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?

Absolutely not. But I do know someone who got unexpectedly pregnant whilst on some very strong psychiatric drugs that she shouldn’t have been pregnant on. She had to come off them all cold turkey and the withdrawal was horrific. She was advised to not quit smoking at the same time as they were worried her body would go into shock and she could end up losing the baby. She eventually stopped at around 6 months ish.

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

Of course they know. Everyone knows. Drinking is harmful too, but it's still socially acceptable to do. Except when pregnant. Have you noticed society has a lot of opinions on what is acceptable and unacceptable for women?

It isn't socially acceptable.

This was around 13 years ago so do appreciate advice may have changed now though.

You know it's not acceptable, but what you don't seem to grasp is that it's also none of your business. Stop the judging when it doesn't affect you in any way.

Maybe she doesn't care, maybe smoking is the lesser evil, maybe she's tried to kick the habit but has been unsuccessful, maybe she's cut right down. Who knows. Judging her, and others like her, helps no one.

I don't think it's acceptable but I also don't know people's circumstances.

I'd have more empathy for a smoker that's successfully cut down because they're pregnant than one that just carried on their 20 a day habit with complete disregard for their baby. It's not ideal, I know.

When I did my obstetrics placement in liverpool, I met young girls who had deliberately started smoking in order to have smaller, easier to deliver babies.

I think the odd drink during pregnancy is probably rather more widely accepted than smoking.

What's accepted probably varies considerably depending on where you are. Following someone smoking on the school run when DD was in year 5, I realised that it was the first time I had seen a parent smoking on the way to collect their child. I am quite sure that there are plenty of smokers amongst the parents, but still a distinct minority; I suspect they mostly realise that other parents would frown upon it. The balance is probably different in other areas, and of course very different in the smoking shelter!

It's unlikely to be complete ignorance - midwives will have raised it. There may be a feeling that "my parents smoked, and I'm all right", or "I could stop, but nan's going to be doing the childcare so they're still going to have her smoking at them." It's hard to give up - sadly if they don't manage it when pregnant, they probably never will.

Of course it's not acceptable
Women are given information by midwives these days, if they didn't realise before!

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

Are they the only two options ?
Could they be struggling with nicotine addiction?

I wouldn't smoke, but I'm not one for judging another.

Smoking tends to run on families. So if other women in the family are smoking through pregnancy and there's no noticeable negative effects, then they'll disregard the warnings. Some women will be under stress/pressure etc and/or giving up smoking is too difficult, because it's a powerful addiction. My DD smoked through her second pregnancy. She was living with DV. The emotional abuse was horrific. I'm more aghast with the cost.

I don't think there's a single person who doesn't know that pregnancy outcomes are statistically worse in women who smoke, but a woman who smokes in pregnancy is unlikely to be trying to harm her baby and in the overall context of her life and health it may be that continuing to smoke is the least bad option available to her. The disapproval of random people won't improve her chances of stopping.

Of course it's not acceptable. It's barely acceptable when not pregnant.

But people still do it. I'm sure they all have their own individual reasons, so go ask them.

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

Well, to be quite honest, loads of women smoked in the 50s and 60s (and before of course) so they've probably seen it have little to no effect and therefore think it's a risk they're willing to take.

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

Neither.

Obviously you've never experienced addiction. Good for you. But for smokers it really isn't easy to just not smoke whilst pregnant, and in fact the stress of withdrawals is also bad for the baby.

Why are you judging others when you have no idea what their circumstances are?

Get a hobby.

It's not socially acceptable

Just because people do something doesn't make it socially acceptable 🤷‍♀️
As for don't know or don't care about the harm, you'd have to ask the individual to find out. It's a powerful addiction though, and I suspect many will both know and care about the effects but still not be able to stop.

Social services will not see this as anything for them to concern themselves with.

by all means disapprove, don’t we all? But don’t make shit up n

LOL

It's not acceptable to smoke full stop.

It’s not socially acceptable - but that still doesn’t stop people from doing it sadly.

Of course it's not socially acceptable to smoke, do drugs or get drunk while pregnant. But many do, some maybe because they don't care, others maybe because it's their crutch with life that may be horrendous! Everyone will notice a pregnant women doing what she should not be, but tbh unless you walk in another persons shoes don't be so quick to judge, you have no idea what's going on in their life.

You'd have to ask them 🤷‍♀️ surely you know it's probably a bit of both?

Mind your own business. Just because a woman is pregnant, it doesn’t mean her body is public property.

It is unacceptable and neglect. How can you put the most precious thing in the world in any danger, it beggers belief.