

Does the question, “how to lose weight while breastfeeding” bothers you once again? You should ignore and for the first few weeks your entire attention should on your baby and taking good care of your own self by taking adequate rest and also indulging into eating nutritious and healthy food. Stop thinking about dieting at this stage and you need to show patience.

Take the necessary safe steps to lose weight while breastfeeding

According to the experts the first six weeks after the delivery is the transitional period when you should not even think about losing weight. Let some time pass before your baby gets used to the outside world and also you and baby both get the hang of breastfeeding. Once you are done with the first few months, think about how to lose weight while breastfeeding safely.

You need to make sure that you are eating small but frequent meals in almost three hours. But in the endeavor of losing weight, don’t forget to consume atleast 1500 to 1800 calories every day while you are breastfeeding. Don’t starve yourself as it is a dangerous idea especially after your delivery and while breastfeeding.

This can put your health at risk and the milk production also decreases and you might suffer from weakness and fatigue. You must consider consuming healthy snacks like almonds, walnuts, a bowl of fruits or boiled vegetables, salad, etc. Don’t get engaged in eating junk food items or packed foods as it will never help you to slim down rather you will gain more weight.

Start your exercise after the first 6 weeks of your pregnancy or as suggested by your doctor. Don’t exaggerate yourself from the very beginning, but go for lower intensity workout sessions. Yoga can be beneficial as well or you can indulge in jogging, brisk walking. Focus more on the belly section exercises to reduce the bulge effectiveness.

Not all women experience the same rate of weight loss while breastfeeding. You should not expect any overnight magic with weight loss, but consider it as a long term plan. With a healthy lifestyle, you can definitely shed off the extra pounds that you have acquired during your pregnancy and once look your best with a toned figure.

Don’t get discouraged if you don’t find effective results on weight loss while you are breastfeeding. Often it takes time for some women to lose the weight. If required you can consult a dietician who can guide you with the right kind of food that you need to consume in order to shed weight while you are breastfeeding.

 You need to make sure that you are giving priority to rest and adequate sleeping hours. Often due to the lack of sleep and resting time, women tend to overeat and then later blame on their weight loss regimes for not helping them to lose the pounds. Get a personal trainer if your budget supports to help you out in your weight loss journey after pregnancy while you are breastfeeding.

Execute the right approach in your weight loss plan and have patience

You are not the only woman who is wondering how to lose weight while breastfeeding. Are you anxious to return to your pre-pregnancy shape by losing weight effectively? You have to remember that you have not gained weight during pregnancy overnight and therefore losing weight also will not take place within a day or two. You need to have the patience and with the right approach you can go back to your previous figure once again.

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Foods That Should Be Avoided To Keep Your Baby Healthy

Foods to avoid while breastfeeding. Once you have given birth, all parents and doctors suggest that breastfeeding is the best option and is highly beneficial for your baby. However, there are numerous restrictions and guidelines that a mother has to abide by if she is willing to nurse her baby. The nutrients and toxins in food that you consume are transferred to the baby through breast milk and this is the reason why you need to monitor your food intake as some chemicals can be dangerous owing to their negative impact on a baby’s body.

Listed below are the foods to avoid while breastfeeding:

Coffee

When you start drinking tea, coffee or soda, some quantity of caffeine gets transferred to your breast milk. An adult body has the ability to excrete quickly and efficiently, which is why too much does not stay in their system. Babies are unable to excrete it as effectively which results in high levels of caffeine that their body is unable to bear, and your baby becomes cranky, sleepless and irritated. Thus, try avoiding coffee since a cranky baby is much more difficult to handle.

Chocolate

If you love eating chocolate and it is the sweetness that you often crave you should be cautious as chocolate also contain caffeine however the quantity is very low in comparison to coffee and tea. If it so happens that owing to the chocolate you and your baby both have been sleeping less add chocolate to the list of foods to avoid while breastfeeding.

Citrus fruits

The juices and compounds found in citrus fruits might at times irritate your baby’s GI tract which results in spitting up, fussiness, and also diaper rash in some cases. If by reducing the consumption of citrus food you can keep your baby healthy it is better to do so. However, ensure to substitute it with food items rich in vitamin C so that you do not have to miss out on it. Mango and papaya are the other two options that will provide the required quantity of vitamin C.

Broccoli

It is a popular belief that has been carried on through generations which states that cauliflower and broccoli and other similar vegetables might make your babies grassy and irritable. Even though the babies do not become grassy it is true that most babies are irritated when traces of broccoli end up in breast milk.

