to think "no actually, the stress of stopping smoking won't be worse for your unborn baby than you smoking"

[UphillBothWays]

I'm fed up with hearing this as an excuse for continuing to smoke in pregnancy! I've heard people say this in real life, on TV, and now Stacey Solomon is claiming her doctor OK'd her smoking too.

Yes, quitting smoking is hard, but don't claim it's better for your baby to be exposed to carbon monoxide, cyanide and nicotine fgs.

I would have a lot more sympathy if they said "I know it's awful and I'm trying my hardest to stop but I'm struggling and have slipped up"

If she said 'I know, I wish I had quit but I'm weak, I have cut down loads and doing my best' I wouldn't judge to be honest. But excusing it with that load of shit- I judge that.

I didn't carry on smoking while pregnant, BUT I can confirm that my doctor did actually tell me that the odd fag to relieve stress would be less harmful to the baby than the stress itself. So maybe she's not lying.

I'm sure life would be a lot better if we all stopped judging each other so much.

As women managed to carry and give birth to babies in famine, war and times of real hardship I agree that it is bollocks.

My MW said, and this is a verbatim quote, "if you can give up, fantastic, if you can cut down thats's great too, but if not don't stress because stress is bad for the baby too."

That was 2006, I managed to cut down.

Of course it's not good to smoke when you are pg and I doubt any doctor would actually say this - although not all doctors talk sense IME. Stopping smoking can cause huge stress and physical symptoms though, so I can see why people try to make that argument.

But at a fundamental level - do we have the right to judge? And if we do, are we just seeing the woman as an incubator for the baby? Do we have the right to judge her if she eats non-organic food or has a drink with aspartame?

I actually do think it's quite a big deal that a public figure who's been voted "best mum" says she was given medical advice to continue smoking. Kind of undermines all the NHS stop smoking in pregnancy stuff doesn't it?

My doctor told me it was fine to drink, in quantity - the only danger came from falling over.

I don't think so!

Blimey, MN would go out of business if we stopped judging!

YANBU. As a former chain smoker who went cold turkey the second I found out I was pregnant, there is no excuse whatsoever. There was no stress about giving up. I was so obsessed with trying to see if I had a bump yet and keeping myself healthy that stressing about fags didn't come into it.

No excuse whatsoever. If I can go from 20 a day for 17 years and stop cold turkey the second I saw the blue line, then so can others.

Later I suffered 3 mcs despite being a non smoker and pregnant mums risking their babies' health with fags made me even less tolerant of them.

It was a vry set up shot though. Papped in fulham fgs. Then stacky solomon can sell a stop smoking with me book when she does give up. Nevr seen her smoke before. Good PR and image advice is what she's had.

Its just that drip feed bollocks that celebs like SS pander to. I cant bear her. Can you tell?!?

YANBU

And god knows on what basis she got 'Best Mum'.

Smoking whilst pregnant or with a young child in the home increases the chances of serious, even fatal illness for that child. It's really shit parenting and I DO judge it. You can judge me on all the stuff I do wrong too if you like. I've never knackered my babies lungs through my own self indulgence though so you'd struggle to even up that one.

I think maybe the more important issue is the fact the nhs is giving out conflicting advice not what Stacey Solomon (or anyone) chooses to do whilst pregnant.

I still smoke, my baby's lungs are fine thanks, I don't smoke anywhere near her, I smoke outside.

Kenny, actually you make a good point. She didn't even smoke on IACGMOOH when other people did. I wonder when she took up smoking?

that said I've had some involvement in pregnancy stop smoking services and cutting down was recommended then if cold turkey wasn't achievable. I am very sympathetic, anyone who can quit or cut down has my full support. But the stress excuse is just that - an excuse

Ginger and what about the smoke on your clothes, your breath, your hair?

I was told by my doctor that quitting cold turkey could cause more detrimental effects on me. I do have MH issues including high anxiety so could that be something to do with it?

I quit to three a day but I didn't get down to one/none until I was 32 weeks pregnant. With DD2 I knew I could do it so I weaned myself off cigarettes with a Nicorette inhaler (which isn't good for you but it's better than a cigarette) and before I was 14 weeks I'd gone days without a cigarette. I had high stress during my pregnancy as both were high risk (not smoking related - polyhydramnios) but I still managed to give up. I'm not being high and mighty because it was bloody difficult but I can't imagine if I got pregnant again that I wouldn't give up again.

Stopping smoking can cause huge stress and physical symptoms though

No it really doesn't. Medically speaking the withdrawal effects are negligible.

It's image stuff isn't it. All carefully planned and then "leaked" to the press.

I REALLY cannot bear SS. All her "oh gosh, can i sing? Really?? Am i really that good?" bollocks on the x factor. She was at college studying theatre studies, so some singing required, FFS. If she didnt think you were any good why did she apply for x factor???

Not fooled by the publicity mad irritant that is SS.

Whilst I know it is complete and utter bollocks as far as facts go, my GP actually did say that to me during pregnancy.

I did stop by the way.

Why do people believe the lie that nicotine is a hard thing to withdraw from? Nicotine addiction is 95% psychological. With the right support that 95% fear and stress can be conquered so easily.

Your GP is a dick in that case, and probably a smoker

Giving up smoking is hard, everyone I give up I could quite easily murder someone to get a cigarette.

Luckily I gave up smoking and it only took me 1 month of ttc before my bfp so didn't go back until my 2nd was born and only started again because of PND.

I wouldn't have any more dc as dh has had the snip so can't say if I was to get pregnant now if I would be able to quit