Pregnant and smoking

My best friend continued smoking while she was pregnant. I once got up the gumption to ask her about it and she said her doctor actually recommended she NOT quit because quitting would put stress on her and the baby. O.o I'm not going to judge anyone else's decisions, even though I don't agree with it, but she keeps saying both of her kids "are healthy as a horse" when they were born, which to some degree is true. My goddaughter (that she smoked with) though, has had ear infections, lung/sinus/colds, coughs, etc., the entire 9 months she's been out of the womb and has been to the ER and doctor's office every single month. Of course if I brought up that it was maybe because she smoked while pregnant with her, I'd probably get *****ed at.

Is she still smoking? I think it has more to do with that. Kids that live in homes with smokers have more upper respiratory and ear issues.

Smoking during pregnancy is associated with low birth weight and an increased risk of SIDS.

when i found out i was pregnant with my first, i was scared to death because i was 2 months along - had not missed the lovely period so no clue! i was a big smoker and had been drinking like a fiend that st. pat's day so very nervous. thankfully everything was perfect w/ the baby.

i admit, i never fully quit smoking ... i was a 2 pk a day smoker. but every now and then i admit that i did have one.

with my second I knew before missing (mama's instinct). I was down to 1/2pk a day ... quit immediately. (Just wish I had STAYED a quitter!)

amazingly it was the second pregnancy that i had all the issues with (non related of course) while the first was text book (down to going into labor ON my due date). not saying that makes smoking alright... just pointing out smoking is not the only cause for problems in pregnancies.

My husband's friend's wife chain smoked while pregnant with her baby. I wanted to punch her in the face every time we went to hang out with them. Took every ounce of willpower I had not to say something. Not that she would've cared, but I found it a horrendous thing to do. Thankfully the baby was fine. And reinforcing for her that smoking while pregnant is perfectly fine...sigh.

Smoking during pregnancy is associated with low birth weight and an increased risk of SIDS.

I can attest to that. Thanks to my ex's ex, we all lost a beautiful baby girl 2 months and 19 days into her life due ot SIDS. She partied and chain-smoked like it was going out of style. But, no, its never caused any problems...

Addiction is irrational. People will try all sorts of ways to convince themselves something is ok when it really isn't. Causing damage to a baby is not ok, no matter how clever (or in this case stupid) someone's rationalization sounds

I grew up with everyone in my family smoking - while pregnant, in the house or car with windows rolled up. Christmas involved us kids running around in a cloud of smoke. And they claimed it didn't affect us and asthma just runs in the family. Some of them smoked pot while pregnant, insisting it doesn't affect the baby. Yeah, learning disabilities run in the family too. :noway:

It does affect babies and children, and it IS selfish.

Sooo... thoughts?

I was a smoker both times I got pregnant. When I found I was pregnant, quit cold turkey.

I have had some friends smoke less while pregnant but still continues to do so.

In a discussion with a friend, she stated that someone who is pregnant and smokes is not selfish. I had to disagree.. to which she blew up that some people just can't handle stress, blah blah blah. And, again I had to say.. yeah.. but its still selfish.. LOL

Sorry in advance for all the preggo smokers I just offended. :flowersforyourbaby:

You mentioned that you stopped smoking with BOTH Pregnancies...WHAT did You do in-between pregnancies and NOW? Did You go BACK to smoking? Look, it is great that you stopped while you were pregnant; But let's face it, You can't "Braq" or be judgmental.

What about SECOND Hand Smoke around your kids? What about the example you are setting for your kids? My Sister did the Same thing you did...Stopped smoking while pregnant. BUT NOW, even I can't stay in a room when she smokes, I refuse to, but the kids have no choice. ALSO, one of her kids IMITATES her smoking, all he wants to do when he is old enough (old enough to hide what he is doing) is Smoke. So you may feel "self righteous" but second hand smoke and example you set may be just as bad!

The last time I was pregnant I smoked through the whole pregnancy. I can't tell you how the baby really turned out since as soon as it was born I traded it for an entire herd of camels on the black market.

Its crazy the kinds of deals you can get for a halfer baby on the black market these days!

I grew up with everyone in my family smoking - while pregnant, in the house or car with windows rolled up. Christmas involved us kids running around in a cloud of smoke. And they claimed it didn't affect us and asthma just runs in the family. Some of them smoked pot while pregnant, insisting it doesn't affect the baby. Yeah, learning disabilities run in the family too. :noway:

It does affect babies and children, and it IS selfish.

While I wholeheartedly agree with smoking during pregnancy being selfish and wrong, I am bothered when people use themselves or others as proof for their point.

My whole family were smokers as well...while pregnant, in the house, in the car. My mother smoked both cigarettes and pot while pregnant with me and during my entire childhood. She used to have parties where everyone was drinking and smoking cigarettes and pot.

I do not have asthma or a learning disability or any other "smoke" related heath issues. I know people who have gotten lung cancer who never smoked a day in their lives or were around people who did.

I believe that people are born with a predisposition and your environment can "speed up" the process.

That's my two cents...let the bashing begin...

You know what? I'm not really a judger on the "Mommy Wars." I'm just not.

Of course it's bad to smoke while pregnant. I never did (wasn't a smoker anyway). But I took other risks. Maybe worse risks. I got in my car, and QUITE LITERALLY risked my unborn children's lives most every day of each pregnancy. Sometimes I only did it for fun-- I wanted to go to the mall! Well, it could have killed them. Happens everyday. I would need a true scientific assessment to say that smoking is more or less dangerous to one's life than car travel...
I even still do it now. My kids are in carseats, & I drive safely, but tonight when I take them to Karate just for a "WANT" (not a "need"), we will be risking their lives in the car.

