Smoking while pregnant

[scardycatsmoker]

Hi ladies

I'm looking for a bit of help to stop smoking - I currently smoke 10 a day and know thats too much. I want to give up all together but not sure how to. If almost 6 months pregnant and have been trying to stop on and off since finding out i was pregnant. When i have given up for a few days i end up eating like a pig and this stresses me out so i end up smoking again.

My bf smokes so that is making it harder i think. He is also worried about the weight gain if i stop and replace the smoking with eating.

Hope someone can help

What is this, you are almost 6 months pregnant and your 'DH' is worried about you putting on weight. If you want to mess around then make it convincing or tell me I read it wrong.

think of your baby!!!

that's the only advice I can offer. quitting smoking takes willpower, and if you don't have it you won't quit.

but your baby is not asking to smoke, or to be subjected to all the health problems associated with you smoking during pregnancy, and also being brought up in a house full of second-hand smoke.

so think of that tiny little person inside you, and do it for tem

oh, and tell your partner to get a grip and give up at the same time.

Cigarette smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals, including truly nasty things like cyanide, lead, and at least 60 cancer-causing compounds. When you smoke during pregnancy, that toxic brew gets into your bloodstream, your baby's only source of oxygen and nutrients.

While none of those 4,000-plus chemicals is good for your baby (you would never add a dollop of lead and cyanide to his strained peaches), two compounds are especially harmful: nicotine and carbon monoxide. These two toxins account for almost every smoking-related complication in pregnancy

this is worth a read if you haven't seen it already

On average, smoking during pregnancy doubles the chances that a baby will be born too early or weigh less than 5 1/2 pounds at birth. Smoking also more than doubles the risk of stillbirth.

Smoking during pregnancy can have lifelong effects on your baby's brain. Children of pregnant smokers are especially likely to have learning disorders, behavioral problems, and relatively low IQs.

Tell your DP to get a grip at 6 months you will have put weight on anyway and to be fair if this is your main concern god help your baby.

Think of all the terrible chemicals that you are pumping in to your baby's system - if that doesn't give you the will power to stop what will!!!

hi scardy

you should try talking to your midwife or GP and she should refer you to an advisor who will be able to give you patches. They won't judge you or think bad of you they want whats best for you and baby! when i was pregnant with DS1 i felt so guilty for smoking so went to see my GP and he was sympathetic and prescribed patches and they worked, as well as all the info he gave me about what harm it can do. It was sooo hard but worth it as i have been smoke free ever since!
Also you'll be that busy when baby arrives that you wont have time to smoke!
regarding the weight gain nicotine supresses the apeptite and damages taste buds so when you stop you'll find things taste slightly different! i just stocked up on snacky things like fruit but must admit did have chocolate too! HTH

OK I answered this because I smoked in pregnancy. 16 year ago. Baby was small for dates at one ounce under 5lbs.

My relative is pregnant now she doesn't smoke or drink and her baby is predicted to be just under 5lbs, other relatives in my babys dads side have been born underweight. However my relative with low birth predictions is on my side. (We cannot wait to see this much loved baby btw) prem clothes at the ready.

As for low IQ my baby who I have admitted to smoking whilst pregnant and with the 41b15oz weight at one week early through inducement is a gifted child with an IQ in the top 5% nationwide.

Put that in your pipe and smoke it. Dad wasn't the brain of britain, more brawn iyswim, me higher than average.

My post was in defense of thisisyesterday btw.

i'm glad your daughter is doing so well eve.

i'd say that's despite you smoking though.

there has been plenty of research done that proves that smoking damages babies in utero.

it doesn't matter how many people come on and say "well i smoked and my child is fine"
overall smoking is likely to harm your baby in some way.

anecdotal evidence really doesn't mean a thing in these cases

Don't know if you are in the UK but if you are then would suggest you ring the national smoking in pregnancy helpline - 0800 169 9 169 - they are available from 12 - 9 pm 7 days a week and will be able to give you expert advice on quitting. Your midwife should be able to refer you to a local stop smoking service or a trained stop smoking midwife depending on where you live.
Good luck.

at 6 months pregnant im sure scardy is well aware of all the risks associated with smoking whilst pregnant and i dont think we should judge. she has come on here trying to get advice and help and support from us mumsnetters who may have been in the same or similar situation.
I know our hormones are racing but lets concentrate on providing advice

I hope she is aware already, but sometimes you just need it reinforcing!

OP, you need to do this for your baby, that's why i posted those bits from the link i gave.. i was shocked myself at how badly it can affect babies (was unaware of a lot of the things in that article)

Yes, thisisyesterday, of course I worried about it. I was coping with a lot of subconcience stress at the time. But as you say despite me smoking cigarettes during the pregnancy she is a highly intelligent child. Very emotionally intelligent too. Just a gem, most of the time

I know it makes medical sense to justify data given by the powers that be but we all know grandad Alf that smoked all his life and lived until 100 etc. In fact weired that lots of us know a grandad Alf. Data can be manipulated.

Hopefully we are all not that naive and can make our own mind up, thank god.

For real?
You really shouldn't be worried about weight gain in pregnancy! Your babies health is more important. It's not about you any more.

Your MW will put you in touch with a smoking cessation councillor. I'm surprised she didn't at booking.

You know those pictures of blackened lungs you see? That's what your placenta will look like. The nasties in fags will essentially kill of parts of the placenta, meaning your baby will have much less oxygen and nutrients. The placenta will get crusty and grim.

Ask your MW for advice.

i'm surprised OP's midwife hasn't already offered help to stop smoking. that's not good is it

I have never smoked in any pregnancy but wonder how many low IQ people there must have been in the 50's, 60's and 70's - my mum i believe smoked when pregnant with me and there was actual smoking on the maternity wards way back when

Scardy, your lo needs you to stop smoking now, you will significantly increase the risk of cot death if you smoke (and sadly if your DP does) i bullied my DH into stopping a few months before our son was born last Feb as i was soooo paranoid about SIDS. The midwife who came to attend to me at home after my CS (i hadn't seen here since my booking in at 12 weeks because i was under the hospital for diabetes) told me a really sad story about a young mum who had refused to stop smoking and she suffered a placental abruption and lost her baby (and nearly her own life) Smoking causes some horrid side effects and yes people do it anyway but when your little baby is placed in your arms you will probably feel enormous guilt so its better if you just feel elation yes?

Tell the midwife that you are struggling ok? She will be able to recommend methods to help you stop and hopefully talk some sense into your rather stupid sounding DP In my area the midwife when she came for your ante natal visit if she knew you had given up smoking she would make you blow into this meter that measures carbon monoxide on your breath and it knew if you'd had a fag in the last few hours or so - good incentive for your DP too maybe?

Good luck with your pregnancy and giving up, there are some bloody awful things that can go wrong in a pregnancy, you have a choice to make yours as risk free as possible ok

Scardy just read that back and i just wanted to clarify that i didn't mean your DP is stupid just that what he said about you giving up smoking and gaining weight when your pregnant sounds stupid!

I'm not sure the OP is genuine tbh. Her partner is worried she will put on weight at 6 months pregnant if she gives up smoking. Think it is a windup. Anyway her baby will be OK if it isn't. Hey reckon my mum smoked and I'm still here nearly 5O years later.

Don't worry OP just try and cut down a bit. Your baby won't be born branded with B&H on it's skull. It might be normal looking.

rosieposy, by rights and I know for a fact that my mum smoked when she was pregnant with me I should'nt be here, should never have had child either, let alone an intelligent one.

Phew!

Stop believing all the crap you read, pleasesssssss!!!!