Pregnant and smoking

[Moominfan]

Do you judge mums who are pregnant and smoke? There was some work place drama today. Pregnant lady over heard a comment made by two members of staff about her smoking. Must have touched a nerve. One of the two ladies is struggling to conceive so I imagine seeing someone drain a cancer stick whilst pregnant must be repugnant to her.

No I don’t judge. It’s none of my business. I’m an ex smoker myself, and it took a hell of a lot of trying to give up smoking and I only did it in the end by using champix, which affected my mental health.

Anecdotally, I used to work in the antenatal clinic, and the only ones who smoked were me, one SHO and the smoking cessation midwife.

Yes it’s disgusting. No thought or care given to the poor unborn baby and any damage being done.

Yes I do.

Yes. I have a relation on DH's side (who I loathe for many reasons). She smoked like a chimney throughout her 4 pregnancies. Her children were born small, early and now all have lung problems as she also continues to smoke. She regularly posts the usual dramatic Facebook updates about dashes to hospital because of breathing problems that one of them has experienced, invariably to gain sympathy. I will definitely judge her!

Yes I do, it's appalling.

I know a few women who smoked while pregnant, and every single child has had asthma and other respiratory issues and/or severe glue ear. All are linked to smoking. One woman TTC for quite some time and had two miscarriages before having her daughter. Puffed away throughout. I can't get my head round it

Not really. A good friend smoked, she had mental health issues related to her previous birth which resurfaced in the second pregnancy. She was almost sectioned, and smoking was probably the least of the worrying things she did (and she only smoked occasionally when it all got too much)

So you never really know do you?

After I had a miscarriage (first pregnancy) a woman at work kept smoking and was heavily pregnant and didn't even hide it, I was so close to saying something to her. I thought, she doesn't even deserve a healthy child! I still feel that way. I've also smoked but never, ever pregnant!

One of the most disgusting things you can do. I always feel bad for the women/ couples who struggle to have children and witness this atrocity

I judge all smokers but I have a real aversion to cigarettes, almost like a phobia and can't bear to look at or touch them.

I would judge yes.
I quit to TTC and fell pregnant a month after I quit. I’ve been off them over 2 years now.

I also know from a midwife pal that the stress and changes to her body when withdrawing from smoking could be as harmful to the pregnancy as smoking a controlled amount.

I really don't believe this is true. I've heard countless people trot this one out over the years, but I've never seen any of them provide any kind of peer-reviewed research showing that the stress of withdrawal is more dangerous for the baby than the smoking is. How would researchers even measure that? Cot death, for example, is heavily linked to smoking, but I've never seen any evidence that maternal stress is.

What does "worse than" actually mean? You would need to believe that nicotine withdrawal causes miscarriage, stillbirth, disabilities and birth defects at an even higher rate than smoking does. If that were the case, then surely when heavy smokers give birth, their babies must need to have fags forced into their mouths immediately after the umbilical cord is cut - or else they'll die of nicotine withdrawal. Yet I've never seen Baby's First Nicotine Patch advertised on TV!

OMG yes, I judge. Currently pregnant and LOVED a cigarette with a glass of wine before I got pregnant.

It's a horrendous thing to do when pregnant. Just stop...

No, I don’t consider it my business. You never know what’s going on in someone’s life.

I always feel desperately sad for the baby. If a mother cares so little for her fetus,what chance has a child got?

I judge and I don't care. I don't necessarily voice those opinions but I am entitled to them

I have a friend who smoked throughout her pregnancy and posts shit on SM like "ooo DD has just coughed so much, she was sick on her bed"..... hello? You smoked through pregnancy and continue to smoke in your house to this day. What do you expect!?!?

Yes I do judge when I see a pregnant woman smoking

I do realise that there can be a huge amount going on 'behind the cigarette' e.g. stresses, anxieties, coping with bad things

But I can't help but have that feeling every time I see an obviously pregnant woman smoking...my thoughts are- they are going to be a lifetime smoker, if they are unable to give up during the 9 months they are carrying their baby

I also know from a midwife pal that the stress and changes to her body when withdrawing from smoking could be as harmful to the pregnancy as smoking a controlled amount

This is such horse shit 😂 and no midwife said this. Except, perhaps, circa 1972

Yes I do.

And as for the “stress” of stopping will be worse than the cigarettes do me a favour. As if stress, a normal phenomenon (albeit one with extremes) is going to be anywhere near as harmful as making your baby ingest actual poison.

Kieren yeah I just made it up because I hate foetuses. FFS. A actual midwife did tell me this....about 10 years ago. A midwife who specialises in working with mothers (and new born babies) with very serious drug and alcohol dependency. It is also common (or so I thought) knowledge that stress hormones are very damaging to pregnancy and foetal brain development.

RedHelenB

How does judging fit in with a woman's body a woman's choice? It’s not just her body she’s affecting though is it? It’s also the body of her poor helpless little baby. I totally judge and I don’t care.

I judge all smokers but I have a real aversion to cigarettes, almost like a phobia and can't bear to look at or touch them

Always one ridiculously over dramatic person... Maybe don't touch them then and get on with your life? 😂

I do and don't judge, on the one hand I do because I quit the moment I found out I was pregnant despite being admittedly devestated I was pregnant so I feel like its not that hard.

However, I can only speak for myself and I don't know whats going on in other peoples lives and if their trying or not. Most of my friends smoked while pregnant, some even smoked weed.. I still can't wrap my head around that one.

Yes I judge. It’s a disgraceful thing to do while pregnant.

I think yes I do silently judge but I wouldn't say it to the mum to be became it is absolutely none of my damn business.

How does judging fit in with a woman's body a woman's choice?

I think that once a woman has made the informed, considered choice to remain pregnant and give birth to a baby that a) she must acknowledge that it isn’t just her body any more and b) she has a responsibility to try and ensure that baby has the healthiest gestation possible, or at the very least not go out of her way to do anything harmful. Which means not deliberately and repeatedly pumping her, and consequently her baby’s bloodstream full of toxic carcinogenic cigarette smoke.

Also waiting for someone to pipe up with the bullshit “but what about exhaust fumes?!” argument