Alcohol

It is a beverage that is banned even when a woman is pregnant, however after giving birth drinking wine occasionally is not risky as the body is accustomed to it and it does not have any impact on breast milk when present in very low quantity in blood. Even if it is one drink a day there is little to no risk however if a nursing mother consumes moderate quantity or more of alcohol the risks of it affecting the baby increase. Also, a mother when too inebriated is unable to look after her baby since; alcohol affects the cognitive ability of a human being. Thus, mothers should avoid drinking heavily and also moderately as it is one of the foods to avoid while breastfeeding.

Spicy food

Spices that add both zest and heat should also be avoided as babies oftentimes get irritated due to the heat. Since heat of the spices is able to get to the baby through breast milk so nursing moms are advised to add only spices which add only zest so that the child does not have to get bothered owing to the heat.

Garlic

The smell of garlic is something that offends most individuals and it surely is an odour they would like to ignore. Even though garlic bread might taste scrumptious to you when eaten warmly it will not be equally appealing to your baby. There are chances that breast milk can take up taste of garlic and even the odour can enter milk just a mere two hours after eating it. While some babies might just make a face and try to ignore it some outright refuse to feed owing to the strong smell. Thus, garlic should definitely be on the list of foods to avoid while breastfeeding.

Peanuts

Does anyone in your family have any food allergies? If yes you should be careful to while including peanut in your diet as it might affect your baby. Also, if there are any other foods allergens that have affected members of the family previously find out and try to avoid them as well.

Wheat

Your baby might be allergic to wheat and if that is the case you should surely add to it to the list of foods to avoid while breastfeeding. If you observe that your baby cries a lot and cannot be consoled or has bloody stools and is definitely suffering from pain after nursing when you have eaten a sandwich or pasta. You can test it yourself by removing wheat from your diet for at least two to three weeks.

Dairy products

Babies are often intolerant to dairy products since it contains cow’s milk based formula. However, when a mother consumes dairy products the allergy causing agents definitely enter breast milk. If you have observed your child experiencing colic or vomiting after you have consumed dairy products, you should abstain from consuming them till you are nursing and consider it as one of the foods to avoid while breastfeeding.

Corn

Allergies to numerous food products are quite common with kids these days. Since, there are many foods allergens mothers often cannot be sure which food to avoid and which to consider safe. It is due to this reason why mothers should maintain a food diary when they are nursing. By mentioning specific food items mothers ensure that their child is comfortable and does not have to suffer an unknown allergy attack.

Shellfish

There are numerous researches proving that if a family has a strong history of allergy to a particular food item, it is more likely for a baby to also have the same. Suppose, the father’s side of family is allergic to shellfish, but you do not, it is advisable not to take risks when nursing.

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Weeds give you wings but by cutting your-baby’s!

Want to get high? But wait! Are you lactating? If yes, then beware! Think again. This highness can take you higher and also farther away from your baby or can even take your baby away from you! Habits or practices like smoking weed while breastfeeding or doing drugs when lactating will only lead to ruined health and further unfit life for your baby. Weeds may grow you wings so that you can soar higher in that state, but they are at the cost of your baby’s physical, mental and emotional loss.

What is breastfeeding?

Breastfeeding is feeding a baby by the mother from her own breasts. This is generally practiced for the new born babies. Research has shown tremendous benefits in breastfed babies as compared to the formula fed infants. Artificial food called formula has been developed by researches which can mimic the benefits of breasts milk but nothing can beat the natural milk that provides many direct and indirect benefits to the mother as well as the baby.

One must note that though breastfeeding is extremely advantageous, the mother needs to take utmost care of herself and the baby during lactation period. Habitslike drinking, smoking cigarettes or smoking weed while breastfeeding can severely damage the child’s health.

Advantages of breastfeeding

There are several key benefits of breastfeeding a baby. They are for the baby as well as the mother.Some of them are

• Babies develop stronger bones
• Risk of developing chronic conditions reduces. These are conditions like – Crohn’s disease, type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, etc. Breastfeeding also leads to a lower risk of asthma
• Sudden infant death syndrome risk is cut by almost 50%
• This also helps the baby and the mother in weight management. It is said that obesity is less likely in both the mother and the baby if breastfed.
• Breastfeeding burns the mother’s calories.
• It is found that breastfeeding lowers the baby’s risk of certain types of cancers. It also is found to lower the mother’s risk of ovarian and breast cancer. It also reduces the chances of the mother to get osteoporosis later in life.
• It makes the baby healthier.Gastrointestinal infections and incidences of cold, pneumonia, etc. are reduced to a great extent.
• In case of the mother, breastfeeding helps in normalizing the uterus quickly. Also, post-delivery blood loss is reduced by breastfeeding.
• Breastfeeding helps the babies develop better antibodies when vaccinated as compared to the other babies.
• Another important study show very low instances of ear infections in breast fed babies.
• It has the cost benefit as it’s free.

