Smoking whilst pregnant.

[Doodle.]

A friend of mine had a baby 7 months ago, whilst pregnant she still smoked. She didn't cut down the amount of cigarettes at all, if anything she smoked more. Now the baby is born she will not smoke in front of him. I find it a bit odd why some people think smoking when pregnant is fine but smoking around a baby is not. Also, may I add that she planned this baby.

I used to smoke myself so I can sympathize with how hard it is to quit. Then again if having a child growing inside you isn't enough of a kick to stop smoking I don't think anything is. I honestly believe if I become pregnant and still smoked I would have enough of an incentive to quit cold turkey.

So, I find smoking when pregnant selfish and irresponsible myself. What do you guys think?

[thebigmole]

I personally think that smoking while pregnant should somehow be illegal, though it would be like impossible to enforce. But of course smoking while pregnant is selfish, sure you have every right to put your own health at risk, but no one else's.

[Nightblood.]

It's wrong in my opinion. Especially since it can cause problems for the baby. And I know personally how much asthma sucks..and I had a mild case.

I remember they did something on the news a couple years ago about how not only second hand smoke is dangerous but THIRD hand smoke is as well. So smoking at all is bad if you're going to be around babies.

[Jocelyn.]

If you get pregnant, whether on purpose or accident, and decide to keep that child it is your responsibility to keep that baby as healthy as possible. I know its hard to quit, but how could anyone take that risk with all the proven negative effects it will have on the baby's health. I personally couldn't live with myself doing that kind of potential damage to my son. Granted, some women smoke while pregnant and their child has no side effects from it. But, really, they just got lucky.

I smoked until the day I found out I was pregnant. When I found out, I quit and didn't pick one back up until a few months after giving birth (the morning sickness did really help me give it up though). Even then, I never smoked near him, and everyone who smoked that touched him had to wash their hands and cover up while smoking.

[Palmolive]

I think it's sick and pretty shameful. If they're deciding to keep the baby, they have to take responsibility and do what's best for the baby. It's great your friends baby was born healthy, but I can't help but think it's not worth the risk.

I smoke, I quite a few months back but started again about a month ago. I really believe I'd quit, if I became pregnant whether it was planned or not.

[Gingerbread Latte]

Well, I think it's wrong since it's not fair on the baby growing inside of you.

I found out a couple of years back my mum smoked when she was pregnant with me so I wasn't very pleased with her then.

[The ANTI-Troll]

there body they can do what they want...

for the record my mom smoked while pregnant with me...

[Kitty.]

Originally Posted by The ANTI-Troll

there body they can do what they want...

for the record my mom smoked while pregnant with me...

Yeah the mother can harm her own body while she is not pregnant, but it's awfully irresponsible to harm a baby.

http://www.marchofdimes.com/pregnanc...l_smoking.html

http://www.webmd.com/baby/smoking-during-pregnancy

http://ezinearticles.com/?Effects-of...sks&id=2763073

Those three links talk about the effects over smoking while pregnant.

Do you have any of the problems mentioned in the articles? If not, then congratulations. You are lucky. There are a lot of others who are not so lucky.

[The ANTI-Troll]

Originally Posted by Strawberries

Yeah the mother can harm her own body while she is not pregnant, but it's awfully irresponsible to harm a baby.

http://www.marchofdimes.com/pregnanc...l_smoking.html

http://www.webmd.com/baby/smoking-during-pregnancy

http://ezinearticles.com/?Effects-of...sks&id=2763073

Those three links talk about the effects over smoking while pregnant.

Do you have any of the problems mentioned in the articles? If not, then congratulations. You are lucky. There are a lot of others who are not so lucky.

non that i know of i was a low birthweight but that had to with being 4-6weeks pre mature...

[Maloo]

Originally Posted by The ANTI-Troll

there body they can do what they want...

for the record my mom smoked while pregnant with me...

It's not just their body. The baby is being affected as well. And I think it's absolutely horrible to smoke while you're pregnant. It's unbelievably selfish.

