To be dismayed at the increasing number of pregnant women I see smoking

[likingthespring]

I used to notice the odd one or two but I've seen loads recently. Maybe it's not that there's more women smoking in pregnancy but just more not giving a shit what people think.

Sausagesandmarmalade Do you really think it's your place to judge whether someone is fit to be a Mother? Regardless of whether they smoke or not that is a truelly nasty thing to say.

BimboNo5 You are a complete idiot, unborn babies do take in a lot of the chemicals smoked by Mothers and they are harmful.

"I loved smoking when pg. I especially loved resting the ashtray on bump- bump loved it too and tried to kick it off! Aww!!"
"Its sad that people think a child in the womb sits breathing in 20 lambert and butlers via its mother"
Perhaps Bimbo, you have hit on the real reason your DH does not want any more kids then, if you merrily smoked through pg and thought it all a harmless game - your bump was a convenient ash tray shelf and everyone who thinks babies are affected by what their mother takes in are deluded. any sympathy I felt for you on the other thread has gone now.

That was a blatant joke you fool

Bimbo, a pregnant woman cant live in a sterile bubble for nine months, so inevitably some pollutants will be inhaled, but even as a smoker myself I would stop and not put even more unnessecary chemicals into my body if I were pregnant.

Take in yes- breathe in no. Is there any need for name calling?

No, Its informed people that think a child sits in the womb breathing in 20 lambert and butlers via its mother.

I cant believe anyone would actually think otherwise... they can chose not to care - but actually to think its ok???

I shall sit down and have a glass of water now. Things like this make me very angry. (cradles smoke free bump).

On a slightly different note, it is driving me mad the amount of people who smoke infront of me, and blow it in my face. I actually asked a smoking guy to move out of the bus shelte the other day, he just looked at me and carried on. I don't want my baby to be breathing in this stuff. it makes me very sick and i'm an adult, so how can she be coping?

GRRRRR!

For some people smoking IS necessary though- pregnant or not. Dont underestimate the power of addiction.FTR I never smoked during either pregnancy but did before/after.

Bimbo You are a hypocrite. You say "any need for name calling* after just calling someone a fool.

I don't want my baby to be breathing in this stuff. it makes me very sick and i'm an adult, so how can she be coping?

im sure she will be 'coping' just fine with a wee puff off smoke near her...

There was a story-probably in the Daily flippin Mail that women (esp young women) were smoking to make their babies low-birth weight therefore easier birth .
Its nine months out of Your life, its potentially the rest of the babies life.

"But if you smoke, it means that your baby shares chemicals from the smoke you breathe. It also means that the dangerous chemicals in other people's smoke - secondhand smoke - can affect your baby" From the NHS website.

So No she won't be fine.

YANBU. They are causing potential harm to their unborn child. If an adult was forcing a child to breathe in smoke, they would be judged for it. There are calls to outlaw smoking in cars when children are present for example. I don't see the difference, just because the child is unborn.

I agree that smoking during pregnancy isn't a great thing to do but I think these women know that, so I don't see what difference our disapproval is going to make.

My mum sadly found it impossible to give up smoking when pregnant with me and carried on right the way through. She has been a fantastic mother; the two aren't mutually exclusive

MP please- do you go out in a bubble suit so 'smoke free bump' doesnt get affected by any of the nasty nasty car fumes out there?

From the NHS:

- When you smoke, or inhale other people's secondhand smoke, the smoke goes into your lungs.

- Chemicals from the smoke, such as carbon monoxide, are then absorbed into your bloodstream.

- Some of the oxygen in your blood is replaced by carbon monoxide.

- This means that the oxygen supply to your baby may be restricted.

-When you smoke you inhale over 4,000 chemicals from the cigarette. One of these is a dangerous chemical called carbon monoxide, which gets into your bloodstream.

- This restricts the oxygen that's essential for your baby's healthy growth and development, and because cigarettes restrict their oxygen supply, their tiny heart has to beat harder every time you smoke.

-Smoking can cause a greater risk of miscarriage and stillbirth.

-Your baby is more likely to be born prematurely and with a low birth weight.

Any child who is 100% healthy when the mother has smoked through her pregnancy is lucky. It doesn't mean it isn't dangerous for the baby, it means that baby got lucky.

I dont really think its applicable when its someone wafting a bit of their smoke near your PFB...
and why on earth are you posting that- do you really think people dont know what happens when smoking in pregnancy? People smoke- they know the risks- deal with it!

As someone who has never smoked, ate healthily, did gentle exercise and gave up alcohol, took folic acid etc etc, both DH and self in 20s, no family history of medical or pg problems, and STILL had a stillborn DD, I think bimbo is living in cloud cuckoo land with her opinions on her right to smoke in pg and how it will do no harm. Its russian roulette, and every day underweight pre-term babies who struggle to breathe unaided are born, and go on to have numerous allergies, chest infections etc because their selfish mothers smoked when pg.

i was unlucky, I got hit by a medical condition previously unseen at such an advanced stage of pg by the experts at the top london hospitals - DD should not really have gone as far as she did (5 months)before we lost her, the condition she had accounts for many many miscarriages before 12 weeks

If you can't give up smoking to give your child the best chance of a healthy start, YOU are the fool, not me

May I suggest you don't go out MP
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/1731902.stm

I still smoked when I was pregnant (16 years ago). I cut down but couldn't stop, and even though I'm not particularly proud of it, it doesn't seem to have made the slightest bit of difference to my very healthy son.
He was a healthy baby, and is now a healthy teenager.
My parents were both smokers too, and brought up 4 of us. I am 54 so obviously things have changed a lot now, (probably a good thing in many ways) but judging other mothers in this way does get my back up a bit.

Yes, pollution is horrible, but i'm never sucking it into my body at close proximity. I don't live in a city, I don't drive - so at least i can know that i'm not adding to that risk.

But really, you know its not the same thing.

Where did I say I smoked and where did I say it caused no harm? Oh yeah- I never did! Again- FOOL!

Oh sorry Bimbo, I posted that because I thought you didn't know the risks.

Strawberry - I am entitled to my own opinion as much as you are

Perhaps I should have phrased my comment "in my opinion"...

ashamedandconfused - I'm sorry for your loss. It's cruel.