5 Smoking Facts Pregnant Mothers Should Know
65Smoking has been known to affect the unborn children of pregnant mothers. It is popular knowledge that women who are with child should not smoke. However, the reasons for this have not been explained well. Also, not a lot of studies have been done on the effects of cigarette smoking on unborn children. Here are some smoking facts pregnant women should consider before lighting a cigarette.
1.) Cigarette smoking during pregnancy can cause health problems to the born child.
One of the reasons why pregnant women should not smoke during pregnancy is that it can cause premature birth. It also has a direct link to children's susceptibility to respiratory diseases. Also, it has been observed that babies of mothers who smoked during pregnancy are lighter than the babies of non-smokers. It was also proven that the the heart rate of infants of mothers who smoked during pregnancy have a heart rate that is 30% higher than those with non-smoking mothers. These are the primary smoking facts pregnant women must consider before lighting a cigarette.
2.) Cigarette smoking during pregnancy can cause ADHD.
Apparently, the effects of cigarette smoking on children during pregnancy are not limited to a child's physical qualities. It can also affect a child's mental health. According to a medical study, mothers who smoked an average of 14 cigarettes during pregnancy tend to give birth to "hyperkinetic" children. This effect is dosage-dependent, meaning mothers who smoke an average of 6 cigarettes have a higher chance of giving birth to normal children. The researchers speculated that this was caused by the pile up of carbon monoxide in the fetal blood stream that lead to a significant decrease in the oxygen brought to the developing infant. As a matter of fact, the infant is exposed to a higher level of carboxyhemoglobin, the substance that depletes the oxygen in the body and has caused deaths to people who have inhaled too much carbon monoxide. As a matter of fact, this has been used as a method of suicide by some people.
3.) Cigarette smoking during can affect a child's future academic performance.
Although it may seem like something that is impossible at the moment, pregnant mothers have to take note of this smoking fact. Cigarette smoking during pregnancy can affect the child's academic performance in the future. In this study, over 9,000 children were given some tests to evaluate their math ability and reading ability. According to the results of the study, children of mothers who smoked 10 or more cigarettes a day during pregnancy had lower scores in these tests as compared to children whose mothers didn't smoke any cigarettes while they were pregnant.
4.) Cigarette smoking during pregnancy can cause behavior problems.
Another smoking fact to think about is that severe child behavior problems is one of the effects of cigarette smoking. In a study conducted in California, it was shown how the number of cigarettes a pregnant mother smokes each day can affect the behavior of her child when he or she becomes older. The children of mothers who smoked during pregnancy tend to exhibit disobedience and have a higher tendency to have conflicts with others as compared to children of non-smokers.
5.) Cigarette smoking during pregnancy can cause complications during birth.
Not only does smoking during pregnancy cause problems in the unborn child's physical or mental health, it can also cause some complications during the birth of the baby as well as the development of the fetus. Pregnant smokers have a huge risk of having an ectopic pregnancy wherein the embryo becomes implanted in the fallopian tube instead of the uterus. It can also double the risk of placental complications which can also endanger the mother during birth.
With these smoking facts to consider, mothers should start thinking about stopping smoking for a while. Perhaps, the nine months of cigarette-free lifestyle will even help them quit smoking for good.
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It is truly amazing how many people don't realize the dangers of smoking during pregnancy. Good for you for making this page to spread awareness. Check out my lens on natural ways to induce labor at home for women who are over 40 weeks pregnant. http://www.squidoo.com/waystoinducelabor
I used to smoke and my child didnt make it because i smoked. i finally have stopped smoking but its hard to get over that its my fualt i didnt have a baby. So now im on a mission to let everyone know that it is just heartbreaking to know that you killed your baby. So if you smoke and your pregent you should try very hard to stop but i know its very addictive!!!!!!!!!!1
Im doing a report on smoking and if there is anything i have found out its that it just seems stupid to smoke!!!!!!!!!!!!! and i just dont understand why people do it!! I mean all these people are getting cancer and dying but i dont understand why they started in the first place!!!! I know peer presure plays a big roll but why care what other people think. People also do it to be cool but it doesnt look cool to smoke it looks nasty and makes you smell!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i think this website is good to awear people of the dangers of smoking when pregnant. it could stop thousands of women from smoking when pregnant ! GOOD ON YOU !