What is weed?

Weed has many different names like Cannabis, marijuana, grass, ganja, hemp, etc. It is obtained from hemp plant. The chemical within weed that actually gives the state desired by the smokers is THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol). Marijuana is generally consumed to achieve a state of relaxation or heightened mood. It also leads to increase in appetite. Cannabis is used in medical, recreational and even spiritual activities.

General bad health effects of weed

Weed generally has more bad results on health than good. In some countries, doctors recommend controlled use of cannabis as a medicine. However it is dangerous to use marijuana continuously as it is addictive and its withdrawal is troublesome. Its addiction can ruin health for sure. Weed has a cascading effect too. For e.g. smoking weed while breastfeeding passes these bad health effects and toxins to the babies.

The instantaneous effects of marijuana are disorientation, rapid heartbeat, etc. These effects are then followed by sleepiness and sometimes even depression. Some are known to suffer panic or anxiety attacks. Weed can affect your sperms, deforming them. Using marijuana before delivery of child can severely affect the child causing premature delivery, underweight baby, high risk of leukaemia for the baby and even mental abnormalities.

Using weed during lactation period

Smoking weed while breastfeeding can negate almost all the advantages obtained by breastfeeding.The main problem in this section is that very less research has been done on this exact problem. For ethical reasons, not much research is conducted as conducting research might cause harm to the baby as well as the mother. It is unethical to risk the life of an infant for research purpose. Due to very less research it was difficult to say with certainty that marijuana smoking affected babies during breastfeeding. But almost the entire research community is unanimous over the fact that continuous smoking weed during lactation period is not at all advisable.

Some noted ill effects

By noting the growth parameters and process of growth and development among the babies and the mothers it has been possible to find out ill effects of practices like drinking or smoking weed while breastfeeding.Some of the notable health side effects are

• Babies are highly susceptible to chemicals than adults, as they are just developing their bodies. In such times, exposure to chemicals and toxins and smoke of marijuana can lead to underdevelopment or severe ill effects on the baby’s health.
• During the breastfeeding period babies are very fragile and weak. In such times getting high can impair your capacity for taking care of the baby.
• Smoking marijuana leads to passage of toxins to the baby through the breast milk. Thus the benefits that accrue due to breast milk get negated at the source itself and the babies get flooded with toxins instead of preventive anti-bodies.
• Some scientists have asserted that continued use of cannabis can lead to long term neurobehavioral effects in the babies.
• In new born babies, to get benefits for both the baby and the mother it is advisable to feed the baby every 4-6 hours. However many of the medical practitioners say that if the mother is smoking, she should pump and discard the breast milk for 24 hours before feeding the baby again. This will reduce the marijuana influence in the breast milk. However the feeding gap of 24 hours for the baby is not good. So it is advisable to stop smoking weed altogether during lactation period.

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How to Stop the Process of Breastfeeding?

how to stop breastfeeding. The best food for a baby during the first six months of his/her life is breast milk, after which parents can start feeding them different foods. You can continue giving him/her breast milk till they are a year old after which he/she will be able to obtain the nutrition required from food. It’s the parents’ choice how they want their child to stop consuming breast milk completely.

Phase out the process

If they want to know how to stop breastfeeding they will surely come across as a phase out process and as their baby is nearing 1 year old they can start process of weaning by gradually increasing consumption of formula milk. In order to make this conversion easy for your baby you can combine formula and breast milk. It is an emotional experience and you will definitely feel sad that you are no longer breastfeeding your baby but you will also be happy that your body is finally free and get the chance to enjoy your body. Even though mothers’ are apprehensive they need not be concerned as their bond with the baby does not break and their baby still remains close to them.

Right time to stop

Parents often wonder when and how to stop breastfeeding as children should not be completely dependent on mother’s milk for long. Experts often recommend that parents should let the baby decide when he/she wants to stop breastfeeding however; you can make the decision as you know what is important for you and your baby. Breastfeeding is not only the process of obtaining food for babies as they find security and comfort in their mothers’ arms. They feel close to their mother and a strong bond is formed, also by allowing them to take their own time results in fewer issues when shifting from breast milk.

