Smoking --- during pregnancy I compare it too.....

Heather - posted on 07/07/2012

Why is it ALWAYS about smoking??? How about this one just for another example of the many pregnancy DON'TS.

You Should Avoid Drinking Tap Water if Possible:
Recent studies have shown that drinking tap water during the early months of pregnancy can increase your risk of miscarriage. If this concerns you or you have a history of miscarriage, you may want to discuss drinking bottled water with your doctor.
But wait, doesn't the bottle the water is in contain BPA???? Isn't that something else we're all supposed to avoid?
And yet if we don't drink enough water then that's detrimental to baby too. OMG!!! what to do, what to do?

On the subject of smoking though, my grandmother smoked throught all of her pregnancies. My mother smoked throughout both of hers. Neither had problems and all the kids were healthy. On the other hand, I had never touched a cigarette before my first pregnancy and miscarried at 16 weeks. I'd started smoking after that but quit with all subsequent pregnancies (till this last one) and miscarried ALL of them but one. Guess which one made it!!! Yep, this one. I smoke an average of a half pack a day. My daughter is doing great. So after 5 pregnancies and only one baby making it and that one being the ONLY one I continued to smoke throughout the pregnancy. Any explanations, anyone???

Rhiannon - posted on 12/31/2009

Quoting Veronica:

My question is - why is it anyone else's place to judge anyone on what they do or dont do in life? What place do we have for that? 

im really getting annoyed by these types of questions - face the fact that YOU are as good as YOU are going to be right now, and stop worrying about, or classifying where you stand in society or where to rate yourself from good to bad. Worry about your lives, and your family - it's yourself you need to take care of - not me or anyone else.

Sorry to be so blunt - but that is how i feel these kinds of questions really come down to - judging, and classifying ones self - better or worse.

I think that is very well said Veronica. I did smoke during pregnancy. Not as much as I did when I wasn't pregnant, but that is purely splitting hairs.

When people ask me questions like "WHY you could do that while pregnant" it really does sound, as you said, like someone is trying to put across what a wonderful person they think they are because they didn't. And I say that with no disrespect to the person asking the question.

I smoked because I smoked. There was no deep thought process about it. I felt guiolty at times, but aside from that, never really thought much about it at all. And regardless of what you think of me for that, I love my children more than I ever thought I could and I am a bloody great mother!

Gretchen - posted on 12/30/2009

this conversation is so damn irratating, I am getting very upset with all the women who smoke while pregnant, and for Alexis about having a healthy baby while smoking and her friend who didn't, yes that was a luck of the draw but WHY WOULD YOU RISK IT!!!??? I do NOT understand this. . my mom smoked with all three of us kids and yeah we were all very healthy babies, and whats really ironic is everyone on this side of the family has asthma except my mom and us three kids, but still I don't know why she risked it and to this day I am very upset with her for that. . . my brother has really poor eyesight, and that might have nothing to do with it, but maybe the twin he had who stopped developing had somthing to do with it, who knows, but still I would rather have a clean pregnancy and have something wrong with my baby than to have a dirty pregnancy and have a healthy baby because then I couldn't blame anything on myself, it was all in the hands of whoever you want to believe in. . .

and the whole stress in everyday life. . yes life is very stressful but go take a damn bubble bath or read a book or watch something funny. .don't put you baby in danger just because you need that 10 minutes of "stress reliever", that is the STUPIDEST thing I have ever heard!!. . ..and if you weren't wasting money on smokes you wouldn't have the finacial stress DUH!!

for the ones who actually want to quit(whether pregnant or not). . .when you want to go buy smokes put the money you would use on it and put it in a jar and at the end of the month go shopping FOR YOURSLEF. . .I have heard that helps a lot of people quit. .

or make a bank account for your little one and they can use it for when they are older, like for a car or going to school or something. .. .

I HATE ciggarettes and alcohol. . .those are my biggest pet peeves. . its a waste of money, time, and decaying your body, just for you to "have fun" or "relieve stress". ..whenever I'm stressed or worried about something I watch f.r.i.e.n.d.s on dvd. . it always, always puts me in a great mood and I didn't waste money or intoxicate my body nor my kids'

and for people who do smoke, you stink and make your self look old!

yes I want to waste almost 10 bucks on a pack on ciggarettes to make myself stink and create more wrinkles on my face, rather than take my kids out for ice cream or buy an art project for them to make something for someone.. . .

Tamika - posted on 12/26/2009

Quoting Lydia:

Because the stress quitting puts on some smokers bodies is actually a greater risk to their baby than smoking is! Why people assume that the only thing that can adversly affect a foetus are sourced externally to the body is also a mystery to me. ..

Thats very true!!!!!

