Second hand smoke

[sadies93]

How bad is second hand smoke for both pregnant women and babies?

My fiance smokes and he has tried incrediably hard to quit but he has not been successful although he has slowed down ALOT in the last 6 months. He has no insurance so we cant afford to get him medical help to quit. He does not smoke in the house at all. He does smoke in our car but he always has the window all the way down and he keeps the ciggerette out the window.
All my in laws smoke as well which i am also worried about for when baby gets here because for example we went to my mother in laws to have a birthday diner (May holds mine, my fiance and brother in laws birthdays) and my mother in law allows smoking in her house and even tho my fiance still didnt smoke around me, his mother, sister, brother in law and uncle all smoked around me and with that many smokers in the same area the room filled with smoke. So knowing how they are around me now makes me worried how they will be around my baby.
My fiance already knows that i will not let anyone touch my baby while smoking and i will not allow my baby in the room while everyone is smoking and he is okay with that but we know its going to cause problems with his family, especially around thanksgiving because his mother has thanksgiving diner at her house and there will be atleast 10 people who smoke there and i will not take my baby over there at that time (around thanksgiving he will be about 4 months old).

Anyway im sorry this kind of turned into a vent but to my actual questions.
How bad is second hand smoke for pregnant women? and for babies?

[shi923]

My fiancé smokes cigars every now and then and the pediatrician recommends him having a smoke jacket. That way after he smokes he takes off the jacket and wash his hands before he holds the baby to avoid any whopping cough or other breathing proven related to smoking. And its good that he doesn't smoke in the house too.

[sadies93]

We have actually discussed that a little bit. About 2 weeks before our baby is here he agreed to stop smokin in the car and we are goin to have the inside of the car professionally washed and get seat covers. And then if he hasnt quit by the time our baby has arrived on our way home from the hospital we will make stops so he can get out and smoke and stuff

[adgal]

Hey, quitting smoking is really hard.  Trust me, been there.  And I think it's wonderful he's trying.  Perhaps a good meet in the middle might be a stop half way?  Just a few minutes so he can have that cigarette outside of the car.  He sounds like a great guy, I bet he would be open to it if you asked him.  All the best!

[sadies93]

Hes cutting back but still smokes in the car. He doesnt do it as much as before but our doc is about an hour drive so he smokes then but he tries limiting it. And when we go places he will light one in the parking lot and put it out before we get in the car. On an average trip to town and back he will smoke one cigg in the car which is about 40 minutes in car total. but he is really trying.

[sadies93]

Thanks:) I imagine I will have a battle with my in laws but it will be worth it

[adgal]

I agree with the above poster.  Really do your best to stay away from it, and ask him to please not smoke in the car around you.  Second hand smoke is almost, if not as, dangerous for baby as if you smoked yourself.  Your breathing it in, and so is the child.  Your a good momma for taking the stance you are!

[Babylovaa]

There are many risks with second hand smoke exposure even for ppl who are not pregnant. Second hand smoke can cause under developed lungs, increase the chance of sids, low birth weight, baby can develop asthma and a bunch of other things too. Its good your fiance doesn't smoke in the house or around you but he should get into the habbit of not smoking in the car either. The nicotine can settle into the fabrics which is the same as smoking a cigarette while being in the room with the baby. I don't blame you for not wanting your baby in his mothers house if they're smoking. I would much rather have a healthy baby and ppl mad at me then to please them and subject my baby to life long health problems. I went through the same thing with my family when I was pregnant with my son. To this day no one smokes in the house and he's 6. Congratulations on your pregnancy!