How to stop breastfeeding?

As the baby starts eating other food he/she reduces the consumption of breast milk personally without them having to restrict their choice. There are a few ways in which you can help your child during the process of quitting breast milk.

The first part of the step is to let your child finish feeding breast milk first and then offer other food items. This way you encourage your baby to explore and try out new textures and flavors while he/she obtains a major part of nourishment from breast milk. This leads to the second stage in which you need to observe if the food is good for him/her by observing their poop. Now, you need to start making some changes in the routine by offering food before breast milk. If they are taking up the offer start doing this during every meal. The last stage is to offer water in a beaker with a soft spout so that he/she do not need to breastfed.

How long does it take to stop breastfeeding? 

If you are a mother searching for information on how to stop breastfeeding, the process might become a boring for your baby in a few days. However, in some cases it also takes up a month or six for baby to want to stop drinking breast milk. It varies from one baby to another and one of the other most effective factors is how quickly your child learns to adapt. When your baby is not ready for the change it takes longer so if you want to test your child’s willingness, try to give normal food and do not offer breast milk. If your child asks for it, you should surely not deny them, and try to go at their pace.  

The best food for a baby during the first six months of his/her life is breast milk, after which parents can start feeding them different foods. You can continue giving him/her breast milk till they are a year old after which he/she will be able to obtain the nutrition required from food. It’s the parents’ choice how they want their child to stop consuming breast milk completely.

Phase out the process

If they want to know how to stop breastfeeding they will surely come across as a phase out process and as their baby is nearing 1 year old they can start process of weaning by gradually increasing consumption of formula milk. In order to make this conversion easy for your baby you can combine formula and breast milk. It is an emotional experience and you will definitely feel sad that you are no longer breastfeeding your baby but you will also be happy that your body is finally free and get the chance to enjoy your body. Even though mothers’ are apprehensive they need not be concerned as their bond with the baby does not break and their baby still remains close to them.

Right time to stop

Parents often wonder when and how to stop breastfeeding as children should not be completely dependent on mother’s milk for long. Experts often recommend that parents should let the baby decide when he/she wants to stop breastfeeding however; you can make the decision as you know what is important for you and your baby. Breastfeeding is not only the process of obtaining food for babies as they find security and comfort in their mothers’ arms. They feel close to their mother and a strong bond is formed, also by allowing them to take their own time results in fewer issues when shifting from breast milk.

How to stop breastfeeding?

As the baby starts eating other food he/she reduces the consumption of breast milk personally without them having to restrict their choice. There are a few ways in which you can help your child during the process of quitting breast milk.

The first part of the step is to let your child finish feeding breast milk first and then offer other food items. This way you encourage your baby to explore and try out new textures and flavors while he/she obtains a major part of nourishment from breast milk. This leads to the second stage in which you need to observe if the food is good for him/her by observing their poop. Now, you need to start making some changes in the routine by offering food before breast milk. If they are taking up the offer start doing this during every meal. The last stage is to offer water in a beaker with a soft spout so that he/she do not need to breastfed. 

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Smoking while breastfeeding, Breastfeeding mothers must avoid smoking and protect their babies from harmful exposure to nicotine!

Smoking while breastfeeding. We all are aware of the adverse effects that smoking instills in our well being. Several studies and research works have shown the smoking can have harmful impact not only on the people who are smoking, but also affects the passive smokers, that is people who are around the smokers. Second hand smoking is highly pertinent while talking about babies and how smoking while breastfeeding should not be entertained as well as it is harmful.

Turn your home into a non smoking zone as much as possible

Smoking affects babies if they are in the same room or when you are breastfeeding your child. You should not ever introduce your newborn child in an environment where he/she is forced to inhale the poisonous smoke of the cigarettes. Basically, you should make the goal of turning your home non-smoking as much as possible. In case you are unable to do so, you can allocate a separate room for smoking and the baby should never be taken to the room.

You should not breastfeed right after you smoke a cigarette

There are certain adverse effects of smoking while breastfeeding. You will be surprised to know, but studies suggest that the breast milk tastes like cigarettes for almost an hour after smoking. Breastfeeding mothers must take it a note and ensure that you are not causing any harm to the baby. The percentage of nicotine in your breast milk and blood is the maximum just after you smoke.

