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Smoking during pregnancy

Esme - posted on 07/20/2010 ( 56 moms have responded )

HI everyone , In have a question ... when my sister in law was pregnant I asked her if she was going to stop smoking , she stated that her smoking doesn't harm the baby "only second hand smoke" harms the baby.

Ummm... so ... I would like some input on this if anyone would care to help me understand , is smoking while pregnant considered second hand or relative to second hand smoking?

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Alisha - posted on 08/07/2011

I would think its second hand because u inhale it first then the baby get to inhale it second at least thats how i think it works.

Tina - posted on 02/27/2011

1,305

I was the eldest of 10 children all have atleast a mild form of asthma. I was a prem. so was my sister she had to be induced early because the of a problem with the placenta and that was caused by smoking. I have suffered with chronic asthma and chest infections all my life and spent alot of time as a child in hospital with other children with asthma and other serious health problems. I've seen the harm that smoke can do. When I moved out of home my asthma slowly improved but there is always on going problems. I understand that giving up smoking is never easy but if you're planning on having a child the very least you can do is try. The least we can do as parents is give our kids a fighting chance at good health. That applies to all parents not just smokers.

Brenda - posted on 02/27/2011

Smoking is not good for the unborn child. It deprives them from oxygen and baby will most likely be underweight. Whatever the mother is doing to her body is also affecting the baby. If the baby is not smoking then it is considered second-hand smoke.

Tina - posted on 02/27/2011

1,305

Just think where does an unborn babies source of food, energy and oxygen come from. A baby may not show obvious signs of being affected by smoking during pregnancy such as breathing problems or being small. But there is more to look for than the obvivious. It isn't just the smoke you have to worry about it's the chemicals that are in the cigarettes. You would go sniffing chemicals like nail polish remover and so on and you certainly wouldn't ingest it smoking has become such a part of everyday life for people and it has just become the norm. when it's no better than doing other drugs and so on.

Belinda - posted on 07/29/2010

419

Its all bad!! It can cause premature births and low birth weights and asthma in the lil ones. Tell her not to be ridiculous I had smoked for 10 years before i got pregnant and as soon as i found out that was it cold turkey. I have to admit i have recently started again but NEVER around my baby

Laurel - posted on 07/26/2010

Hey Michelle and any other moms out there who choose to smoke: About 3 years ago I watched my mother die. I was holding her hand as it happened. It was not quick. She was in hospice care because by the time her extensive lung cancer was detected, she was stage 4 - terminal. All they could do was make her comfortable and wait for the end. She was 58.
The only time she spent with my son, her grandchild, was the 10 minutes I had the strength to facilitate a few days prior to her death. She will never know my beautiful new daughter who shares her name. There are too many emotions surrounding this event to describe here, but I would like to share with you what will forever be imprinted in my memory. As I watched her disintegrate (she looked like she was in her 80s) I could not erase from my mind the intense fear in her eyes that became her final expression. I would have given anything to take that away from her, because she was so young and had SO much more life to live. But the tumors had overrun her lungs to the point of giving her incredible pain with every inhale, as well as with simple motor skills like lifting her arm. She couldn't cry or laugh - it simply was overwhelmingly painful for her. She could barely talk. On the day she died, I would sit next to her and read to her from the Bible (she asked me to do this often.) I felt overwhelmed with my own desperate sadness at the thought that I would never be able to share my life with her again. She would never get to hold my son or daughter and know how smart and beautiful they are. She would never get to smell their sweet skin or see their smiling faces. It is a loss that cannot be expressed in words. But I realized that SHE had chosen this for herself. She had chosen to leave her three daughters, all with lung and health problems as a result of her smoking addiction, without a will. My relatives could not contain their anger at her obvious selfishness. I could not contain my sadness - I cried like I had never cried before. The tears just kept coming, like a deluge. I couldn't make them stop. I think it took four days for me to be able to speak. I was beyond devastated.
I know it feels as though people are jumping all over you. And, I'm sorry if I've contributed to that feeling. I understand your defensiveness and wouldn't blame you for feeling that way. But, there are more and better ways of overcoming a smoking addiction than ever before. The only obstacle to your success is you. It won't happen unless you want it to happen. I hope you will take some time and think about how your smoking habit is shaping your future - because it IS. It may feel like it's no big deal now.....but you wouldn't believe how quickly weeks can turn into years. And then you realize how much life you didn't live, the things you should have said and done, but didn't. All because you enslaved yourself to a toxic chemical that will never care about you or your children. A mother's love is stronger than any love in the world. If you can't quit to save your future, I hope you'll consider quitting to prevent the unbelievable pain that your children will go through if they have to experience your early death. Please think about my mother the next time you feel you need to light up. What part of your children's lives are you giving up? It's hard to say, but you have the strength and the power to change your potential reality. I wish for you only the best. God Bless!
In Memory of Patricia Louise Rinker (1948 - 2007)

Stifler's - posted on 07/26/2010

15,141

154

I agree with Abbie, being fat and drinking are just as bad. None of it is good behaviour while pregnant.

Abbie - posted on 07/26/2010

1,140

Ok don't bother to email me and tell me how wrong this is, but smoking while being pregnant is no different then being obese, or a drinker, or a drug addict. They all have a cause and effect. BUT- you don't see anyone posting well my friend is 425 # and doesn't plan to stop eating the way she did before............ Yes its bad, but its still her choice. And while she is carrying it its 1st, 2nd & 3rd hand smoke that all has an effect on that child.

Karin - posted on 07/26/2010

Tell her NO NO NO Low birth weight, respiratory problems, plus they too become addicted. If she doesn't care to stop while she's pg, she won't stop afterwards either. BAD Dog

Michelle - posted on 07/25/2010

304

I know exactly what damage smoking is doing to my body... I choose to smoke. It is my choice to make. Condemn me if you wish, but I still live in a free country and I will smoke until I feel like quitting.

Sara - posted on 07/25/2010

9,313

Honestly, smoking is just like any other addiction...you tell yourself things in order to convince yourself that what your doing is right and not hurting yourself or others. I don't know how a smoker could NOT realize they are hurting themselves...you can feel it when you wake up every morning. People make their own choices, and it's everyone's right to have an opinion. I guess for me the real question is: if it's so hard on you to quit when pregnant, then how does that baby feel hours old going through nicotine withdrawl? If you look at it that way, it does seem pretty selfish.