pregnant and E cig's

[teasleromani123]

hello all I was just wondering what people think about Ecig's while preg?
I cant go cold turkey so this is my last option.. HELP!!
please xx
Emma

[doubleshotespresso]

I have been using an ecig and am 31 weeks today,..... The doctor was actually the one who recommended it. Not quite the same as smoking real cigarettes I know, but definitely gets you through any cravings and strangely helps with the incessant nausea and sickness I have had so far.

I would say go for it- you have nothing to lose! Congratulations by the way too!

[Waggamamma]

Definitely better than smoking cigarettes but they're not 'harmless' as such.

Current cessation guidelines recommend pregnant women have an abrupt quit, nicotine replacement shouldn't be recommended in pregnancy by medical professionals. But still definitely better than smoking 'real' cigarettes if you really feel you can't completely quit.

As previous posters said, there's just not enough research about ecigs yet to know the long term impact but they're likely better than tobacco, as there's no tar.

The thing about ecigs is they are unregulated so you can't be sure of the safety of the product or the level of nicotine you are consuming.

[Fissawissa]

Would the nicotine show up in a blood test?

[stonehairbrush]

Nicotine is really harmful to the baby. It can restrict oxygen and that and carbon monoxide cause the most harm.

If you HAVE to do it, go for a nicotine free one.

And yes I understand how hard it is.

[stonehairbrush]

Actually, that's a lie,I don't! I quit the second I found out I was pregnant. Lucky I guess.

Have however smoked since then and am smoking e cigarettes now. Will give up the nicotine again though when I get preg again

[doubleshotespresso]

Well stonehairbrush wins the prize! ella said there would be judgemental women finding things you do in your pregnancy wrong....

Not very helpful to the OP is it?

[stonehairbrush]

OP asked what people thought of smoking e cigs in pregnancy. I think it's bad because nicotine is bad for the baby. Based on science and shit.

I gave a useful suggestion - nicotine free e cigs.

[doubleshotespresso]

actually that's a lie, I don't! I quit the second I found out I was pregnant.

Which preceded your comment based on science and shit.

[doubleshotespresso]

I should think the reason we are all chatting here on this thread is that we already know nicotine is bad for the baby. Your post did came across far more judgey than it did useful....

[stonehairbrush]

Yes I found it easy to quit when I was pregnant - lucky me, as I said. But haven't found it easy when I'm not, which I also said.

I do tend to find it's the people who can't or won't quit that like to focus on the 'do what you want and ignore the judgers' rather than actually quitting, which we all know would be better for you and baby.

[stonehairbrush]

Whatever, doubleshot.

OP - lots of options online. Here are some www.ecigarettedirect.co.uk/zero-nicotine.html

if ditching the nicotine straight away is daunting perhaps you could alternate? E Lites do starter kits, and have regular, light and menthol.

Good luck! I promise you'll feel better for it eventually

[doubleshotespresso]

Surely the fact we are all here proves we and the OP already know quitting is best for baby. Getting on your high horse and judging those whose circumstances you know nothing about I tend to find comes across as unhelpful and yes overly judgey for want of a better word.

The OP has come here for advice and support to do the best for her baby-if you found it easy dropping the dreaded tobacco why not share some useful tips rather than rubbing her face in it?

And for the record, since you did not ask, my ecigs are nicotine free... As recommended by the GP.

OP I forgot to say that I found in the early stages of pregnancy peppermint sweets quite a good distraction too, though that may have been more sickness related!

[Lozmatoz]

There's not enough research. Do not take the risk. We're talking about the most precious thing you'll ever have. Just ask yourself if its worth it? Baby or feeling from an e-cig.

[TeenageMutantNinjaTurtle]

My BIL works for a tobacco company (I know, I know, shock horror). I'm also pregnant and we talk about these things...

He says there is no research really at all that looks at the effects of nicotine only on the baby. Most of the harmful effects from smoking are from the other shit in a cigarette. So an e-cig will cut out all of that except the nicotine.

Nicotine is a stimulant, similar to caffeine. We're also advised to cut back on caffeine in pregnancy... So the advice is to cut back on nicotine as well - but no one really knows one way or another as there is no research.

So, e-cig is way better than cigarette. And if you can use them to gradually reduce your nicotine intake and eventually quit, then all the better.

For the record, I eat runny eggs, blue cheese and have the occasional glass of wine. So I might not be the best person to comment

[doubleshotespresso]

Teenage that is pretty much how my GP worded it....

Ahhhh runny eggs! They are what I have missed the most! Have avoided all the eggs/seafood/ coffee/decent cheese etc but eggs oohhhhh....