It is better if you can avoid smoking while breastfeeding. In case you are not able to do away with the bad habit, you must make it a point that you are smoking only after feeding your baby or wait till an hour or so after smoking and then breastfeed the baby. There are scientific studies and evidences that claim that nicotine can be easily transferred to your new born baby via the breast milk when you are smoking while breastfeeding.

Nicotine is harmful and can degrade your baby’s health while you are smoking

When your baby is exposed to the nicotine, he/she is consuming one of the most harmful and dangerous elements of cigarette. You have to realize the importance and the benefits that the breast milk can provide to a new born baby. It is true breastfeeding your baby receives the immune boosting element, colostrums and other nutrients.

Henceforth, it is essential from your end to make sure that your diet is not poor and is healthy because it produces good quality breast milk from which your baby is the one that benefits the most. When you have a poor quality diet and include smoking while breastfeeding, it is doubtful as to how much healthy and nutritious the breast milk is and thereby the health of your baby also suffers drastically.

What are the harmful effects of smoking while breastfeeding?

When your baby is exposed to the second hand smoke via breastfeeding, there are certain harmful effects that must be avoided at any cost. Some of the negative implications of the cigarette smoking are:

• Respiratory allergies
• Asthma
• Bronchial issues
• Lung cancer and other issues related to the lungs
• Nausea
• Abdominal cramps
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Weak immune system
• Eye irritation

These are some of the adverse implications of smoking on babies while you are still breastfeeding. In fact, the adults and grownups also suffer from the same problems while they are exposed to second hand smoke. The number of sudden infant death is increased when you are smoking while breastfeeding.

Don’t be so hardhearted and let your baby grow in a clean environment and have a developed body and mind without any health related issues which is prevalent among the kids with smoking moms.

Why should you leave smoking while you are breastfeeding?

There are several advantages if you quit smoking during the phase of breastfeeding your baby. More than doing any good for your own health, your new born baby is safe and protected against the harmful and dangerous elements of the cigarettes. When your body is clean from all the harmful elements like nicotine, the development of your baby is also optimal.

You must avoid smoking when you are around your baby along with the period of breastfeeding. Both these practices are beneficial for your baby’s high level of health and also doesn’t cause any hurdles in the early stages of the development. As a mother, your sole aim should be to keep your baby safe against all harmful elements.

Moreover, when you compare the supply of the milk in a smoker and a nonsmoker mother, you can easily find the difference. A non smoker will no doubt produce more milk than a smoking mother. Do you know the reason behind it? Well, this is because it is the presence of nicotine in the cigarettes that reduces the prolactin content in your blood and your baby turn to be colicky as well.

What are the suggestions that you must follow?

The health experts always emphasize on the fact that the breastfeeding women must eliminate the habit of smoking from their lifestyles. In case, you are unable to do so in spite of trying hard, there are certain things that you can execute to protect your baby from the harmful effects of smoking.

The very thing that you need to execute is that you should never smoke in the room where your baby is and avoid taking your baby to the places where you smoke the most. Don’t hamper the immune system of your baby with this poor lifestyle of yours.

Moreover, you have to ensure that you are feeding your child with your breast milk after a few hours of smoking. This is because of the fact that it takes almost 2 hours or so to ward away the half percentage of the nicotine content of your body. You should also make it a point that you limit the intake of cigarettes per day and decrease the risk of nicotine exposure to your baby.

From the above analysis, it is quite clear that smoking while breastfeeding must be eliminated from your life routine.

The post Smoking while breastfeeding, Breastfeeding mothers must avoid smoking and protect their babies from harmful exposure to nicotine! appeared first on Breastfeeding Moms.

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Weeds give you wings but by cutting your-baby’s!

smoking weed while breastfeeding

Want to get high? But wait! Are you lactating? If yes, then beware! Think again. This highness can take you higher and also farther away from your baby or can even take your baby away from you! Habits or practices like smoking weed while breastfeeding or doing drugs when lactating will only lead to ruined health and further unfit life for your baby. Weeds may grow you wings so that you can soar higher in that state, but they are at the cost of your baby’s physical, mental and emotional loss.

What is breastfeeding?

Breastfeeding is feeding a baby by the mother from her own breasts. This is generally practiced for the new born babies. Research has shown tremendous benefits in breastfed babies as compared to the formula fed infants. Artificial food called formula has been developed by researches which can mimic the benefits of breasts milk but nothing can beat the natural milk that provides many direct and indirect benefits to the mother as well as the baby.

