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Smoking During Pregnancy?!

Ive heard from plenty of mothers that they have smoked throughout they're pregnancy and my cousin actually smoked cigarettes and marijuana threw her full pregnancy and the baby came out fine... my friends who have had babies actually have smoked cigarettes during they're pregnancy and the babies came out fine .. whats up with that? i hear that smoking is really bad and shouldnt be done during pregnancy .. what do you think about it?!?! have you smoked during your pregnancy?!?! do you think its ok?!?! i would feel really guilty smoking during my pregnancy but sometimes i feel really stressed that i crave one
45 Responses
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283175 tn?1295537265
Well said,you took the words right out of my mouth.
I hate to say it,but I to am a smoker and have smoked for twenty years + yes ive tried to give up,and have tried everything from patches,to pills to hypnotherapy,and nothing worked.Im not saying its ok to smoke by any means.
I obviously know the risks,and that can cause low birth weight,prem babies etc etc.
I have a 16 year old son,by no means low birth weight,was 2 weeks late.and a very intelligent young man,no effects on him now.im currently due to give birth next week,and all ready my baby is a good size,with no issues.
its easy for someone to say stop smoking,but its not easy to do,no one should critize anyone for smoking.and most certainly dont make us bad mums.
Helpful - 0
1026926 tn?1292113815
Everyone know it is best to not smoke while pregnant and for those that were able to quit during pregnancy......Congrats. What some ppl have to remember is it comes easier to some than others. I have been struggling to quit smoking for the past 4 years. It IS an addiction!! And for those of you that say that if you smoke while pregnant then you dont deserve to be a mother and your selfish and immature etc, etc I think you need to grow up. I know many women that smoked durng pregnancy and are some of the best mothers out there. I smoked with my pregnancies and I would do anything for my kids and try to be the best mother I can. I tried to quit and I COULD NOT. I cut down as much as I could but I got severly ill while trying to quit duing a pregnancy and ended up in the hospital with stroke level high blood pressure that could have killed me and my baby. So dont be so quick to judge people especially those of you that have never smoked a day in your life. This is a support forum not a place for you to judge people and tell them they are not fit to be a mother. I put my kids first in everything I do......Just cuz I could not quit while pregnant does not make me or anyone else a bad mother.
Helpful - 0
404138 tn?1308941656
I think if your going to get pregnant then you need to have the willpower to stop smoking for 9 mos. Yeah, some people might get lucky and deliver a healthy baby after smoking throughout the pregnancy, but your taking a HUGE risk if you do. You know how many times I'd like to have a drink or take my meds to calm my nerves....but no, I know the risks & im not willing to harm my baby in any way, I want my baby to have the best possible future and a healthy life and so I need to do what's right and hold off on what I want and do whats best for my baby. Smoking is NO WAY okay during pregnancy.
Helpful - 0
327668 tn?1224792350
Uggg. i was so disappointed in myself. I wanted to quit when i got pregnaunt, I thought i would be able to do it, but all i was able to do was cut out how much I smoked. I was constantly stressed. I am not proud that I smoked during my pregnancy but I did.

My daughter came out just fine though, 5;bs 13 oz and 3 weeks early cause I was leaking fluid ( like a car lol) she has been a happy healthy little one for 18 months now.

Now we only smoke outside. I wish i had the willpower to stop on my own,but i just got chantix and gonna give that a try to see if that helps.

Helpful - 0
1166767 tn?1315427171
I didn't get to vote but I would say NO WAY!!!
Helpful - 0
1102149 tn?1259692962
Are you willing to take the chance? That is the real question. I have alot of friends that smoked while pregnant and lets say that 5 of the 7 young ones have asthma, severe allergies and respitory issues due to these things. Sometimes these symptoms do not display right away and it is certainly not a chance I am willing to take. To each thier own, it is a chance you are obviously willing to take.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
my mom smoked before she was pregnant with me, stopped while pregnant and started again after. even the second hand smoke AFTER i was born gave me asthma and irritated my heart condition. something that SHOULDN'T be as bad as it is was mad worse from her smoking around me.

now as far as smoking during pregnancy...my aunt smoked during 3 or her 4 pregnancies and the 3 she smoke with were  born prematurely, underweight and have SERIOUS asthma. it's so bad they can't go anywhere without their inhalers.