[Kitty.]

Originally Posted by The ANTI-Troll

non that i know of i was a low birthweight but that had to with being 4-6weeks pre mature...

Smoking while pregnant increases the risk of pre mature birth.

[Kate*]

In my psych of learning class we actually got into this discussion (not sure why), but the professor said that you SHOULD NOT smoke while pregnant unless you smoke A LOT and then it can actually be more harmful to the baby if you try to quit because of the withdrawl. The guy has a PhD so this is reliable.

[Palmolive]

Originally Posted by Strawberries

Smoking while pregnant increases the risk of pre mature birth.

this is true.

And even so, smoking will not affect every baby who's mother smoke, but there's a risk and I don't think the mother should take that risk.

[Maloo]

Originally Posted by Kate*

unless you smoke A LOT and then it can actually be more harmful to the baby if you try to quit because of the withdrawl. The guy has a PhD so this is reliable.

But obviously they should at least try. People need to learn how to deal with stress other than using a crutch. So just because quitting is stressful and could potentially harm the baby, they should at least try to cut back and eventually quit.

[The ANTI-Troll]

Originally Posted by Strawberries

Smoking while pregnant increases the risk of pre mature birth.

pre mature birth had to do with an accident.......

[Maloo]

Originally Posted by The ANTI-Troll

pre mature birth had to do with an accident.......

You're missing the point entirely. Seriously.

Smoking can hurt the baby, so NO it's not 'their body they can do what they want.'

[Doodle.]

Originally Posted by The ANTI-Troll

there body they can do what they want...

for the record my mom smoked while pregnant with me...

Normally I would agree but it's no longer their body. You're damaging an unborn child which is the size of a piece of fruit :| Smoking harms adults, imagine what it does to a fetus.

Also, a neighbour of mine didn't know she was pregnant until she was 5-6 months gone. She smoked and the baby was premature and underweight due to that :|

[Palmolive]

Originally Posted by Myss

But obviously they should at least try. People need to learn how to deal with stress other than using a crutch. So just because quitting is stressful and could potentially harm the baby, they should at least try to cut back and eventually quit.

And it's actually been proven that smoking increases your stress levels.

[Palmolive]

A shortage of oxygen can have devastating effects on your baby's growth and development. On average, smoking during pregnancy doubles the chances that a baby will be born too early or weigh less than (weight) at birth. Smoking also more than doubles the risk of stillbirth.

Every cigarette you smoke increases the risks to your pregnancy. A few cigarettes a day are safer than a whole pack, but the difference isn't as great as you might think. A smoker's body is especially sensitive to the first doses of nicotine each day, and even just one or two cigarettes will significantly tighten blood vessels. That's why even a "light" habit can have an outsize effect on your baby's health.

How smoking affects your baby's:

Weight and size
On average, a pack-a-day habit during pregnancy will shave about (weight) from a baby's birth weight. Smoking two packs a day throughout your pregnancy could make your baby a (weight) or more lighter. While some women may welcome the prospect of delivering a smaller baby, stunting a baby's growth in the womb can have negative consequences that last a lifetime.

Body and lungs
Undersize babies tend to have underdeveloped bodies. Their lungs may not be ready to work on their own, which means they may spend their first days or weeks attached to a respirator. After they're breathing on their own (or even if they did from the start), these babies may have continuing breathing problems — because of delayed lung development or other adverse effects of nicotine. Children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy are especially vulnerable to asthma, and have double or even triple the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Brain function
Smoking during pregnancy can have lifelong effects on your baby's brain. Children of pregnant smokers are especially likely to have learning disorders, behavioral problems, and relatively low IQs.

I found this here ... http://www.babycenter.com/0_how-smok...5720.bc?page=1

I mean, would you really take those risks for your own child?

(I removed weight numbers.)