One must note that though breastfeeding is extremely advantageous, the mother needs to take utmost care of herself and the baby during lactation period. Habitslike drinking, smoking cigarettes or smoking weed while breastfeeding can severely damage the child’s health.

Advantages of breastfeeding

There are several key benefits of breastfeeding a baby. They are for the baby as well as the mother.Some of them are

• Babies develop stronger bones
• Risk of developing chronic conditions reduces. These are conditions like – Crohn’s disease, type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, etc. Breastfeeding also leads to a lower risk of asthma
• Sudden infant death syndrome risk is cut by almost 50%
• This also helps the baby and the mother in weight management. It is said that obesity is less likely in both the mother and the baby if breastfed.
• Breastfeeding burns the mother’s calories.
• It is found that breastfeeding lowers the baby’s risk of certain types of cancers. It also is found to lower the mother’s risk of ovarian and breast cancer. It also reduces the chances of the mother to get osteoporosis later in life.
• It makes the baby healthier.Gastrointestinal infections and incidences of cold, pneumonia, etc. are reduced to a great extent.
• In case of the mother, breastfeeding helps in normalizing the uterus quickly. Also, post-delivery blood loss is reduced by breastfeeding.
• Breastfeeding helps the babies develop better antibodies when vaccinated as compared to the other babies.
• Another important study show very low instances of ear infections in breast fed babies.
• It has the cost benefit as it’s free.

What is weed?

Weed has many different names like Cannabis, marijuana, grass, ganja, hemp, etc. It is obtained from hemp plant. The chemical within weed that actually gives the state desired by the smokers is THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol). Marijuana is generally consumed to achieve a state of relaxation or heightened mood. It also leads to increase in appetite. Cannabis is used in medical, recreational and even spiritual activities.

General bad health effects of weed

Weed generally has more bad results on health than good. In some countries, doctors recommend controlled use of cannabis as a medicine. However it is dangerous to use marijuana continuously as it is addictive and its withdrawal is troublesome. Its addiction can ruin health for sure. Weed has a cascading effect too. For e.g. smoking weed while breastfeeding passes these bad health effects and toxins to the babies.

The instantaneous effects of marijuana are disorientation, rapid heartbeat, etc. These effects are then followed by sleepiness and sometimes even depression. Some are known to suffer panic or anxiety attacks. Weed can affect your sperms, deforming them. Using marijuana before delivery of child can severely affect the child causing premature delivery, underweight baby, high risk of leukaemia for the baby and even mental abnormalities.

Using weed during lactation period

Smoking weed while breastfeeding can negate almost all the advantages obtained by breastfeeding.The main problem in this section is that very less research has been done on this exact problem. For ethical reasons, not much research is conducted as conducting research might cause harm to the baby as well as the mother. It is unethical to risk the life of an infant for research purpose. Due to very less research it was difficult to say with certainty that marijuana smoking affected babies during breastfeeding. But almost the entire research community is unanimous over the fact that continuous smoking weed during lactation period is not at all advisable.

Some noted ill effects

By noting the growth parameters and process of growth and development among the babies and the mothers it has been possible to find out ill effects of practices like drinking or smoking weed while breastfeeding.Some of the notable health side effects are

• Babies are highly susceptible to chemicals than adults, as they are just developing their bodies. In such times, exposure to chemicals and toxins and smoke of marijuana can lead to underdevelopment or severe ill effects on the baby’s health.
• During the breastfeeding period babies are very fragile and weak. In such times getting high can impair your capacity for taking care of the baby.
• Smoking marijuana leads to passage of toxins to the baby through the breast milk. Thus the benefits that accrue due to breast milk get negated at the source itself and the babies get flooded with toxins instead of preventive anti-bodies.
• Some scientists have asserted that continued use of cannabis can lead to long term neurobehavioral effects in the babies.
• In new born babies, to get benefits for both the baby and the mother it is advisable to feed the baby every 4-6 hours. However many of the medical practitioners say that if the mother is smoking, she should pump and discard the breast milk for 24 hours before feeding the baby again. This will reduce the marijuana influence in the breast milk. However the feeding gap of 24 hours for the baby is not good. So it is advisable to stop smoking weed altogether during lactation period.

The post Weeds give you wings but by cutting your-baby’s! appeared first on Breastfeeding Moms.

from WordPress http://www.breastfeedingmoms.net/smoking-weed-while-breastfeeding/