Smoking

[tamzinro]

I lose respect for any woman who makes no good attempt to stop smoking during pregnancy , an acquaintance has smoked all throughout her pregnancy and it drives me mad , she has made no attempt to stop as it will stress her out . Should be made illegal

How exactly would you try and enforce this? I personally don't agree with it and think it's completely wrong but there are many parents out there that do many different things other than smoking which are also bad for their children. You can't go round policing every pregnant women's activities only give as much advice and support as possible. f.y.i I am not condoning smoking during pregnancy in any way at all

Hen calm down
Just because someone doesn't have the best social charm doesn't mean their point isn't valid

@YeTalkShiteHen honestly some people are a lost cause. Well done for trying though!

OP have a

Yes I agree. It’s awful.

This is a post to tell pregnant mothers who smoke to actually STOP or try to because it's wrong Good Lord, that is brand new information. Thank goodness you turned up to tell women this.

Smokers know it's bad. They don't need you to tell them, they have enough judgment already
Support is the best thing, and nicotine replacements such as patches or e cigs for people who can't quit nicotine

If I had all the cash in the world I would send every smoker who wanted to stop (and most smokers do) on the Allen Carr course. Its the inly menthod that examimes the psychologial roots to smoking and busts them in hours. If it was as easy as “smoking is bad for me I ought to give up” there would be no drug addicts, alcoholics etc. I do agree that the unborn child who has no choice suffers here and yeah, I’d judge but you can’t expect your mate to welcome your desired intervention cos she’s thought it 999999999000000000 times herself.

But how do you know they're not trying?// I gave up with all of mine (while I we were ttc with all but dc2), have never fully gone back to habit in fairness, but I quite like the odd cigarette, with a cup of coffee in the evening out in the back garden, once the dc are in bed & I've mopped my kitchen floor. I usually end up having a natter with my (non smoking) ndn.// I only started again, this time, in February, the day my Dad died, dh had left his on the side, ready to go in to his work van for when he went back after his AL. I walked back in to the kithchen after the gp told me he'd found him dead at home & got one out, I can't honestly hand on heart say I wouldn't have done it if I'd been pregnant, my world had just collapsed. Does that make me a neglectful parent who needs her children taking off her? I'm trying to add paragraphs but it's not letting me.// Of course you shouldn't smoke in pregnancy, I don't think anyone thinks you should, but just because women don't tell you they're trying to quit it doesn't mean they aren't.// You get CO tests at every MW &/or Consultant appt in our area now, they'd just rolled it out when I was expecting dc5(1) (he wasn't breastfed for a good few hours that day in Feb, I had to go & tell relatives about my Dad, the dc stayed at home). I'm not overly sold on it as an idea, it's fine if you're not smoking or quit quickly but I should think it can leave you very demoralised if you have a harder time giving up.

I get where your coming from, as I also finding it extremely selfish people who smoke when pregnant. Always get the ones who say "My doctor said it will be more harmful to the baby if I stop" sure he did... I first hand know how addictive smoking is as I never smoked pregnant with my two kids but took up smoking again and have since quit. Mothers know the dangers smoking can cause and I couldn't live with my self if my actions contributed to the ill health of my baby, however I do understand that people who are smoking when pregnant are bound not to give a shit what other people think

This thread is weird. Yes, smoking is bad for pregnant women. And for all people really. Not exactly ground breaking. I agree of course it isn’t a good habit and some people should probably try harder to give up. But it’s kind of stating the obvious. Some people need to do more exercise, some should eat more veg (me). Other people maybe just need to be a bit less judgemental...

I think it's really selfish of the mother to continue smoking, even e cigs and vapes are bad! Yes it maybe hard to quit but I would have thought protecting your baby would be the top priority x

@super veggie why are you comparing eating more veg and exercising more to smoking ?when you smoke poison chemicals are passing to a developing fetus ... you are poisoning your child , you don't do that with lack of exercise or veg . my mother smoked when she was pregnant with me before professionals knew the dangers, I was 5lb 11oz born and my mother apparently ate well , I was born with many complications from lack of oxygen that wouldn't happened if my mother hadn't smoked . it's bloody cruel to smoke when you have a baby growing in you ... full stop .

@tamzinro no shit Sherlock. Have a medal.

OP i don't disagree with you, of course it is bad to smoke while pregnant. But what I'm saying is that it's very easy to point the finger at other people and tell them what they are doing wrong. There are many pieces of health advice that people don't follow, yourself included in some of these I'm sure.

Some people are also dealing with incredibly stressful situations with very little support and it is not helpful or empathetic to come over all morally superior and tell them that they are cruel parents for smoking when you only have experience of your own situation. Also like others have said I don't know why you think this is brand new information, 99% of people who smoke in pregnancy know that they shouldn't. There are a range of reasons why women may feel unable or unwilling to give up. I'm just trying to say that it is more helpful to try and understand the reasons behind people's behaviour than just tell them they are idiots.

I'm an ex smoker, quit when I got pregnant with DD, but chewed nicorette gum like it was going out of fashion, otherwise I'd have been utterly horrible! Still have the occasional piece of nicorette gum when I'm having a really bad day. I do think it's so so important to quit when you're pregnant, and I totally get that some people think it's extremely selfish to smoke in pregnancy, but I do think for a number of reasons quitting is easier for some people than it is for others, everyone's personal circumstances are different, and it's very hard to judge someone unless you have walked a mile in their shoes, cigarettes are a very emotional crutch for some people, and there could be a number of things going on in their lives that you know nothing about which is making it a serious struggle for them to quit. Of course it's really bad for baby etc, but I think to say it should be made illegal is a bit extreme.

Even though I managed to quit and I'm extremely proud of it I wouldn't take the moral high ground and condemn people who don't find it as easy. I agree with other posters, you are coming off as 'smug' and 'morally superior'

I thought the point of Mumsnet was for people to support each other? Why start a thread telling everyone that smokes whilst pregnant basically don't give a shit about their babies? Is there a point to this?

I don't think it is any of your business what people do whilst pregnant! You're judging people you don't even know.

It does not affect you in any way what other people do so I would suggest unless you have something to say that actually helps somebody just stay away.

And FYI I am not smoking whilst pregnant & I don't stick my nose in other people's business and tell them what they should be doing!

You cannot make it illegal to smoke when pregnant because, in doing so, you give rights to the unborn child and reduce the rights of the mother. And that’s very problematic for things like abortion law...

Oh give me a break with the stress sob stories , I went through hell in my last pregnancy and would rather cry and scream than put smoke in my babies lungs . Sad , selfish society we live in

And the past is the past if you have smoked in your past pregnancies that can't be changed but for god sake if you are pregnant now or planning to be I hope you please stop .

@katie23913 IT AFFECTS AN UNBORN BABY !!!

Your babies oxygen source is filled with thousands of cancer causing and dangerous compounds such as cyanide ... sort it out

You think shouting “sort it out” will help anything?

This thread is not about pregnant women smoking. It’s about you virtue signalling.

@PurpleDaisies what planet are you on ? Should it matter what the post is allegedly about ? as long as the message gets across .... dear dear dear

There’s no need to “get the message across”. Every woman knows it’s bad to smoke in pregnancy. Every single one.

drinking alcohol whilst pregnant- do you have as strong a stance on that?