I am sat here watching a very heavily pregnant woman smoking on the other side of the road...

[NotAtAllJudgey]

When that baby is born is he/she likely to be addicted to smoking? Does this mean that the baby will be more likely to be harder work?

I am genuinely interested BTW. No matter what my thoughts are on smoking during pregnancy, it's not my pregnancy or baby.

no.
no.

no
yes (my friends son had v bad chest for about 8 months. Coincidence? Not imo, here on Planet Judge)

oh that kind of harder work...

in that case:

no.
possibly

sick bitch!

Oh yes the baby will demand 20 lambert and butlers before gping on the breast. But you can give them nicotinell patches instead.

Baby will be harder work cause you'll have to empty it's ash trays, buy its fags and scub its nicotine stained figernails every day.

there is some evidence that children of smokers may have more behavioural problems in later childhood.

Where?

Ooh I dunno. An old colleague had a friend who smoked throughout her pregnancy and her baby was incredibly grumpy and hard to settle and we speculated that maybe it was nicotine withdrawal. However, I failed to give up smoking entirely when I was pregnant (and yes I am horribly ashamed and guilty) and DS was about the easiest baby in the world, easily settled, very content. So who knows. Maybe for some, not for others.

I smoked during DS1's pregnancy (not a lot and definitely not proud of it).

Actually, he did have a bit of colic. Was he just desperate for a Marlboro? I dunno.

may be coincidence or post birth effects but my nephew (both parents smokers) has barked like a seal since he was tiny Always getting chest infections etc, etc.

here

here

here

I am quite interested in this, both my boys have been the easiest babies to settle, one of my nephews was the same, very easy going, neither me nor his mum smoked durring pregnancy.

My other sister has smoked throughout all 3 of her pregnancies (and I might add for factual purposes, 4 horrible MC's) and her babies all played up something chronic from day 1.

It hadn't really crossed my mind it could possibly have something to do with the smoking until this thread.

Why wouldn't a baby become addicted to smoking in the mother's body, if smoking has other effects on the baby?

some babies are just born grumpy
I know dd was

Clearly smoking more than 4000 chemicals in every stick and letting that filter through to your babies bloodstream, is going to have a damaging effect. Babies born to heroin takers are born addicts and withdraw immediately and seeing a newborn jumping around in a cot because of this has to be one of the worst sights in the world. Therefore, a baby will be suffering from nicotine withdrawal and whatever the selfish, defensive smoking mother denies, deep down she knows it's bad for the baby. End of.

Both of my friends smoked during their pregnancies and both babies were huge & seemed to have suffered no ill effects, the sods were sleeping through the night at about 6/7 weeks also!

My son OTOH was just a very grumpy baby, impossiblt to settle and always miserable it was quite embarrassing- he tells me to this day he hated being a baby but can't verbalise why

I was a smoker pre pregnancy but was shocked anyone could smoke a fag whilst pregnant, I could even stand the smell of a waft of Persil fresh let alone a fag.

DS1 - horrendous baby, cried, whinged, wouldn't sleep, chest infections every time he had a cold (thankfully grew out of that aged about 3). I smoke one a day until I was 4 months pg

DS2 - easiest baby anyone could every dream of (he's now a stereotypical 4yr old ) - I quit the day after I found out I was pg, had one box in the middle of my pg (the whole box in about 2hrs ).

DS3 - I failed miserably to give up smoking at all when pg with him, he was mid way between DS1 and DS2 in terms of being easy/happy etc.

my sil's both smoked thru their pregancies and all 3 kids have various chest infections
i smoked before i knew i was pregnant found out at four weeks and never smoked again until i was 36 weeks pg as i freaked out about having a c section and didnt smoke again til i had given up bfing when she was 10 months then the pull got too much

and all there kids slept thru from an early age and where 'good' but poorly kids

but my lo didnt sleep thru til she was 12 mo but was a very healthy happy child so who knows

My next door neighbour smoked right the way through her pregnancy both her children have asthma.
I didn't smoke through any of my pregnancies and ds1 has been in hospital 3 times with his chest.