I THINK THIS WEBSITE WILL HELP THOUSANDS OF UNBORN CHILDREN FROM HAVING DIFFICYLTIES WHEN THEY ARE BORN BECAUSE OF MOTHERS SMOKING WILL UNDERSTAND THE DANGERS OF SMOKING WHEN PREGNANT
! KEEP IT UP !
i think it is great that there letting pregnant women know about the dangers of smoking when pregnant
I wish my wife would quite smoking - she 5 months along - and a nurse..
your wifes retarded
PUT PICTURES OF A PREGNANT MOTHER WHO IS SMOKING...
what about one cigarette a day?
in my experience most women dont beleive this stuff they have a cant see it cant hurt it attitude
WOW!! i need more information for my project about this ! =] I NEED MORE INFORMATION !!!!!! heehee me in gr.6 heeheeeeeee :DDDDDDDDDDDDDi kno sum1 tht stuffs things up their leg heeheee
wow i'm with mamushka
I am really sick of you people..I have asked my DOCTOR, SOMEONE WHO HAS AN EDUCATION AND A DEGREE ABOUT SMOKING, When I was showing him some of these posts he rolled his eyes. THE ONLY PROVEN FACT IS IT MAKES THE BABY SMALLER AND THAT IS EVEN DEBATABLE..GET YOUR FUCKING FACTS STRAIGHT BEFORE RUNNING YOUR MOUTHS. WHAT THE HELL did they do back in the day????? dumb ass's.
So I guess you are one of the people that smoked while they were pregnant, is that why you are so angry with your comment? Too many parent's today are so ridiculously selfish that when they make a decision to carry a child they can't get over themselves enough to stop smoking? Regardless what data there is or isn't according to your "doctor" it is a proven medical fact that smoking is fatal to humans, so with that knowledge how are you able to even justify taking the risk with your unborn baby....that's interesting to me. Would you take crack while you were pregnant, would you inhale pesticides if there wasn't medical data from your "doctor" to show that it was bad for your unborn child? I have two children, I was a smoker and as soon as I decided to get pregnant I stopped smoking, so I can have an opinion on others who don't.....THERE'S NO EXCUSE FOR IT, NO JUSTIFICATION THAT YOU CAN TRY TO PACIFY YOURSELF WITH TO MAKE IT OKAY, PERIOD.
I really think instead of all you guys swearing at taking you prenatal emotions out on the pregnant mothers who are struggling to quit smoking ..... rather give advise!!!! I am 4w2d and I am a smoker I went from 20cig a day to 3 a day..... it is never easy to quit!!! Rather help and motivate than criticize.
today my sister told me she was driving to her pregnant friends house to take her a pack of cigarettes. i couldnt believe my ears, i smoked for 10 years before i got pregnant and without a second thought i put them down when the stick said "your pregnant". i dont believe its criticizing, i think its caring. there are people out here that are truely sickened by you weak woman out there that cant get it together and quit being a selfish ninny. be a respectful proud mother. we are given the gift to create new life so lets not complicate it before it ever begins. oh and p.s totally agree with monicas comment, i think you nailed it on the head girl...they smoked while pregnant or they wouldnt be so defensive...
I have found out Im 5 weeks, and i smoked a pack a day and now i have cut back to 1-3 a day...I bought the nasty cigs i dont smoke and that helped but my spouse is more determined for me to just quit and i think that makes me hide and want to smoke just one more. Im so scared of what it could do to the baby, but a 7 year habit is just that an adictive habit...Im tryin but i just need the will power and encouragment!
im 5 weeks and still smoking in secret from my partner - i feel so ashamed! I was smoking before I found out and then somehow carried on - we were desperate for a baby, then it happened - a massive miracle and a huge shock - I have a few left and then that is it - I couldnt forgive myself if i kill the baby!
im 5 weeks and still smoking in secret from my partner - i feel so ashamed! I was smoking before I found out and then somehow carried on - we were desperate for a baby, then it happened - a massive miracle and a huge shock - I have a few left and then that is it - I couldnt forgive myself if i kill the baby!
I cant ell you how guilty I feel. I am 11 weeks pregnant and have stoppped smoking... I cant believe how hard it was for me not too I am overloaded with stress which is my main problem and why I started over a year ago.. My son I smoked maybe 3 cigs when I was prego and my daughter I didnt smoke at all... I have never been aan avid smoker just the social smoker I guess you could say but I do know that any smokin gis bad and ive tried to quit and really its mind over matter because you can tell yourself no you can tell people not to smoke or have cigarettes around you which if you smoke is awful when your partner does and your not suppose too.. I knwo im kind of ranting but I dont want you to get me wrong smoking period is bad enough and we all know it but for every pregnant women who is smoking I want to tell you I knwo its hard dont let others get you down keep trying and if it helps research whats in cigarette smoke or here Ill tell you... THERE ARE 4000 DIFFERENT CHEMICALS IN CIGARETTES THE ONES YOU MIGHT KNIOW OF ARE AMMONIA, EMBALMING FLUID,CARBON MONOIXDE, ARSENIC WHICH IS RAT POISON,ACETONE, TAR , AND BENZENE... I KNOW ITS HARD BUT WHEN YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE GIVING TO YOUR BABY IT SHOULD BE EASY TO QUIT IT WAS FOR ME...
