to wonder if it’s acceptable to smoke whilst pregnant?

[Lovemypeaceandquiet]

Just seen a heavily pregnant woman in town, smoking away whilst taking a break in her shopping.

Also knew a girl at work who was a frequent visitor to the smoking area to the very end of her pregnancy.

I thought it’s commonly known how harmful smoking is for unborn babies.

Is it due to ignorance or negligence? And why is it socially acceptable, unlike drinking or drug using in pregnancy?

Shocking right! It's not like it's an addiction or anything. 🙄

Pointless thread alert

😏OFC she does.

What I can never understand is what the satisfaction of provoking a froth is. How empty has your life got to be to think “I know I’ll go and goad pointlessly to get predictable answers for a couple of hours!” So tedious.

My mother was advised to smoke more during her pregnancy with me because it calms the nerves apparently. This was the 60's though. She smoked like a trooper all through her pregnancies

My ex SIL chain smoked all the way through her pregnancy luckily nothing was wrong with the baby. I found it particular difficult not to say something as we were on the waiting list for IVF and she was taking unnecessary risks when having a baby was all we wanted.

It isn't socially acceptable.

It's not acceptable if the baby is expected to survive the birth but it's a tough habit to break at what may be a stressful time so cut people some slack.

I don't think anyone thinks it's socially acceptable. Even the people who actually do it know it's not socially acceptable.

What do you want from this thread, exactly? To get everyone to start slagging off women they've never met and denouncing them for being evil baby abusers, so you can all feel morally superior?

It is bad to smoke while pregnant. You know that, we know that. Move on.

This

This. You don't know people's lives.

Look at your own behaviour (being a wind-up for example).

It's not acceptable, you know that but it is an addiction and addictions are not easy to break.

A pregnant woman smoking is in no way opening herself up to social services input, how ridiculous

I think you should mind your own business. Yes there is a risk of harming the baby but many women smoked in the 40s 50s 60s etc and not all those babies were harmed. It's incredibly difficult to give up smoking and many of those smoking mothers to be will already hate themselves for their lack of willpower so please just look away and move on.

What are you hoping to get from this thread OP?

It is ludicrous to suggest social services get involved if a pregnant woman smokes!

I was my parents firstborn. My mum still goes misty eyed when she reminisces about those magical first weeks when she would settle down in the comfy chair to breastfeed me, and once I was latched on, my dad would light her a fag and pop it in the ashtray next to her.

She probably had a half of guinness as well, for the iron.

I have often seen pregnant women, sometimes in nightdresses or hospital gowns, smoking outside the maternity unit. When I had my baby 40 odd years ago there was still a day room where smoking was allowed in the hospital.

It's not acceptable though.

of course it’s not good but its better than the alternative which is policing the lives and bodies of pregnant women.

“I am visiting him twice a day, anyway my point is EVERY single time there are heavily pregnant women and visitors smoking outside the entrance.”

That’s what I mean.

So everyone agrees it’s not acceptable, however, it would imply it’s looked down upon by the society. You wouldn’t think so by looking at amount of pregnant women happily smoking away in a busy town centre.

My question is do they not know how harmful it is or they don’t care?

Yes, I’m judging people who knowingly put their children at risk. How dare I 🙄

Same, but I don't know their story they might have received bad news.

I have a friend who unexpectedly found herself pregnant ( following a fling in the aftermath of a nasty divorce, she had had long standing fertility issues in her marriage so it was a complete surprise) and had trouble giving up smoking during her pregnancy as along with all this her father who she was devoted to suddenly died too... She cut down massively and gave up alcohol completely which was very hard to do with everything going on. It's easy to judge but unless you're in someone else's shoes etc

How are we going to know? Either ask them yourself or see if someone has done research

Of course they know, but it's an addiction.

My question is do they not know how harmful it is or they don’t care?

What difference does it actually make to you?

It was acceptable in like 1970, it definitely isn’t now. I’ll never forget seeing new parents standing in the smoking shelter outside the hospital with their newborn in the car seat in the shelter too while they smoked. Disgusting.