[her_beautiful_mistake]

Originally Posted by Kate*

In my psych of learning class we actually got into this discussion (not sure why), but the professor said that you SHOULD NOT smoke while pregnant unless you smoke A LOT and then it can actually be more harmful to the baby if you try to quit because of the withdrawl. The guy has a PhD so this is reliable.

This woman PLANNED the baby, she could have quit before getting pregnant.


Stupid, selfish and irresponsible are the words that spring to mind.

[Jesus Christ.]

People who intend to smoke whilst pregnant shouldn't be allowed to smoke -_-

[The ANTI-Troll]

Originally Posted by Myss

You're missing the point entirely. Seriously.

Smoking can hurt the baby, so NO it's not 'their body they can do what they want.'

i dont give a flying donkey XXXXX about some unborn kid so no im not missing the point its there body they can do whatever they want IMO

[Kate*]

Originally Posted by Kate*

In my psych of learning class we actually got into this discussion (not sure why), but the professor said that you SHOULD NOT smoke while pregnant unless you smoke A LOT and then it can actually be more harmful to the baby if you try to quit because of the withdrawl. The guy has a PhD so this is reliable.

Originally Posted by her_beautiful_mistake

This woman PLANNED the baby, she could have quit before getting pregnant.


Stupid, selfish and irresponsible are the words that spring to mind.

I completely agree with you, I wasn't defending her I was just saying...

[taylalatbh.]

I'm not going to stick myself in the middle of a debate, but smoking whilst pregnant, or around the child or any child is so, so wrong.

[Casey.]

Smoking whilst pregnant is not just bad for the mum, but bad for the baby. If they decided to keep the child, they really should try to give up smoking, else they can severely damage the child.

[Tara.]

Originally Posted by The ANTI-Troll

there body they can do what they want...

for the record my mom smoked while pregnant with me...

Just because you didn't have any affects from it doesn't mean others would be as lucky.

Originally Posted by The ANTI-Troll

i dont give a flying donkey XXXXX about some unborn kid so no im not missing the point its there body they can do whatever they want IMO

You are obviously missing the point.

[off to a new life]

I definitely think smoking while pregnant is bad and smokers should seriously try to quit when they find out they are pregnant. However, smoking is an addiction and it can be really hard to quit, so I wouldn't judge women who do smoke while pregnant.


Question, Does anyone have any hard statistics of the risks to a baby of a smoking mother? I can find lots of sites that say what the risks are, but it's hard to tell how common they actually are. I know lots of people who were born to smoking mothers and they turned out just fine.

[Pelios]

Various scientific studies have proven that smoking by while pregnant, or their regular exposure to secondhand smoke, dramatically increases the risk of a range of health problems both to themselves and their baby. Such a selfish thing to do and it's a shame that some people lack common sense and are really that self-centered that they actually think there is nothing wrong with it.

[thebigmole]

Originally Posted by The ANTI-Troll

i dont give a flying donkey XXXXX about some unborn kid so no im not missing the point its there body they can do whatever they want IMO

I'm all for people being able to do what they want to their bodies. I mean I personally believe that all drugs should be legal, if people want to take the health risks that's their business. However any behavior that would cause harm to another person obviously goes beyond a person's right to their body. My right to swing my fist ends at your nose. If a woman has decided to keep a child to term she has decided to share her body with another human. Therefore she loses the right to do whatever she wants with her body, until the baby is out of her. You choose to carry a child you give up the exclusive rights to your body.

[The ANTI-Troll]

Originally Posted by Spider*man(girl)

Just because you didn't have any affects from it doesn't mean others would be as lucky.


You are obviously missing the point.

nope the mother owned the body before she was pregnant and still owns the body when she is regardlless if she choose to smoke its her choice...

smoking aint the only terribal thing they can do while pregnant,,,, drinking coffee,soda,eating red meat,etc,etc,etc

[Kitty.]

Originally Posted by The ANTI-Troll

nope the mother owned the body before she was pregnant and still owns the body when she is regardlless if she choose to smoke its her choice...

What about the baby?

