One in ten smoke in pregnancy

[SoTheMoon]

AIBU to be totally shocked by this?

I honestly thought it was much, much lower. Government target announced today is to get it down to 6%.

"My vices don't impact an unborn child's health. That's the difference."

It isn't though, that's a matter of chance. The point I'm making is that we all have willpower in respect of some things and not others. We judge those who lack the same willpower as us but excuse those who lack the willpower we lack. Studies show that eg smokers judge overweight people for eating too much, overweight people judge drinkers, etc. Our own vices are okay and understandable. And people who've given up smoking assume it will be exactly as easy for someone else to give up. It isn't.

I'm speaking as someone whose mother smoked through pregnancy. She was and is a wonderful mother.

The people who are defending pregnant smokers - would you similarly defend pregnant heroin/alcohol addicts?

No one is defending it, or in any way condoning it. However, a pregnant woman has a right to her own body, and until the baby is born, it is still her body.

It is terrible some of the consequences of substance use/abuse during pregnancy, and of course the health services should help the women in every way possible to ensure both mother and child are as well as possible by the end. However, there is a line between helping and policing pregnant women- the latter can only take us down a slippery slope.

I hope all the people who think women are selfish for smoking in pregnancy all give their children dummies and have fans in their rooms; both also shown to reduce SIDS.

Probably not if the feelings about dummies I see on here are carried through.

People LOVE to police women's behaviour.

When I was in labour I was with two other women who were being induced. They both kept nipping out for fags. In the ward after I have birth, all three of the women sharing with me kept going out for fags and also had smoked through their pregnancies. My neighbour smoked about 20 a day through hers.

I found it shocking at the time I was in hospital. But I guess its much more common than we realise!

Smoking introduces poisonous substances like carbon monoxide into the developing baby and deprives them of oxygen, which has consequences (still birth, lower birth weight, respiratory problems), so I am shocked Op.
I was reading a science journal the other day, and foetuses exposed to smoke have smaller lung capacity (with sometimes dire consequences), and the placentas were smaller in all samples that were assessed. Not just some, ALL.
The brain, liver and kidney function of the exposed feaotuses were also affected.
So incredibly harmful, with the potential to be so bloody dangerous.

This is only anecdotal but evidence would back it up.

I am a student midwife, 9 out of 10 women that I see on labour ward who are being induced due to IUGR and/or failing placenta are smokers.

If you want evidence that we like to police women, consider this. There is some evidence that low levels of alcohol consumption during pregnancy is correlated with better outcomes for babies than teetotal pregnancies. But we tell women to avoid alcohol completely.

It's not about being holier than thou, it's about not being a shitty parent before your kids are even born.

The shittiest parenting I've seen has been by those who lack empathy and are unable to grasp that life isn't black and white.

It is smoking at delivery and presumably women are in long enough for the midwife to get an idea of whether they smoke in most cases.
There are also stats on quitting in pregnancy and there is work on smoking at the beginning of pregnancy.

I gave birth in September 2015, a couple of weeks beforehand I went down to the hospital because I was a bit worried about reduced movements, and there was a woman clearly checked in at the hospital (pajamas, dressing gown, band) who was heavily pregnant, smoking right under a sign that says please don't smoke here the paediatric beds are just above :(

Some people just really don't give a shit. I always do my utmost to reserve judgement but it is truly one of those things that indicate you're really not putting your baby first, and before they're even born, it's not a good start.

I haven't read all the replies but I'm not remotely surprised.

Everyone knows lots of peoples who's mothers smoked and are fine.

It's a story I heard so no source and it's probably made up BUT because of the low birth weight think, young mothers think that small babies will be less painful and do less damage on the way out.

I'm not justifying it obviously!

I'm not surprised by this at all.

One of the mums from the mother and baby groups I attended years ago smoked through both her pregnancies. Both her dc have asthma now, and chest problems. Doesn't stop her whinging about the doctors

I think it's likely to be much higher but people just don't say anything.

Pregnancy is nine months, it's not like they have to give up for an eternity, same with alcohol. You wouldn't give a baby a glass of wine or let it smoke so why do it in uterus.

I am conflicted though, contrary to my first post.

I know someone who smoked throughout their last pregnancy (I don't get on with this person but they are in my life inevitably), but they had given up cocaine (I hope to God anyway), and probably felt it was the smoking that got her through.

