Question For Mom S Who Smoked Cigs When Pregnant

40 Replies
luviduvi - April 3

You should really quit. When I worked in social work, I saw most of the mothers smoke while pregnant. Their babies always came early, small, w/ asthma, chronic ear infections, the list literally goes on. Two babies were born so early, they pa__sed. While I feel that you should quit cold turkey, I have heard of Doc's saying to "wean" yourself off the nicotine, but to NEVER continue to smoke and that just a few will be okay. Shame on your doc. Just imagine your baby sitting inside your belly with its poor little utero home full of smoke...yuk! There are so many things that can go wrong with a healthy pregnancy, why add to all of it with cigarettes. YOU CAN QUIT!!! Learn to sacrifice now, you have to learn at some point when you become a mother. Good Luck!

 

aurorabunny - April 3

I must also tack on that I am really surprised at how many docs either advise not quitting cold turkey or not quitting at all during pregnancy. After all was said and done I thought maybe my OB was just a quack.

 

kris313 - April 3

My doctor didn't say a few cigarettes wouldn't hurt the baby, but he did advise to phase out smoking over a couple of weeks instead of quitting cold turkey. He said this is especially important for women that smoke on account of stress. Any amount of smoking can hurt the baby, all you can do is work each day at eliminating more cigarettes.

 

mcatherine - April 3

Smoking is an addiction that is hard to break. I did it and it was one of the hardest thigns I've ever done. (Surprises those of you that know what a health freak I am now, huh?) And I'm not going to bash you for it because what started out as social smoking turned into a full-b__wn addiction before I knew it had happened. My mother was a smoker - she even cut down when she was pregnant with my brother, sister and I. When she was 58 and I was a month shy of turning 30 - I sat on the bed with my family and held her hand when she took her last breath after a two year battle with lung cancer. Thats the long-term effect it had on her children. Did your doctor mention that one? Find a new doctor, Mommy1 - and get the help you need to stop. It's out there and it won't be easy, but there is a lot more to consider than asthma or birthweight.

 

ash2 - April 3

I agree totally with RY.....i work in a hospital and see the effects it could have on adulta, not to mention babies. My sister smokes around my neice and she has bronchitis all the time and now has developed asthma..and it is from secondary smoke. She always smells like smoke and her hair and breath constantly stinks ! Dont be selfish. Do it for your baby if not you.

 

lilmamaT - April 3

In my opinion I think smoking while your pregnant is wrong. I don't look down on people when they do it. I'll give you my reasoning for thinking it's wrong, because that child doesn't have a choice to say no to you. You as the mother is making this choice for the child, I think in best interest you should try to really quit. I know it's hard because, I did just quit when I found out I was pregnant. Good luck in your decision.

 

K - April 3

I can tell you that everyone I personally know who is a smoker that has a small child- the child either has bad allergies or asthma, even those where the mother quit smoking when pregnant and picked it up again afterwards. I really don't think it is mere coincidence.

 

aubjenwat - April 3

well i know your situation, my first pregnancy i smoke, well i would smoke like one cigg a day, for the first 5 month then i quit for the rest of the pregnancy, and i have a very normal child, but with this pregnancy im trying to quit, actually today after two wks of not smoking i bought a pack and have had two today, but im going to try again, i would say to try to stop right away, your doctor is nuts, smoking is so bad for your baby, and some women who did smoke when pregnant and there children came out normal are so lucky, but you should never take that chance, be smart and just throw out that pack and quit, i am...k!

 

k.p.j.e. - April 3

I smoked cigs and drank and smoked pot all the time before I found out I was pregnant with Jack. The DAY we found out, my husband and I both quit everything cold turkey. Yeah it was super hard but come on, it's your BABY! Isn't that a good reason to quit? It's really not that hard, take it from me I've been there, never turned back.

 

ash2 - April 3

KPJE....im proud of you for dropping all of that ! I know what kind of an addiction that can be. ( not personally, but my brother went through it ) so i just wanted to say thats great that you stopped all of it !

