Pregnant women should take 'smoking test': what do you think?

Schro how do you mean they wouldn't let you, if I'd have had enough backbone I'd have chucked it at my midwife but it was just to shut her up about it

I can't remember the ins and outs of the conversation but I did say 'Ah that won't be necessary I quit when the line came up, haha' but she said some guff about checking anyway, this is the same midwife who booked my induction when I was 39+6 because 'you're only allowed to go 12 days over'

Schro - that is terrible. I am old and bolshie and I'd tell them to fuck off, but that's easy for me to say, I'm not vulnerable iyswim.

Ruby You know you are so right about money better spent. They offered me £500 in LoveToShop vouchers to quit, presumably so I didn't spend it on fags or booze or fruit shoots or summit.

Oops, too many question marks there.

Like someone said upthread, there is only any point testing if there is a solution to a positive result? I probably have a polluted commute - how would I change that as I work in central London?

If you lie about smoking, you are unlikely to be committed to stopping. If you tell the truth, you can be offered help to stop. So what would this test do?

The only thing it might pick up is carbon monoxide leaks at home...but that seems quite rare to me. Surely the money could be better spent in other areas of antenatal care, like more midwives altogether?

They already do this here, I tried to refuse the test as I thought it was intrusive (pulls monitor out and "right, blow into this") they wouldn't let me.

I was struggling to quit at that point, I'd had a contraception failure with something I thought couldn't fail and didn't even know how far along I was, I was seriously depressed. It came up just above the clear point and the lecture I got while already completely bloody fragile riled me.

They automatically put me on the smoking cessation even though I asked not to be and I was phoned constantly until I agreed to see them.

When I got there I was given those nicotine sucky tablet things and told to use them, despite my notes saying that I was allergic and me telling them, they burn my mouth and I find it hard to breathe. Wanna know what they said to me about that? "but it will only be like that for a few minutes can you not just bear it".

It's intrusive. I went back for my check up (being forced to take the test again to check up on me), I hadn't smoked and it came up just higher than normal apparently because my DP smokes and there is another smoker in my house who I am sometimes around, they made me feel like shit because I hadn't made them quit smoking as well.

What Vinegar said. No point doing a test unless it has the potential to change something.

If I was worried about carbon monoxide poisoning then buying a carbon monoxide detector would be a better idea? Perhaps they should hand those out to pregnant women instead? Or indeed, erm, anyone since carbon monoxide is not fussy about who it affects I bought a detector after reading something on here.

I'm like expat. That's awful that your wishes were over-ridden and a test was forced on you without your consent.

'My midwife insisted I had that test when she did my booking, despite me telling her I had not smoked since I got the positive test 2 weeks prior.'

I'd have told her NO. Over and over.

My midwife insisted I had that test when she did my booking, despite me telling her I had not smoked since I got the positive test 2 weeks prior.

Ridiculous idea

It puts me in mind of drug testing criminals.

Fuck that.

And that's my polite way of putting it.

I was set to decline this test if offered during my recent pregnancy. Saying no to the do you smoke questions is all that is necessary, we shouldn't be making women prove it. It just another small thing that infantises women, and suggests we are incapable of honesty.

I can see it would lead to breakdown of trust with the midwife if pushed - and trust in your midwife is absolutely vital.

What the actual fuck? Intrusive nannying bullshit.

I've never smoked but I would refuse the test.

It's a step towards the Irish position, and lets not forget what happened there.

Really who in NICE came up with that one? Were they smoking waccy baccy at the time?

So the idea is to 'catch out' pregnant women who are smoking but lying about it (yet somehow agree to the test that will reveal they are lying) and then, presented with the evidence that they are lying, ask them nicely if they'd fancy going to the smoking cessation clinic? How or why would that work?

I did this test September 2011, wasn't aware it wasn't standard then.

I thought it was a bit of an intrusion tbh, but not enough to debate it when I was already eyeing the wastepaper basket for vomming purposes.

Is there a cost benefit anywhere?
I would have thought those who are going to give up smoking will, and most of us don't smoke anyway? Isn't there a better way to focus scarce resources???

What about freedom of choice for the unborn child Kentucky?

I'm not sure the test has any purpose, but I'm not against taking one if asked. Seems like a huge waste of money overall though!

So what would be done if it picked up that you had a high level of CO exposure due to your commute? Signed off work for 9 months?!

There is only a point in doing a test if it is going to have the potential to change something.

I never smoked whilst TTC or pregnant but no way would I consent to such a test! VERY bad idea.

Jeez, why is it anyone else's business if a pregnant woman wants to smoke or not? Um freedom of choice anyone?

Pointless. I have never smoked and have no intention of starting, therefore why waste their time and money?

If I did smoke I'd have to be a bit thick to have missed all the warnings so I'd either have given up myself/accessed the help or decided for whatever reason to continue. A test won't change that.