to think testing pregnant women to check if they're smoking is a stupid idea

[thegriffon]

Independent article.
This really can't have been thought through. Imagine conversation at AN appointment.
MW "Do you smoke?"
Pregnant woman "No".
MW "I don't believe you, please breathe into this machine."
Pregnant woman "Piss off".

Lol I meant Allen Carr. I know he is now passed away but the book is really good.

"If one in five women was using heroin in the UK, and research had flagged up that there was a significantly high level of non-disclosure (which I think there is with smoking), then you'd all be arguing for routine drug testing for every pregnant woman."

I wouldn't. And I can't imagine many would.

Fucking hell, mandatory drugs tests for all pregnant women?!

If that was the way things were I wouldn't register for ante-natal care.

And not because I'd test positive.

But because I seek medical care when pregnant that treats me as a patient.

Not an incubator.

You can't stop smoking unless you want to. A woman who is lying to their midwife and claiming not to smoke is not ready to stop smoking and forcibly testing her and then sending her to the 'smoking cessation' team is NOT going to magically make her stop smoking.

If I was pregnant and they wanted to test for faulty home appliance smoking they would be told no. I'm not a smoker but its a slippery slope.

It can hardly be compared to testing heroin users, tobacco is entirely legal and if a woman wants to (stupidly but that's beside the point) smoke during pregnancy she is legally entitled to, as horrid as that is.

Just give all mums whether they smoke or not advice on quitting, the dangers etc and if they do admit to smoking offer help with that. That's about all that can be done really. It's a legal habit and supposedly a free country so I don't see any need to test for it when in the eyes of the law they're doing nothing wrong.

I actually think it is a good idea as it would probably really help motivate people who are trying not to smoke whilst pregnant. If they knew someone was going to find out it may help them to ignore the desire to smoke.

Shouldn't they then be testing the partners and anyone living with the pregnant woman? And then they should be sent to "smoking cessation" team as well. After all, second hand smoke and all that, right?

I would have told them to shove off aswell. Will they be checking to see if they're smoking once the babies are born too? Maybe popping round unannounced to test the air??

Would the test also pick up passive smoking?.

Being very overweight can also increase the risk of complications for unborn babies. Is it at all similar to Mothers-To-Be being weighed

Ok so the only reason to test for this is to check if a woman is lying. We are all already asked the question and a woman would know if she smokes. We all have the right to refuse any test or medical treatment, so the women who are lying would refuse the test. Therefore nothing will be gained by introducing this test and as many have pointed out could seriously jeopardise the relationship between the midwife and mother to be, no one likes being accused of lying!! At the end of the day if the midwife has done her job properly the woman will have been made aware of the risks of smoking, after that it is up to her to decide whether she gives up or not.

agree with Heffalump, well summed up

Were you twelve Tickle?

ignore me, wrong thread

Never smoked in my life - and they can take my word for that, no testing required (just as they took my word that I was pregnant, what my height was, and what I weighed).

There are other tests that would be clinically useful that they claim they don't have the money for - how about group-b strep (which I was routinely tested for in Canada, but not here), or how about trusting me to take my own prenatal vitamins rather than giving me a free prescription for folic acid and vitamin D?

Was I twelve?! Nah, not quite that bad

How about obese mothers claiming to lost weight?

Are they going to ask them to blow into a Big Mac-O-Meter incase they're telling lies?

That should say claiming they're 'trying' to lose weight.

Either way, it's still a ridiculous idea.

Here in the US in many states a fetus has more rights than the mother. There have been instances where a woman has been forced by the legal system to carry a pregnancy to term against her will; I don't just mean being denied an abortion, I mean she was under house arrest throughout. At least one state legislature has tried to pass laws making it a felony if you miscarry due to your own actions (such as smoking, drinking, taking Pennyroyal, doing too much sport, etc etc.) if convicted you could go to jail for this.

Coming from this atmosphere, I would refuse the test. If a midwife or HV wants to come test my house for CO or the NHS wants to give out free CO monitors in case of faulty gas appliances, fine, but I would fight any test or law that puts the rights of a fetus above the rights of a woman. I know the issue isn't as controversial in the UK as in the US but that's how I feel. If I was still in the UK I would refuse the test on principle. I do not want to become a prisoner in my own body, I am not a brood mare. Next think they'll be testing us for KFC or coffee.

Precisely, Worra.

They did it to me - I don't smoke but my carbon monoxide levels registered quite high. They clearly didn't believe I didn't smoke and referred me to Smoking Cessations. I refused to go though, the whole situation was ridiculous. It ended up being a leak in my car heaters.

My CO levels are normal now though!

Worra they might have a "crisp detection device" or "Have you eaten four Mars Bars Breathalyzer" or something.....I tell you...if they'd tried to get between me and a bag of chips when I was pregnant they might have lost a few fingers though!

Neo

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