M.,
Most importantly, good for you for realizing how important your choices are on your baby. Smoking around an infant and infants of smoking parents have a higher risk of SIDS. SIDS alone is a scary thought...why do anything that would increase the risk? I know of two mothers that have lost their infants to SIDS and it was the most devasting thing I have heard someone go through. Even if your infant is HELD by someone (an aunt, uncle, friend) that smokes, they will breathe in dangerous second hand smoke from their clothes.
Another poster posted a link to a good website that will give you some information on smoking parents and breastfeeding. Check it out and I'd be willing to bet after reading it while holding your precious little one, the urge to smoke will be less and less. Hell print out some of the stats and dangers and tape it to your bathroom mirror, put it in your purse, post it by your desk along with an adorable picture of your baby.
Good LUCK and make sure you have support from your husband, family and friends to help you get over the idea of smoking.
I truly wish you the best.
T.
Some scary links to check out...
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/10/T105800.asp
http://www.epa.gov/smokefree/
http://pediatrics.about.com/cs/pediatricadvice/a/second_h...
Some quotes from the sites:
Being exposed to someone that smokes, even if they just smoke outside the home, is thought to increase a child's chance of having ear infections, allergies, asthma, wheezing, pneumonia and frequent upper respiratory tract infections.
And infants who are exposed to a caregiver that smokes, or a mother that smoked while she was pregnant, are up to 4 times more likely to die of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
Exposure to secondhand smoke has been strongly linked with a higher incidence of asthma, respiratory infections (including pneumonia), and ear infections in children. Children exposed to passive smoke are hospitalized more frequently, and have a higher chance of dying from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).