Its hard to quit, but if you think of the baby you can do it, I smoked prior to 3 of my pregancies and quit cold turkey when I found out I was pregnant.
everyone donot feel bad about ur addiction it is not that easy to just go cold turkey and quit, u have to just lower ursmoking until u can eventually quit. but 4 all those dirty bitches out there who got something smart to u need to mind ya fuckin buisiness
I am 5.5 weeks pregnant and just cant put my cigs down. I have desperately tried. I am now gorging in food to try to stop the cravings. Doc said to slowly cut back and eventually quit.I want to quit right now. Does anyone have any advise on quitting?
I am currently 25 weeks along with my 3rd child. I was a smoker before all of my children and I still am. I have cut back big time, but have not kicked the habit completely. It is all about moderation for me. My other 2 children were over 7lbs. and healthly and I see no reason the 3rd won't be the same. Every persons situation is different. My mother and grandmother smoked when they were pregnant ages ago. Won't don't we hound on the fact that most of you pregnant women are extremely overweight because you think you can eat whatever you want and do it as often as you want. Maybe you should put down that Tweenkie and smoke or something!!! Did I hit a nerve with some of you....ahwwww....well leave the smokers alone.....worry about yourself.
after my father was killed and my grandmother died two days later i became an alcaholic since then i found out that i was pregnant and i honestly cannot quit smoking ive tried counsling the patch guilt and even praying i dont want to harm my child. I dont drink at all and i think that has been the hardest thing i have ever done but smoking while im pregnant just might prove otherwise ii mean i will have to look at my baby and know that it was not an outside source that took his chance away it was me..
I am 6 weeks and 2 days pregnant and when i found out i was pregnant i went from smoking a pack and ah alf to two packs a day to smoking 6 to ten cigs a day.. im working on moving down to 4 cigs a day here soon and hopefully i can go to 2 a day to none..
my advice on pregnant smokers is that its all about self will.. fuck what those books say... its good to quit cold turkey but im not the one to talk.. i say just cut down---alot. set a goal for yourself and once u reach that set another one... and so on. this is my first kid and i hope this techniqe works and dosent harm my baby...
I am 7 months pregnant, and honestly didnt' find out I was pregnant until I was almost 5 months along. I am down to 3 cigarettes a day. I smoked all thru my pregnancy with my daughter and she is fine. She hasn't had health problems and is VERY smart. I talked to my doctor about how to quit and she said it was best NOT to go cold turkey because that causes extra stress for me and the baby and that can be worse then smoking. But my unborn baby is a little over normal for weight and height, so He's not going to have a low birth weight or anything like that. So sometimes going cold turkey is worse then slowly cutting back because of the stress. But it is best to talk to the doctor about different optioins because everyone is different.
I find it intriguing reading this. I found out very late into my pregnancy that I was pregnant. I have a tilted uterus and discovered after many missed periods that I was expecting...at 5 months!! I've managed to cut down ALOT with a quit date tomorrow. I'm totally freaked out that my child will be deformed, early etc etc from the effects of my smoking to this point. Does anyone have any info if I can "catch up" the health of my baby for the next few months while I'm not smoking. I do excersize, not over weight and eat healthy...you wouldn't look at me to think I was a smoker....I so worried, any advice would be great.
This stupid black lady in my class is pregnant and she's like 5 months along and I saw her smoking outside atleast two times. That child is going to be dumb just like her.
what if your 2 months pregnant and have had a couple but then have completley stopped now will that do any harm ?
can i just say to you all that smoking has not been proven to harm the baby in any way.. yes there are risks.. doctors say try to cut down.. what do you think happened with your grand mothers?? your mothers... the risks were not known they smoked.. and drank small amounts as they could not afford to binge drink.. there was a lot rate of dissabilities in babies then as guess wat they had healthy food and no processed crap!! thats what it comes down 2!¬! some mothers find it very difficult, emotional and stressful to give up smoking.. it has been proven 3-5 a day has no effwect on the baby whats so ever! you should be slating drug users and bindge drinkers! u all dont know nothing just crap warnings u here which is not scientificaly proven whats so ever!
I think there are a lot of non smokers posting on here. Anyone who doesn't realize that nicotine is a drug more addictive than heroin has their head in the clouds. NO mother WANTS to be addicted to a $5-$8 pack of cancer sticks, but the truth is it is just not that easy to quit. The rude comments really are childish. Try being supportive of people. Judge not, lest you be judged.