Christine - posted on 12/26/2009

Very interesting conversation! When I graduated from high school a friend of mine was pregnant and my mom caught her smoking. I will never forget my mom saying that every time you inhale, your baby stops breathing. When I got pregnant I had been smoking for about 12 years and it was VERY hard for me to quit. It may not be hard for some people but the important thing to remember is that all of us are different and have our own strengths and weaknesses. I did not quit smoking immediately but cut down a lot. The advice I got, that made a lot of sense to me, was that the baby was already being exposed to the nicotine and chemicals, so just as I would go through withdrawls by quitting immediately, so would the baby. At first I felt that this was just a cop out excuse to keep from quitting cold turkey, but it was much easier for me to wean than when I tried to just quit. I cut down from a pack a day to four at the most, and then took away another one every week until I was off. There was a time or two I gave in and had a random smoke, but once I felt my daughter move it was all over for me and there was no way I could do it anymore, remembering that every drag made her stop breathing. I do know people who smoked through their entire pregnancies and for the most part the babies were born with no problems, although one has sleep apnea. I guess my feeling about it, personally, is similar to my views on a lot of other issues - everyone is entitled to their own opinions and ultimately must make their own choices and decisions regarding their actions. It's free will, whether everyone else agrees with them or not!

Tamika - posted on 12/26/2009

When I was pregnant with my 8 year old I saw a news report that said there is a genetic predisposition to the birth defects and complications caused by smoking. So bascily you either have the gene that will harm your baby or you dont, and the only way to know your odds is to roll the dice. That is why your kids turned out to be fine Alexis, because you dont have that gene. But the fact that you rolled the dice is beyond me, you say you beleive in God, well you better thank him.

Madelaine - posted on 12/23/2009

Smoking cuts off oxygen to your unborn baby. The FACT is that it is not good for your baby. It's very hard to quit. I smoked for 8 years. I smoked about a pack a day and as soon as I found out that I was pregnant, I quit, cold turkey, for my little girl. I think that it is selfish to continue to smoke while you are pregnant. I think that people should make their own choices and if you want to put your own life in danger that's your prerogative, but your baby can't choose! Of course people will do what they want, but if you choose to smoke while you're pregnant, know that people will judge you because we have proven that it is bad for your baby, so you are advertising your bad parenting decision.

Alexis - posted on 12/23/2009

i think everything people say about smoking is crap.... i had two very healthy kids smoking with both of them a half pack or more a day. my kids were 5 and 8 neither one have any health problems. I have a friend that didnt smoke during hers and had a 3.12 oz son that was born healthy. I belive no matter what you do good or bad god gives us what we can handle and its not in our power no matter what we do how our childrens health turns out. you hear about people that work out and eat right and do everything the doctors tell them to do and yet they misscarrie or there children have lung , heart or other problems so to say smokimg causing all these i think it is just a way for people that have kids with problems someone or something to blame it on and not that fact that bad thins happen to good people................ sorry thats how i feel and i do beleive in god and things happen for a reason

Danielle - posted on 12/22/2009

My doctor told me I needed to quit right away when I discovered I was pregnant...I set a date...and weaned myself off cigarettes. My son is 8 months old and I am still a non-smoker. I'm very proud to say that. I wish I understood why mothers still smoke when they are pregnant. I used to be a pack-a-day kind of person and yet I found the willpower to do what was better for my son's health.

Casey - posted on 12/21/2009

I know someone who is pregnant and smokes cigarettes and weed everyday. She has three other children and did the same with them. She's like "All my babies were on breathing machines" and she wonders why. The crazy thing is her boyfriend/babies father doesn't care if she smokes because he smoke right along with her. Some people doesn't deserve to have kids. I never smoked a day in my life and I don't plan to do so.

Ashleigh May - posted on 12/20/2009

you do what you want with your pregnancy so we will do what we want with our pregnancy im sorry if that sounds ignorant i just hate people that stick their nose in where its not wanted dont judge other people for what they do! smoking is addictive but its not like taking heroin or cocaine or any other hard drug while your pregnant, im sorry for your loss but sids can happen due to a number of things not just smoking. and it can be dangerous for the baby to just quit, exactly what lydia said!

Christy - posted on 12/20/2009

I'm very sorry for you friends loss! I don't think its a great idea at all!!! The baby didn't ask to be brought in to this world so why should you smoke just to make you feel better when we all know the consequences of having a child that has been exposed to smoke. If smoking is more important than having a healthy baby then you should have thought about that before you got pregnant.

Erin - posted on 12/19/2009

I started smoking when I was 14 (young and stupid). It is very hard to quit smoking, very hard but I stopped cold turkey when I was 4 months pregnant. I really tried when I found out but like I said it's hard. But my doctor never told me not to quit cold turkey, he said to quit ASAP. I think that's a bunch of bull. I have been smoke free for 3 years now.

