sister won't stop smoking?

Question

My sister is 32 and pregnant with her second child. She never smoked with her first child but now she is 20 weeks and smokes two cigarettes a day. Her doctor said he isn't that concerened about only 2 a day but I am! I know she feels bad and she wants to stop but she says the baby is fine and everything is going to be ok. Do you think she is being naive? I knwo other people who have smoked more and their kids are fine....but it my relative this time.

Answer 1

If smoking isn't healthy when you're not pregnant, it's probably worse for you when you are. If she keeps smoking her child might be born with a respiratory problem or some other problem like that. Talk to her about it...she needs to hear the truth.

Answer 2

If your sister doesn't want to stop you can't make her. I'm sure any amount of smoking is bad, but 2 a day isn't much. Try to get distract her one day and see if she notices not smoking. It should be easier to stop from 2 a day than say 1 pack a day. One of my friends smoked about 1 1/2 packs a day and her child was premature and had lung problems. As horrible as that is, he is pretty healthy now (he's 4 yrs old).

Answer 3

My sister in law was a huge smoker before she got pregnant. Her Dr. told her that she can have 1 a day. His reasoning was that it was more stressful to quit all together and that there is minimal damage from 1 a day. That's 1, not sure about 2! He also told her that an occasion glass of wine is o.k. I, on the other hand, do not condone smoking or drinking while pregnant and I question any Dr. that does! Sorry, I'm sure this does not help you too much! The best thing you can do to help her to stop (if she really wants to) is to print out these answers and give them to her. She will appreciate your concern and hopefully she will see the dangers and stop!

Answer 4

Natural Quit Smoking Magic

Answer 5

I smoked a pack a day for two months before I realized I was pregnant. My daughter was born perfectly healthy, weighed 8lbs 14oz and has shown no signs of respitory problems (she's 8 years old now). I don't believe two cigarettes a day will cause damage to your sister's baby. Good luck to you both and congratulations on your comming neice or nephew!

Answer 6

All you can do is tell her you're concerned and why and then leave it alone. It's her body, and her baby and she'll do what she's going to do. Continually nagging at her about something you don't agree with will only put distance between the two of you.

Answer 7

Sweetie she can stop smoking and she doesn't feel guilty or she would quit. I used to smoke pot before I got pregnant but as soon as I thought I MIGHT be pregnant I quit on a dime because I know what it could due to my child..and that was like..my favorite thing to do before I got pregnant...and now it's to hold my stomach and talk to my unborn son :)

Answer 8

well some pple have had babies while they smoked and turned out fine....when other had baby's that died. Its a FACT that if you smoke when your pregnant you increase the risk of miscarriage, stillborn, premature labor, low birth weight, asthma, and behavioral problems (add, adhd) and SIDS after the baby is born. WHO THE HELL WOULD WANT TO RISK THAT. I smoked for 7 years and DROPPED it when i found out i was pregnant. I guess I'm just not selfish...there is a LIFE counting on me!!

Answer 9

Since she only smokes 2 cigs a day there most likely wont be any harm done, but at the same time if she only smokes 2 a day it should be so easy to drop that habit.

Answer 10

How selfish. tell your sis that she is putting the baby at risk for asthma and breathing problems. Is that something she wants to deal with when the baby arrives? I think not. Find the research.. print it out and give it to her. She is being so selfish.

Most of the damage caused by cigarette smoking doesn't appear for years or decades, making it difficult to convince smokers to give up their habit. However, when a pregnant woman smokes, the nicotine and other compounds found in tobacco pose both an immediate and an extended threat to the health of her developing child. These dangers include:


Increased risk of miscarriage
Increased risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
Premature birth
Low birth weight
Behavioral problems (i.e., hyperactivity)
Reduced verbal and mathematical ability

Women who smoke during pregnancy are at higher risk for premature birth, pregnancy complications, low birth weight infants, stillbirth and infant mortality, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Women who quit smoking during pregnancy reduce the risk of having a baby with low birthweight by about 20 percent, according for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Cigarette smoke contains more than 4,000 different chemicals, including truly nasty things like cyanide, lead, and at least 60 different 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 are really good for a baby (you would never add a dollop of lead and cyanide to his strained peaches), two compounds are especially dangerous: nicotine and carbon monoxide. These two toxins account for almost every smoking-related complication in pregnancy, says ob-gyn James Christmas, director of Maternal Fetal Medicine for Commonwealth Perinatal Associates at Henrico Doctor's Hospital in Richmond, Virginia.

click on this link print this out for her and let her know what she is doing.


http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/pregnancy/pregquitsmoking/1405720.html


I got a hard headed one too in the family and her son has asthma and she smokes around him and near him and the smell on her clothes is offensive to the child.