It's easy to be judgemental and it's frustrating to see as for most people it goes against every instinct you have as a mother when you see something that you know is detrimental to a baby's growth.

But there are probably many more factors involved and I think most of us know that even if it's on a somewhat subconscious level, we're probably aware that the other contributing factors might indicate what we view as inadequacy.

I feel mean about my earlier post now, just the image of that heavily pregnant woman smoking away outside of that childrens ward is always what springs to mind when I think of it

Rainbows can you really not imagine that it might be difficult? And that it's only 9 months might seem like a long time to a woman at the start of it.

The shittiest parenting I've seen has been by those who lack empathy and are unable to grasp that life isn't black and white.

What a massive load of bollocks. Life isn't black and white? Ok then, since pregnant women are able to do whatever the fuck they like by your logic - I'm going through a hard time during my pregnancy and my coping mechanism is to smoke a whole bunch of crack, thank you in advance for your empathy

I am not in the slightest bit sorry to judge anyone who deliberately does anything which is proven to have negative effects on their unborn child. Smoking, drinking, taking drugs, whatever your vice is, if it's dangerous to your baby and you continue to do it well then you're an asshole basically.

Call it lack of empathy if you want but I cannot fathom a single reason to think that smoking whilst pregnant is acceptable behaviour.

It's a story I heard so no source and it's probably made up BUT because of the low birth weight think, young mothers think that small babies will be less painful and do less damage on the way out

DP's ex smoked (fags and weed, and drank wine) all through her pregnancy and was constantly given warnings about underweight babies. When she'd finally popped out her 8lb 10oz baby, and having had an episiotomy and still torn, practically her first words were "Thank fuck I smoked all those fags."

That baby is now my 27 year old stepson, a strapping 6'3" tree surgeon. He was always way above average size throughout his childhood and met all his milestones early.

Driving in your car also risky. All pregnant women to stop instantly

I've recently found out I'm pregnant (very early and not made a decision on whether or not to continue yet). I'm an occasional smoker as in I don't do it regularly, can't remember the last time I actually bought a pack, but I crave a cigarette when things get really, really hard. Safe to say things are really, really hard just now and I'm struggling to resist the temptation, even more so that things still don't feel real.

But that's just me feeling weak. If it's a conscious choice to buy a packet of cigs every day with no intention of stopping then, yeah, that's different.

Unfortunately it doesn't surprise me. Although it does sadden me. I know a few women who smoked during their pregnancies. I quit the moment we started trying for our first. I hate seeing pregnant women smoking :(

One of the reasons why pregnant women who smoke find it difficult to quit is the shame, which prevents them from coming forward and asking for help.

How do they know that the midwife isn't going to be as judgemental as some people on this thread?

StealthPolarBear what an absolutely ridiculous comparison.

I was shocked when my cousin kept stepping outside during her baby shower for a fag. It took her eight years and three rounds of IVF to fall pregnant. It's just pure selfishness.

Pages behind so don't know if any of this has been said yet but I only have a few minutes.

I'm not at all surprised because I was aware of this stat already and often bang on about it on here

There is such a stigma around smoking in pregnancy that women find it incredibly difficult to ask for help. So they hide it, do their best to quit unaided but often end up smoking in secret and feeling horribly, horribly guilty.

That's why universal CO tests were introduced. It can be extremely difficult for a pregnant woman to say 'yes, I'm still smoking'. Easier to say nothing and just blow in the tube because the MW assures you everybody is asked to do this (everybody also has the right to decline this test, just like any other test or procedure, obviously).

Even with the best of help, over 90% of quit attempts end in failure.

This is one area I think MN badly falls down in supporting parents - specifically pregnant women. Women who come here for support to quit in pregnancy too often get flamed horribly and offered no support whatsoever. If we want that stat to be much much lower (which I assume we all do), our attitudes need to change. It has to be OK for women to ask for help.

For any lurking pregnant smokers, come on over to the stop smoking topic for lots of support and encouragement and no judging. You can do this!

Full disclosure: I smoked through two pregnancies because I was too ashamed to ask for help.

Great post pencils. I actually lied about a couple of things in my past to midwives because I was ashamed/ worried it would make me less "perfect" so I can totally see why people do it.