Smoking all through pregnancy - was it ever acceptable?

[ClayDell]

I was born in 1972

My mum fully admitted that she smoked throughout her pregnancy with me.

i looked at my medical records and I was in a special baby unit for the first month of my life with jaundice

Was smoking throughout pregnancy considered acceptable in 1972?

Yes I think so, from what my family say, even nurses! :( grim

Apparently around 70% of smokers continued to smoke in pregnancy in 1973. There was some research done on this in the 70s so was probably too late to benefit your mother.

Even in the early 90s there was a smoking room on the maternity ward. I was born in the 70s, and there are pictures of various relatives holding me as a baby, with a cigarette in their hand.

Don’t know about the 70s but it certainly was in the 50s and when I was growing up in the 70s people smoked everywhere, it was completely normal and not banned anywhere. I suspect it was absolutely normal in the early 70s. Mum smoked throughout her pregnancies and our childhoods, dad too (no birth problems).

Blimey !!

Yes my mil did in the 70s, and then her DD also smoked all through her pregnancy in the 2000s.

I think so but we know better now and there's still selfish scruffs doing it and not giving a shit about their poor baby.

Even more shocking (from a 2025 perspective) is the fact that there were old wives tales that the benefit of smoking during pregnancy was that you had a smaller baby. Would be easier to push out - I grew up during the 70s and read about both sides of the smoking arguments.

Yes. In the 1960s when my mother had me it was (1966). She was another one who smoked happily all the way through two pregnancies, as did many women in those days.

In fact, some doctors apparently recommended it because it would make for a smaller baby and therefore an easier delivery!!!

It does seem stupid now.

I think so I was born in 71 and my mother smoked through her pregnancy with me. Pretty. Commonplace id say

Not sure the jaundice is relevant though

My older sibling was born in 1972 and my mum gave up smoking when she got pregnant.

I remember early 70s visiting an aunt in the maternity hospital and we went to the smoking room on the same floor and it was full with pregnant women smoking. I remember too that upstairs on busses sitting amongst the smokers and being with a sister, a cousin who were pregnant and smoking.

Yes it was defintely seen as ok. Dont forget initially smoking was encouraged for health

The smaller baby thing may be correct technically but is shocking !

My mum never smoked and I was on the neonatal unit with jaundice for ages too!

When I started work in the late 90s our office had some areas where people could smoke. I remember seeing a heavily pregnant employee smoking in there one day.

I felt judgey at the time but I don't know if it was as frowned on as it would be now (for pregnancy reasons, obviously you can't smoke in an office in the UK now anyway).

Smoking is one thing I get really judgey about. It's awful for your health, skin and teeth and is a very very stupid thing to do, even if you are not pregnant. I really can't understand why anyone under the age of 50 does it. We've definitely known for decades how bad it is for you. And it's such a waste of money.

Yes it was accepted then. In fact there was very little to guilt pregnant women about back then unlike now.

My MIL remembers fondly, being in the throws of labour in hospital and smoking through her contractions.

Yes much more acceptable back then, mine you my friend smoked al through her two pregnancies in 2010 and 2013 so some people don't even bother stopping now even with all the information

My next door neighbour had two children, 1972 and 1974. After her second child's birth she told me " When I hear about smoking making babies weigh less, I'm really glad I smoked! My two would have been huge, births would have been a nightmare! "

Yes my friend born early ‘73 said her mum face up smoking when she was pregnant as “she didn’t want to harm me”

I’m ashamed to say I did in 1980, though there was much disapproval (rightly) from the medical staff. I gave it up shortly afterwards and have never smoked since and find it disgusting. Luckily the baby was fine. Did not smoke with my other two babies. I was in my 20 s and should have known better. I’m 69 now, and we know a lot more about such dangers now. My mum smoked heavily throughout all her five pregnancies, had two miscarriages and the other three babies were fine, luckily. It was normal in the 1950s.

I don't see what is shocking about doing something that was considered to be OK, or even beneficial, at the time.
I wonder things we are doing now in happy ignorance that future generations will look back, be shocked, and tut about.

Jaundice nothing to do with smoking.
Many, many babies have it, whether the mother smoked or not.
Smoking was considered good for you in the 1940s and 50s - indeed, most adverts claimed it was good for asthma!
Only in fairly recent years have the negative effects been touted, so yes it was acceptable in pregnancy, as was drinking stout to give you better blood iron levels

To be honest I think it’s become unusual to see people smoke now!