[JustDanni]

Although there is nothing to suggest it can harm your baby there is also nothing to suggest it can't.
For the same reason you arent to smoke them indoors in public places (at least in Scotland) there hasn't been enough research done to determine the risk of passive smoking or the risk to unborn babies.
You are the guinea pig I am afraid.

[stonehairbrush]

No research that looks into how nicotine affects the baby? You're fooling yourselves. Its harmful affects are well documented. Just google it and find a tonne of stuff.

[alita7]

actually stone hair brush there won't be much if any modern research of the effects of nicotine on babies... It's unethical and how many women would be willing to give their baby nicotine. Most pregnant smokers hide away so as not to be judged.

I think you should go with the e cig ans gradually decrease the nicotine. but don't get the petrol station ones go the market, an e cig shop or online for the fluids as the petrol station ones are usually imported with chinese chemicals and they don't regulate what chemicals they put in. The English and American fluids have to abide by certain guidelines.

I also stopped as soon as I was pregnant. but I'd been cutting down the whole time I was tcc so I was only having a couple a week by then and the smoke smell makes me feel ill now!

[PlentyOfPubeGardens]

Congratulations, teasleromani123

The most important thing is to stay off the fags.

Ideally you should also be cutting out nicotine however the risks from nicotine alone are not huge and NRT is routinely prescribed to PG women who cannot quit without it. This is from NHS choices -

Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT)

You can use NRT during pregnancy if it will help you stop smoking, and you're unable to so without it. It's not recommended that you take stop smoking tablets such as Champix or Zyban during pregnancy.

NRT contains only nicotine and none of the damaging chemicals found in cigarettes, so it is a much better option than continuing to smoke. It helps you by giving you nicotine when you would have had a cigarette.

You can be prescribed NRT during pregnancy by your GP or an NHS stop smoking advisor. Or you can buy it over the counter without a prescription from a pharmacy.
------

When it comes to deciding whether to use an ecig, it's trickier because on the one hand they are not medically licenced (although they are regulated as a consumer product) while on the other hand they seem to work much better for lots of people than medicinal NRT products.

There is a growing pile of research around ecigs and none has so far found any evidence of harm or any mechanism that is likely to cause harm. There's a very good review of all the research to date here (the full paper is free to access but you need to create an account). It's true though that while we do know quite a lot about them, we don't know everything. We don't have any longitudinal studies yet or any on outcomes in pregnancy.

You don't need to worry about taking in too much nicotine. If you started to have too much, you would just feel a bit sick and put it down, the same as you would with a cigarette.

The idea to try a nicotine free one is actually a not bad suggestion. Some people find this is enough on its own, others find they do ok on nicotine free with just an occasional drag of low strength nicotine liquid.

Good luck!

[squizita]

DH has switched to e-cigs and patches now I'm expecting. However for a pregnant woman there is still nicotine which can cause problems such as low birth weight. For us, it's a perfect solution because the nasties (formaldehyde, tar etc') he would breathe out are absent which protects me, but he is still taking on board a drug.

As others have said - MUCH better than smoking for a pregnant woman, but NOT perfect - try to use them to give up rather than a replacement.

[squizita]

PS. What Plentyofpubegardens said! :)

[PlentyOfPubeGardens]

don't get the petrol station ones go the market, an e cig shop or online for the fluids as the petrol station ones are usually imported with chinese chemicals and they don't regulate what chemicals they put in. The English and American fluids have to abide by certain guidelines.

What are 'chinese chemicals'?

Ecigs contain four ingredients: propylene glycol, vegetable glycerine, nicotine and food flavourings.

Anything sold in the EU is subject to exactly the same regulations, whether it's made in a vast chinese factory, a naice family-owned, artisanal, organic, 'mixing kitchen' in cornwall or somebody's shed in the deep south US.

Out of the places on your list I'd say the market is the dodgiest choice.

[DownstairsMixUp]

When i was studying there were a few studies knocking about nicotine being harmful to the baby (and this was 2008) so I'm sure there will be some more. You could try nicotine free replacements, I know it's hard but worth a try and if you really struggle then e-cigs would be better than actual cigarettes. Good luck!

[TeenageMutantNinjaTurtle]

DoubleEspresso - buy Lion Stamped UK. All Lion eggs (85% of eggs sold in uk are lion stamped) then the chickens have been vaccinated against salmonella and packed under strict hygiene conditions.

So I don't eat runny eggs out as I don't know where the eggs have come from. But I eat them at home...!