Smokers holding baby

chicagocubsfan23 · May 2012

This might be a dumb question but I would like to hear other's take on this... DH and I don't smoke and I obviously do not want LO around others while they are smoking. My mom and all 3 of DH's siblings smoke, and when they come in from smoking I can smell it on them. I have coworkers that sit by me who I can also smell it on after they come in from smoking, and I can tell after I sit there smelling it for awhile I start to get a bit congested. Maybe it's all in my head....?

Anyways here is my question. Since the cigarette is no longer around, is it still bad for LO to be held and smell that smoke smell that lingers on people's clothes after they smoke? I just want to know because if it is, I am going to request people to not hold him if they have just finished smoking. This isn't wrong of me to do is it?

MrsTheSecondSeven · May 2012

I know I hate the lingering smell and I will not be letting the people I know who smoke hold my boy if I can still smell it on them.

katmacwv · May 2012

The smoke that is on their clothes, hands, etc., is considered third hand smoke and is very dangerous to babies:

https://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/downloads/pdf/smoke/protect-your-baby.pdf

It can increase the chance of SIDS and that is reason enough for me to put my foot down. My mother wasn't smoking when DD was born but picked it back up since then. She is under strict instructions to shower, wash her hair and change her clothes before she can hold this LO at any point. I also told her that if I can smell smoke on her in any way, she won't hold her- period.

chicagocubsfan23 · May 2012

katmacwv:

The smoke that is on their clothes, hands, etc., is considered third hand smoke and is very dangerous to babies:

https://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/downloads/pdf/smoke/protect-your-baby.pdf

It can increase the chance of SIDS and that is reason enough for me to put my foot down. My mother wasn't smoking when DD was born but picked it back up since then. She is under strict instructions to shower, wash her hair and change her clothes before she can hold this LO at any point. I also told her that if I can smell smoke on her in any way, she won't hold her- period.

Thank you for this information it makes me feel better knowing I'm not just being crazy or paranoid about this!

Frequent Flier · May 2012

that's a tricky one. You don't want to offend your family, but I think there's evidence to show that "third hand smoke" can be harmful to babies.

chicagocubsfan23 · May 2012

Frequent Flier:
that's a tricky one. You don't want to offend your family, but I think there's evidence to show that "third hand smoke" can be harmful to babies.

No I definitely don't want to offend my family, but I also have to protect my son after he is born. I am hoping that my family will respect me enough to understand I am not trying to be mean, just trying to protect my son.

giggles0918 · May 2012

My MIL and FIL smoke and I will be making them put a blanket over their clothes when holding LO. My MIL likes to pretend she doesn't smoke and covers it up very well (I dont' get it) so I'll have a hard time knowing if she smoked or not so I'm going to make her put a blanket on regardless unless she quits (which I know won't happen).

You're not crazy for thinking that!

JessieCupcake · May 2012

It is not wrong of you at all. I would not let someone who just finished smoking hold my baby. The smell sticks to them and will probably end up making the baby smell like smoke too.

I wouldn't care about offending them. It is your baby and your decision.

ebettley · May 2012

I have heard that it causes ear infections in infants.

I am in the same boat as you. Both of our parents smoke and I know it'll make all 4 of them angry when we bring it up to them, but oh well..

Zilelabelle · May 2012

JessieCupcake:
It is not wrong of you at all. I would not let someone who just finished smoking hold my baby. The smell sticks to them and will probably end up making the baby smell like smoke too.
I wouldn't care about offending them. It is your baby and your decision.

This! Over my dead body is a smoker holding my baby if they stink. Maybe they should worry about offending non smokers with their stinkiness. Sorry, as a ex-smoker (age 14 to 28), I have strong feelings about it.

venussapphire · May 2012

All of DH's family smokes and they think i'm overreacting when I don't want to sit next to them while they smoke even though I'm pregnant. So I know once the baby comes I'm going to get even more eye rolls.

If you smoke and want to hold my baby you are going to have to wash your hands and put a blanket over your clothes at least. I don't want my baby inhaling that.

If anyone makes a fuss about it, I have an easy solution...no holding the baby!

venussapphire · May 2012

Frequent Flier:
that's a tricky one. You don't want to offend your family, but I think there's evidence to show that "third hand smoke" can be harmful to babies.

I much rather offend family than expose my baby to something harmful. No contest for me.

jiggycole · May 2012

This is one thing I will not allow. I don't want my baby being held by someone who smoked. I have a neighbor who I see smoking around her child and I really just want to smack her sometimes.

caeraRose · May 2012

The smoke can definitely be bad for the baby and I have this from a doctor - when I was a baby I had bad ear infections and asthma. My dad smoked (and has quit since then), and the doctor told both my parents that my dad absolutely had to smoke away from the house, and he couldn't hold me unless he had showered and changed his clothes.

cchill01 · May 2012

ebettley:

I have heard that it causes ear infections in infants.

I am in the same boat as you. Both of our parents smoke and I know it'll make all 4 of them angry when we bring it up to them, but oh well..

You may want to consider raising the topic now - instead of in the hospital. I think it will be easier to get those discussions out of the way ahead of time, so you don't have to go all "Mama Bear" on their a$$ when LO is here.

snicksnack · May 2012

I had this issue with my BIL and SIL and DH felt we had to let them hold DD. He did not want to cause a family issue. To this day I am mad about it. DD is fine and we rarely see them. If they were here all the time I would put up more of a fight

angelrue522 · May 2012

My DH smokes and wont quit. I make him wear a "smoking jacket" when he goes to smoke and then take it off, and wash his hands. It still bothers me that it is in his hair and skin.

unaveragejane · May 2012

There is actually an article about this very same thing in Fit Pregnancy this month. It says that "third-hand smoke" really has been proven to be bad for babies. I am in a pickle about how to broach this subject with my MIL, but as she is a nurse, hopefully she will at least have the sense to wash her hands and drape with a blanket. She knows I have asthma and bad allergies, so she is already very conscientious about not smoking near me nor in my house.

s246517 · May 2012

My MIL smoked and we made her wash hands and put a blanket on clothes before holding out DS but even still he would sneeze like crazy when she held him and he would sometimes smell like smoke after she left. It was disgusting and since then she has quit because we wouldn't let him spend the night at her house or go over there very often.

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