why even risk hurting your baby just to ease a craving? if it's THAT bad...talk to your ob about something to help with it.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
You are right about saying that a baby can turn out good but what if not???
If i would be you, i would not smoke at all, smoking pot is ok but again, not too much, 2 times a week is good. I do myself and am trying for a baby also, good luck young lady.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Smoking is bad for you, why would it be good for a baby!?!? dont kid yourself please, there is no way to justify smoking while pregnant or around children.
Helpful - 0
1205562 tn?1554747006
I agree with SuzyOz... the baby may come out with ten fingers and ten toes but the health problems  could arise later in it's life. (cancer, asthma, etc).  My mom smoked with my older brother and he came out very weak and small.
I voted "no way" because I would definitely not smoke anything while I was pregnant!! I'm not a smoker... used to be a social smoker but gave it up when I was pregnant with my first child. Never smoked again, thank goodness!
Helpful - 0
1023501 tn?1254833158
Smoking is bad period!  Not just for the baby but for you too.  I would say NO WAY!  Yes, there are women that have had healthy babies while still smoking and drinking, but why would you want to take that chance with your baby?  God forbid something happens to your baby and you'll probably feel guilty.  If your cravings for a cigarette are that bad, talk to your doctor.  He should be able to help you through it.
God bless you and your baby!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I used to smoke about 25 cigarettes per day before pregnancy.

I stopped 2 weeks before getting pregnant.

However, when I got the confirmation that I was pregnant and due to other stress factors in my professional life, I started smoking again about 4 cigarettes per day for 20 days. Then, I stopped again for two weeks and then re-plunged again (4 cigs/day for 10 days). All in all, I smoked an average of 4 cigs per day for 4 weeks within the first 11 weeks of pregnancy

I am fully aware of that I should not smoke in pregnancy and now really regret having re-plunged. I am also extremely worried that I may have harmed my babies (I am expecting twins). I keep churning in my mind that I may have very badly damaged the foetuses' brain and it makes me very depressed.

Could someone give me one's opinion?

Many thanks

Emilie
Helpful - 0
1035252 tn?1427227833
I see that this is an old post and I always try not to come out rude or insulting, but I've got to be blunt. I think smoking while pregnant is AT BEST immature, and at worst, selfish. You can cut back if nothing else.

THE ONLY REASON I can speak about this (I'm not a smoker) is because before I was pregnant with my daughter, I took very heavy pain meds and anxiety meds for severe, debhilitating headaches that I've had all my life. I was taking lortab 10 4-6x a day some days, and xanax .25 up to three times a day because the pain was so excruciating. When we decided to TTC, I quit the lortab cold turkey, and weaned off of the xanax in 3 weeks. If you think quitting smoking is hard, try that. I had been taking both for about two years. I don't take anything now except occasionally if the pain is blinding my OB calls in Tylenol #3 for me, and I just live with the pain, even when I'm curled up in bed with my vision flashing for two days, because my daughter was worth it, and so is every future child I will have.

Yes it was hard, OMG, I felt like I was dying every minute of the day until it was out of my system, but I would never EVER have continued it with a baby in my belly, even though lortab is considered safe in small doses during pregnancy. Smoking is NOT safe even in small doses during pregnancy, and even if a baby comes out healthy it's almost like russian roulette.

If you are pregnant and smoking, don't hate yourself or beat yourself up with guilt. Just cut back one or two a week. Just slowly back off until you're down to the smallest amount if you can't quit. It's not safe or smart to smoke while pregnant, but if you can't live without one or two cigarettes a day, then that's that and it's a chance you'll have to take.

I know there are a lot of women here who smoked while pregnant who will attack me for saying this, but I truly feel like you can at LEAST cut back for your baby's sake. Just like people with caffeine addictions who cut back while pregnant, it's just something you DO for your baby. You don't have to quit if you don't feel like you can, but you do have to TRY to cut back. there's no excuse to not try, even if you don't succeed. You'll always feel better saying "I tried but couldn't do it" rather than " I just didn't try, it wasn't worth the effort".

I am sorry if I hurt any feelings, but this is a tough subject for me. My husband's cousin smoked a lot through both of her pregnancies and she went into labor early with both, both babies were born with low birth weights and weak breathing, and while they're smart children, the youngest is having a hard time catching up on speech and they both have asthma. why would you take that risk?!

Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
i smoked through both my pregnancy and my first child came out fine he was a great weight 8 pound 7 and i was smoking a pack a day, i am yet to give birth with my second child... i feel so guilty for smoking whislt pregnant but its an addiction i tried to give up with both the kids and found it so hard, near impossible! I read some where online too when i was pregnant with my first son, that sometimes giving up smoking can harm the baby more then actually smoking due to the stress factor... didnt no whether to believe it or not... i think smoking through a pregnancy is a personal choice aswell.
Helpful - 0
906115 tn?1344200509
long thread and wish I could of voted!!!! I know someoen who lost two children to sids from smoking during pregnancy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She was able to have a third chance and stopped 1 yr before trying to concieve. They moved to a new house ( third hand smoke can do the same as new studies ahve found out, which is a home or car or clothes were the bbay is not around smoke but a smoke environment) and that baby was fine. Just becasue some babies ar fine why risk it! It casue many other things like allergies, cancer in children, loww immune health, they have lower brain cells from the lack of oxygen, sids, ow borth rate and failure to thrive sometimes after they get out. Why would anyone take that risk? THat babies life is in the mother havnds and you are not giving your vchild the best you can by smoking!!! Having the baby around smoke or in a smoke environment! My first son was around his paternal grandmaother twice and got ear infections both times, then I made her get a shower and wear clean clothes and her husband broght her in his none smoke truck fi she wanted to see him. He never got sick again!!!!! She was happy to do what was best for him!
Helpful - 0
470885 tn?1326329037
I don't agree with smoking during pregnancy....but with that being said, I've never smoked and don't know what it is to be addicted. But, really, smoking isn't good for ANYONE, let alone a developing fetus.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I think it is a little bit ingnorant to say that even though some women smoke during pregnancy "the baby came out fine"

What may appear to be a healthy baby at the early stages may be deceptive, the child could develop cancer at a young age or could get asthma or any other health problems down the track as a result of selfish actions of a mother smoking. I think it should be a crime to smoke during pregnancy, it is abusing the health of your unborn child.
Helpful - 0
646779 tn?1281996041
I read some of the comments and JoyRenee's comment I agree with completely - the babies of smokers may seem fine when they are born but later in life they may well be more susceptible to health problem, especially respiratory problems and exzema.
Smoking is a definate No in pregnancy.
Helpful - 0
703841 tn?1322565968
my mom smoked with all of us, and it does have an effect all of us are fine, but every single one of us has a learning dissability. we were lucky to only have that but I think its soo selfish of a mother to smoke during pregnancy!!!!!
I told my mom that she is not allowed to babysit my children if she plans on smoking around them. Its not like Children can get up and walk away.
Helpful - 0
669618 tn?1289403248
I'm pregnant and definitely don't smoke never have in my life.  But when my mom was pregnant with me, she smoked like a sailor.  When i was born i only weighed 5 pounds and had hearing problems.  I still have to have tubes in my ears to be able to hear.  My little sister on the other hand, when mom was pregnant with her, she didn't' smoke.  And My sister was born 9 pounds and is perfectly healthy.   I blame the cigarette smoking.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
It looks like plenty of expecting parents still smoke during pregnancy (example:  http://tinyurl.com/dlgzb7), but I think it's crazy.  A good friend of mine's mum smoked during pregnancy for all 4 of his siblings.  They were all born prematurely and now he is the tallest one at under 5'5", at 24 years old.  I'm convinced it's from his mother smoking..
Helpful - 0
768015 tn?1333652075
I was a smoker (1 pak every other day) and stopped once I found out I was preggo. I still crave it like you wouldn't believe. My BF smokes and occasionaly I pick up one of his cigs to just take a pull and I just feel so guilty I put it down. I also don't drink caffeniated drinks anymore. My BF's sister has two kids (perfectly healthy) and she smoked a pack a day, drank espresso and actually craved coffee grounds. This had no affect on her kids. I personally don't ever want to take that chance. Everyone is different though.
Helpful - 0
425962 tn?1285086458
I was a smoker and quit b/c pregnant. Only I have taken up a nice little caffeine habit instead and to my amazement, I just read a study that says that caffeine IS WORSE than smoking because the baby actually begins to CRAVE the CAFFEINE - crazy HUH!?! nice, oh well, Im trying to do whats best, its not always easy. Good luck to you!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I am also a smoker.but as soon as i found out i was pregnant i just stopped for 9 months.i am pregnant again and i am doing the same thing ,i will never put my unborn child at risk.
Helpful - 0
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