 

ILoveMyFam - April 3

I was a MAJOR chain smoker before I was pregnant. I smoked for 5 years. When I found out I was pregnant, I quickly weaned myself off, and was a non smoker by the time I was 10 weeks pregnant. She was born healthy and of good size weighing over 8lbs. My dd is now 4 months old and I am still cig free. Every once in a while I still get cravings, but when I think of my daughter, there's no way I'd ever go back. My good friend however, who had a baby in February smoked throughout her pregnancy (1 to 10 cigs a day)...her daughter was born 5 weeks early weighing 5 pounds. She had no other high risk factors so I blame the smoking. Her daughter also has allergies. My mom is one of 5 daughters my grandmother had, she was a smoker, all 5 daughters were under 6 pounds when they were born, my mom had a club foot, a couple have bad allergies and skin issues, etc. blame smoking or not...I do.

 

k.p.j.e. - April 4

Yeah...my husband and I were both huge partyers for the whole 5 years we were good friends, then we started dating but didn't change our ways, had a huge circle of friends together that we were "bad" with, and I am telling you the exact day that I found out I was pregnant, we stopped everything. We had to isolate ourselves from certain friends, and only held on to the people that we felt like would respect our choices. We have grown up A LOT and I'm not going to say it's not difficult and stressful but it's not that hard, when you realize that you can actually care about someone else (your baby) more than yourself. If I had smoked knowingly while pregnant, I would never be able to live with myself! That's just me....I just couldn't do it.....anyway thanks Ash2 for saying that :) I wouldn't change anything!

 

dee23 - April 4

mommy1, dh's best mates wife, smoked a pack of 30 cigarettes a day during her three pregnancies, the last 2 children look fine thus far, the first one is 4yrs old, and they think he might be autistic or have ADD. he only says a few words, the other 2 kids, 3yrs and 1 1/2yrs, both say more words than him. im sorry you find it impossible to quit. i hope your baby has the strength to fight it. i quit during pregnancy, and started a few days after birth with the complication with b___stfeeding. i smoked until 20 weeks, 5 a day. dh was born 9pounds, i was born 8 1/2pounds, ds was 6 15pounds. he seems fine other than that so far, he is 8 months old. i still smoke now, but i cry alot because i cant quit. dh doesnt help at all, he refused to quit, says works to stressful.....im so d__n sick of having to change my jumper, wash my hands, leave ds by himself in the room several times a day, worry about having to pick him up straight after a smoke if he crys when i absolutly stink in my breath. i cant kiss him, i cant let his fingers near my mouth, i cant friken bond in the way id like to.....anywho, i quit in pregnancy by chewing ALOT of chewing gum....also panged my food craving too, hope that helps.

 

LollyM - April 4

Thanks for the complement Mellissa =) I always hope that my advice is actually useful! I am also sorry about your mom =( I know that must be really heard especially when she still won't quit even after getting cancer! K.P, Dh and I had the same situation before I found out I was pg with dd. We had the same group of friends, and we all smoked, drank and partyed. He quit smoking pot before I did because he was planing to become a cop, but I still smoked it until I got pg. Some of our friends understood, but some became distanced because I guess they would rather smoke pot than hang out with us, seeing as no one was aloud to smoke around me while pg, and not around dd either! We are going to dh's best friend's birthday party later this month, and he is the biggest pot head ever. He is turning 24 and sorry, but he needs to ditch the pot and get a freakin job already! anyway, neither of us are going to smoke since dh is in the process of applying to be a cop but I know there will be pressure. It's frustrating when friends don't get it. sorry for ranting, but I just find it difficult and KP, you made me feel a little less alone =)

 

LollyM - April 4

Also, Mommy1, hows the smoking going now?

 

hello - April 4

I'll be the one to say that i sometimes smoked when i was pregnant, i wont say my aunty, aquaintance etc.... Me... I quit for a while too while pregnant cause i felt dreadful doing it but if my partner at the time stayed out all night or came home drunk etc.... well when it got late i would be awake, a bit stressed and occasionally light up. My daughter was born 6 pound 2, which here is 2 kilo 7........no allergies, no asthma.... healthy.... happy.......no wdrawals or anything like that......i used to think the same thing as you.... I am not proud of what i did and as i said i quit for quite some time thru pregnancy but occasionally i would give in again....... I dont encourage it but you can only do your best........good luck

 

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