Laura - posted on 12/19/2009

i agree with gretchen.. i smoked and drank occassionaly, when i found out i was pg i stopped that very day.. i went back to smoking in bt my boys, not much time in bt pg's.. 3 mos lol.. so i stopped again.. no problem for me to quit during pg

Jamie - posted on 12/19/2009

Cause people are weak and let a little stick control thier lives and will power. Cause there are stupid drs that tell them that quitting cold turkey is worse then keeping up the habit. Well sorry but if your doc tells you to keep smoking, pregnant or not thier an idiot. No doctor should encourage you to smoke ever!

Gretchen - posted on 12/19/2009

I think being addicted is a bunch of crap to me, especially when you are pregnant. . you just need to do it, if you want to smoke after go ahead mess your body up, but don't mess up your baby. . .
I smoked for two years before I got pregnant. when I found out I quit everything drinking, smoking, pot all of that and it wasn't hard for me and I was a big smoker about a pack a day, so don't tell me "it's hard to quit" because I did it, and especially when I was growing a child inside me it was that much more easier!!
and I don't judge people for who they are I judge people from their actions!!
and I'm not religious so I don't "leave the judging to jesus"

Lydia - posted on 12/19/2009

Because the stress quitting puts on some smokers bodies is actually a greater risk to their baby than smoking is! Why people assume that the only thing that can adversly affect a foetus are sourced externally to the body is also a mystery to me. ..

Kathryn - posted on 12/18/2009

I totally agree. Wait the 9 months and give your baby a healthy start. Then they can smoke all you want once the baby is born. I know smoking is a powerful addiction, but guess what, the image of your unborn childs body being filled with toxins and nicotine and tar and rat poison should be enough to get someone to kick the habit. You would think so, wouldn't you?

Jessica - posted on 12/18/2009

i just think smoking is an extremly powerful addiction n it is a hard habit to break, so dont judge, alot of ppl cut down as much as they can its not like their sayin F you baby i want to smoke just to cause u health problems, i myself gave up whilst pregnant and found it hard to stay given up, i know i had a few thru my pregnancy wen i had weak moments and dont doubt that i felt horriblly guilty but its a hard thing to do.

Veronica - posted on 12/18/2009

There is no reason, there is no excuse. Some do and some don't. We all know the risks and possibilities - its what people choose to do with the information. It's like anything in life - you may know the consequence and do it anyways. It can be healthy or unhealthy.

My question is - why is it anyone else's place to judge anyone on what they do or dont do in life? If a guy wanted to drug it up all his life, and he dies that way -- why should we be judging that? Isnt judging for Jesus to do? Not us? Wasn't it the man's choice to drug it up to begin with? What place do we have for that?



How can anyone try to take the sliver out of my eye, when you have a plank in your own? (Gospel Books) Seriously - im really getting annoyed by these types of questions - face the fact that YOU are as good as YOU are going to be right now, and stop worrying about, or classifying where you stand in society or where to rate yourself from good to bad. Worry about your lives, and your family - it's yourself you need to take care of - not me or anyone else.



Sorry to be so blunt - but that is how i feel these kinds of questions really come down to - judging, and classifying ones self - better or worse.

Jodi - posted on 12/18/2009

A lot of moms hear from their doctors that quitting smoking can be more harmful to the baby than to continue smoking! (I myself do not smoke, I quit smoking 3 months before going off of birth control to get pregnant). I don't buy that excuse, we face so many stresses everyday, stress with jobs, stress with kids, with husbands and MIL's and traffic and money and everything! But we are not warned to steer clear of these stressors!

I have a theory, if you are trying to concieve, or are not taking proper precautions (i.e. the pill, depo or some other highly effective birth control, not just condoms) then you KNOW you have a chance of getting pregnant!!! So if you can't take the proper precautions to not get pregnant, at least do that baby a favor by not risking it's life! I think it's absolutely ridiculous that some mother's who smoke worry about what they eat and drink and whether or not they take their prenatals, but continue to smoke!! This is a huge pet peeve of mine as my mother smoked with me and I now have horrible asthma and constantly get chest colds and have always have to have steroids.

Gretchen - posted on 12/18/2009

I want to know the same thing!! I don't understand why they just can't stop!. . if you want to smoke thats fine but not when you are pregnant or breastfeeding. . I just can't understand it. .

I'm sorry to hear about your friends son, that is horrible =(, and she must feel so angry with herself.. . .

Here is a question I would like to ask:

If a baby was sitting in front of you would you blow smoke in his face? NOOOO so why would you smoke while you are pregnant?!!