I also got the epidural (except the last time, when she came too fast, and weighed almost 10 lbs, but I digress), etc, etc, etc. Unless it's REALLY greivious, we're just all on the honor system to do the best WE can do. The best "you" can do isn't always the best everyone else can do. Maybe you ate lunch meat while you were pregnant. You have to try to be safe, but still live.

Hmm...well you children may not "need" to go to karate but did you "need" to go to work everyday? Or was that a want too?
Because I need to breath and that could have been harmful to my two unborn children as well...do see all the polution we have out there?
There is no "need" to smoke that is a want...period!

And yes I am completely AGAINST smoking while pregnant and I am not afraid to "judge" or voice my opinion in that matter either!

I smoked when i was pregnant with my son but I was 18 at that time and my cigarette habit was maybe 1 or 2 a week and with my daughter I smoked 2 cigarettes a day.I was fresh of a meth addiction when I got pregnant with her so I just couldnt get past the cigarettes compleatly.I still smoke but there is no smoking in my house our cars I dont give a crap if its snowing everyone goes outside

Sooo... thoughts?

I was a smoker both times I got pregnant. When I found I was pregnant, quit cold turkey.

I have had some friends smoke less while pregnant but still continues to do so.

In a discussion with a friend, she stated that someone who is pregnant and smokes is not selfish. I had to disagree.. to which she blew up that some people just can't handle stress, blah blah blah. And, again I had to say.. yeah.. but its still selfish.. LOL

Sorry in advance for all the preggo smokers I just offended. :flowersforyourbaby:

You mentioned that you stopped smoking with BOTH Pregnancies...WHAT did You do in-between pregnancies and NOW? Did You go BACK to smoking? Look, it is great that you stopped while you were pregnant; But let's face it, You can't "Braq" or be judgmental.

What about SECOND Hand Smoke around your kids? What about the example you are setting for your kids? My Sister did the Same thing you did...Stopped smoking while pregnant. BUT NOW, even I can't stay in a room when she smokes, I refuse to, but the kids have no choice. ALSO, one of her kids IMITATES her smoking, all he wants to do when he is old enough (old enough to hide what he is doing) is Smoke. So you may feel "self righteous" but second hand smoke and example you set may be just as bad!

its called going OUTSIDE and not smoking IN the car.

Sooo... thoughts?

I was a smoker both times I got pregnant. When I found I was pregnant, quit cold turkey.

I have had some friends smoke less while pregnant but still continues to do so.

In a discussion with a friend, she stated that someone who is pregnant and smokes is not selfish. I had to disagree.. to which she blew up that some people just can't handle stress, blah blah blah. And, again I had to say.. yeah.. but its still selfish.. LOL

Sorry in advance for all the preggo smokers I just offended. :flowersforyourbaby:

You mentioned that you stopped smoking with BOTH Pregnancies...WHAT did You do in-between pregnancies and NOW? Did You go BACK to smoking? Look, it is great that you stopped while you were pregnant; But let's face it, You can't "Braq" or be judgmental.

What about SECOND Hand Smoke around your kids? What about the example you are setting for your kids? My Sister did the Same thing you did...Stopped smoking while pregnant. BUT NOW, even I can't stay in a room when she smokes, I refuse to, but the kids have no choice. ALSO, one of her kids IMITATES her smoking, all he wants to do when he is old enough (old enough to hide what he is doing) is Smoke. So you may feel "self righteous" but second hand smoke and example you set may be just as bad!

While I'm not sure what "braq" is I'm pretty sure she wasn't bragging or being judgement.... as she stated she was asking for thoughts and opinions.....

Hmm...well you children may not "need" to go to karate but did you "need" to go to work everyday? Or was that a want too?
Because I need to breath and that could have been harmful to my two unborn children as well...do see all the polution we have out there?
There is no "need" to smoke that is a want...period!

No, I'm an at-home mom (for the subsequent pregnancies), and in my situation I didn't "need" to work when I was pg with the first. I also didn't NEED to take my baby to the gym this morning in the car. That's what I'm saying, do you see what I mean? I CHOOSE to take that risk. I drove her to the gym, I tried to mitigate the risk by putting her in a carseat, I put her in the gym daycare, I tried to mitigate some inherent risks there by washing her hands after and having her immunizations up to date.
If my only concern was her safety, I could keep her in a bubble at home all of the time. Instead, sometimes I choose to "risk her life" by taking her in the car (& other things), just for our enjoyment-- we'll probably go to the mall tomorrow. EVERY parent does stuff like this. If you "have" to go to work, I feel pretty certain you do other things where if nothing else, you put your kid in the car sometime when you really don't "have" to.

That's all. We all take risks. Maybe you had one sip of your husband's champeign at a wedding while pg (& maybe you didn't). Maybe you ate cold cuts (& maybe you didn't), or soft cheese, or soda. Let he who's never sinned cast that first stone, really, that's all. Because none of fit that bill.

Don't get me wrong, I'm plenty judgemental. I just think for the risk factor, for the reward factor, for the risks *I* took (& you did too, realistically), there but for the Grace of God go I. Do your best. I'm not going to pretend smoking's not bad, but I'm also not going to pretend a friend is so stupid that they need me to educate them on it.

All I'm saying is that obviously people have been having babies for thousands of years.

For some of those years, im sure women were smoking and drinking while carrying a child.

And yet we're still here...

Yes, and we have a continually increase in disease and disorders, so obviously the things we are doing to ourselves are impacting our society for the long term. That being said, the fact that some people do and some people don't smoke through pregnancies has had the result of giving researchers controlled groups and large amounts of information with which to make a determination about the short and long term effects that smoking during pregnancy has on the fetus, and then child. Just simply saying "and yet we're still here" isn't really a valid argument as to the selfishness of it, or an informed one on which to base a decision that will impact a person through their entire life.