I am a smoker and i do not have any children - yet. But i would like to think if/when I do become pregnant I will quit altogether. I understand how addictive the cigs are but can it compare to holding ur beautiful child in ur arms? I think not. Yes if you smoke you need the support to quit but how about trying this: Everytime you reach for that pack take a look at a scan pic first. Cravings only last 5 mins so it might work. Good luck with ur babies and I hope you all manage to quit
Did you ever think that there isn't much scientific evidence because it is unethical to create a study that would have potential in harming an unborn fetus? Plus there is a social stigma against women who smoke while pregnant so it would be hard to collect data from women who do smoke since they would be less likely to admit that they did smoke or how much they smoke. Same reason why there isnt much data about alcohol. Its unethical to do those type of studies..but honestly if there is even the SLIGHTEST chance your baby could be born underweight, or even if they were at the correct weight the possiblity of being premature? I have a 30 weeker I did everything by the book and he was still a premie but i know if I would have smoked while pregnant he would have had lots of issues but since i was healthy and took care of myself he didnt even need oxygen! If there is even a chance for any of that would you really risk it? Im an ex smoker so i know how hard it is to quit...
THE MOTHER OF MY FIRST BORN NEICE SMOKED A PACK AND A HALF OF CIGARETTES A DAY AND I THOUGHT SHE WAS A PIECE OF SHIT MOTHER. I ALWAYS THOUGHT IF I EVER GOT PREGNANT I WOULD QUIT SMOKING COLD TURKEY. NOW I AM CURRENTLY 8 MONTHS PREGNANT AND I HAVE NOT HAD THE POWER TO QUIT SMOKING EVEN THOUGH I STOPPED DRINKING BEER AND SMOKING WEED. I CUT DOWN TO 3 TO 5 CIGARETTES A DAY AND I CONSTANTLY TELL MY DOCTOR ABOUT MY PROBLEM. THE ONLY THING HE TELLS ME IS TO KEEP TRYING AND DOESN'T SAY MUCH ELSE ABOUT IT. IF SMOKING CIGARETTES WAS SO SERIOUS WOULDN'T DOCTORS DO MORE TO HELP AND WOULDN'T THERE BE MORE EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THE THEORIES STATED BY ALL OF YOU? MY MOTHER SMOKED THROUGH MY PREGNANCY AND MY BROTHER'S AND I WAS 8 POUNDS AND MY BROTHER WAS NEARLY 10. AND MY NEICE WAS BORN 3 WEEKS EARLY GRANTED, BUT SHE WAS 6 POUNDS 14 OUNCES.
Oh it's so easy to bash smoking when you've never been a smoker or if you were one of the lucky ones who could just put the idea right out of your head when you learned you were carrying a child. Some of us are not so lucky.
First of all, yelling and screaming and scaring a pregnant woman about the dangers of smoking is NOT the way to go about helping them quit. On the contrary, it often stresses them out and makes them reach for a cigg to calm themselves down.
Smoking is an ADDICTION. It is something that for some, is harder to kick than heroin. I commend any woman who is working hard to cut back, as it has been stated by numerous doctors and scientists that even just cutting back, smoking less, greatly reduces the dangers. You should be patting these women on the back for cutting back to 1-5 ciggs a day.. especially those like me who were up to a pack and a half to 2 packs a day. It is NO EASY FEAT. Do you think for one moment that we do not think of the child in our wombs every time we have a cigarette?? Do you think it doesn't worry us? We are not monsters. We are human.
I smoked with my first pregnancy, no more than 3-5 ciggs a day. I cut that back from 2 packs a day. It wasn't all that difficult, but it wasn't the easiest thing I've ever done. My daughter was born very healthy and still is to this day at nearly 6 years old. She is very intelligent, no behavior problems, asthma or learning disabilities. She was a healthy 6lbs 7oz, 21" long and she was born at 39 weeks as I was induced.
This pregnancy, (I am 9 weeks) has been MUCH harder and I am trying my absolute HARDEST to get it down to that 3-5. Women like me beat themselves up enough about their addiction, what we need is support and understanding. We need encouragement and praise when we DO reach a milestone of getting down to 9 a day, then 7, then 4 etc etc.
Pregnancy is can be a strange and difficult time for women. We need love and compassion, support and encouragement. Not criticism and hostile words.
I'm 25 weeks pregnant and 2 days ago at work, my boss came in and caught me smoking, she made me feel bad that i haven't had a cigarette since, i pick up my nicotine inhaler and my mum moans at me that it's worse...i try to think of the money i can save for me and the baby...but it's soooo hard to stop, i've got a five yr old son and i smoked the whole way through my pregnancy and he is intelligent and well behaved and at 7lb 8ounches was not a small baby...i feel like i have the little gremlin on my shoulder, and in a strange way feel as though i've lost my friend, nicotine does strange things to you, and i hate the fact that i'm stressed and moody...what to do? i just want a cigarette!!!
bethkiley says:
2 years ago