[The ANTI-Troll]

Originally Posted by Strawberries

What about the baby?

what about it ?

everything is bad for babys today smoking,caffiene,sugar,salt,red meat, high fat meals, everything is bad for them soo get off the few people smoke and start getting on the millions who drink caffiene and everything else thats bad for baby..

[noise94]

Smoking while pregnant is wrong, wrong, wrong.

As are other dangerous things such as alcohol, but this thread is about smoking so I'm not sure what your point is, Dustin.

[The ANTI-Troll]

Originally Posted by Lil'TeppyLala

Smoking while pregnant is wrong, wrong, wrong.

As are other dangerous things such as alcohol, but this thread is about smoking so I'm not sure what your point is, Dustin.

cause im sick of people sticking there nose in others people bussines if there gonna only target one group. theres been dozens of threads on this subject and brought up hundreds of times....

if your gonna try to tell someone what to do with THERE body tell everyone not just the people who smoke you anti smoking NAZIS

btw the name is The Anti Troll [Edit]

[her_beautiful_mistake]

Smoking is one of the very worst things you can do whilst pregnant.

Caffeine and alcohol, neither are ideal but in very small portions won't cause harm.

[Doodle.]

Originally Posted by The ANTI-Troll

what about it ?

everything is bad for babys today smoking,caffiene,sugar,salt,red meat, high fat meals, everything is bad for them soo get off the few people smoke and start getting on the millions who drink caffiene and everything else thats bad for baby..

Well, if I got pregnant tomorrow I wouldn't drink coffee anymore or eat the other things you stated either. I would do things by the book. I wouldn't won't my future child to be unhealthy because of me. I have a disability as it is which is genetic. I will try my damn hardest to make sure s/he is healthy every other way possible.

[Kitty.]

Originally Posted by The ANTI-Troll

what about it ?

everything is bad for babys today smoking,caffiene,sugar,salt,red meat, high fat meals, everything is bad for them soo get off the few people smoke and start getting on the millions who drink caffiene and everything else thats bad for baby..

Unhealthy food is not the best for the baby, but it doesn't cause birth defects. The difference between unhealthy food and smoking is that smoking is causing serious problems with the baby. Some people have to live with asthma their whole lives because their mom made the irresponsible and selfish decision to smoke while pregnant.

[Maloo]

Originally Posted by Strawberries

Unhealthy food is not the best for the baby, but it doesn't cause birth defects. The difference between unhealthy food and smoking is that smoking is causing serious problems with the baby. Some people have to live with asthma their whole lives because their mom made the irresponsible and selfish decision to smoke while pregnant.

Exactly.

@ Anti-Troll: You don't seem to be getting the point that it's not just their body that they are affecting. I SMOKE and I still think it's awful to smoke while you're pregnant.

The mother is risking ruining the life of the child, and you seem to think that's okay. Truthfully, I hope you don't have children, because god knows what you'll do around them.

[The ANTI-Troll]

Originally Posted by Strawberries

Unhealthy food is not the best for the baby, but it doesn't cause birth defects. The difference between unhealthy food and smoking is that smoking is causing serious problems with the baby. Some people have to live with asthma their whole lives because their mom made the irresponsible and selfish decision to smoke while pregnant.

i dont see how its selfish still its like walking in someones house and telling them to not watch tv or drink this or that while there present.

as for caffeine...
http://www.babycenter.com/caffeine-during-pregnancy

[The ANTI-Troll]

Originally Posted by Myss

Exactly.

@ Anti-Troll: You don't seem to be getting the point that it's not just their body that they are affecting. I SMOKE and I still think it's awful to smoke while you're pregnant.

The mother is risking ruining the life of the child, and you seem to think that's okay. Truthfully, I hope you don't have children, because god knows what you'll do around them.

i didnt say its okay but i believe they have a right to do what they want...


you opened this can of worms...VVVVVVVVVV

as for me having kids you have seen my views on parenting around here enough to know that i wont kiss there ass and ill make sure they dont grow up spoiled.