smoking when pregnant?

Question

hey.
there is a 90% chance im preggaz because ive skipped my period and i had sex without the guy wearing a rubber..
but im just wondering (apart from me getting cancer) how bad is smoking when your pregnant?

Answer 1

It's not good for the baby, however look back about 20-30 years or more...Doctors didn't know the effects that smoking could have on a baby and there are a lot of women who smoked throughout their pregnancies because they were never told to stop.
I have several friends who have gotten pregnant while they are smoking and didn't find out until they were already a few months pregnant. Their doctors recommended CUTTING BACK A LOT, rather than quitting because by then the baby had gotten used to it and quitting cold turkey could cause distress to the fetus.

Either way, if you aren't smoking that much now- then you can quit. If you are smoking a lot- then cut back a lot!

Answer 2

I can't really judge anyone because I did and am smoking through my pregnancy. The OB basically told me to cut back but don't quit because by the time I did find out I was pregnant it was to late to quit it would hurt the baby worse than me. However, I was smoking at least 2 packs a week I was able to cut back to half a pack a week. It's really embarassing to admit but I am doing it and my pregnancy is going smooth. Anyways, to answer your questions I have heard but not seen proof of low birth rate but my mom smoked with my brother and not with me and my brother was above 9lbs and weighed about 4 ounces more than I did, the baby can get sick easier, and/or have smoke related issues when there born.

Answer 3

Bad. This is no wive's tell. I should know. I didn't find out I was pregnant until I was about 10 weeks and smoked during that time. Turns out now I have placenta previa as a result of smoking most likely.

Smoking during pregnancy can cause:

How will smoking affect my baby?
A shortage of oxygen can have devastating effects on your baby's growth and development. 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.

Every cigarette you smoke increases the risks to your pregnancy. A few cigarettes a day are safer than a whole pack, but the difference isn't as great as you might think. A smoker's body is especially sensitive to the first doses of nicotine each day, and even just one or two cigarettes will significantly tighten blood vessels. That's why even a "light" habit can have an outsize effect on your baby's health.

How smoking affects your baby's:

"Weight and size
On average, a pack-a-day habit during pregnancy will shave about a half-pound from a baby's birth weight. Smoking two packs a day throughout your pregnancy could make your baby a full pound or more lighter. While some women may welcome the prospect of delivering a smaller baby, stunting a baby's growth in the womb can have negative consequences that last a lifetime.

Body and lungs
Undersize babies tend to have underdeveloped bodies. Their lungs may not be ready to work on their own, which means they may spend their first days or weeks attached to a respirator. After they're breathing on their own (or even if they did from the start), these babies may have continuing breathing problems — because of delayed lung development or other adverse effects of nicotine. Children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy are especially vulnerable to asthma, and have double or even triple the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Brain function
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. Recent animal studies suggest that nicotine in the womb can program a baby's brain for a future addiction. By the time that baby becomes a teenager, just a few cigarettes could be enough to get him hooked. "


Please stop smoking as soon as you can. I did it! So I know ANYONE can!

Answer 4

It is very bad. Cigarettes have over 2500 chemicals in them. But it can also be bad if you have been a heavy smoker and you just quit cold turkey because your pregnant too. It shocks your system since your not getting that nicotine you are use to getting . A lot of doctors will say don't quit right away just cut back until you can go with out. It is less stressful to you and the baby.

Answer 5

well the baby doesnt smoke see it as your job and you cant smoke at work even thouigh your outside
its not the babys fault please dont do it its wrong and harmfull
just today i was at a cash point and a guy was innocently having a cigerette by god i nearly coughted my lungs up!! and i used to smoke 20 a day been quit 3 years.

please if it can make me cough standing next to some bloke imagine inside your womb your baby cant run and hide and will gasp for breath after all your the oxygen


not only that think of all the goodys you can buy with the cash you save

take a test b4 you quit for nothing lol xx

Answer 6

Cigarettes are full of carcinogens (sp?), which are poison... amongst a ton of other nasty things.
My neighbor smokes and had her baby at 31 weeks gestation. She lived (the baby) but has a heap of issues than more than likely could have been avoided.

With all of the bad things we know about cigs these days, honestly, do you really need to ask that question? If they are bad for you thing about something growing inside of you the size of a grapefruit and everything the placenta passes along to it... including the nicotine and poisons.

The best start for baby is to stop, isn't it worth it?!

Answer 7

If you actually look it up and do research, there is more premature babies now than there were in the 60's and earlier, when it was considered healthy to smoke. The only risk of smoking is it can cause you to have the child prematurely, and its not proven, just linked to a few cases. As long as you're not smoking a pack and a half a day, or inhaling cigars, you should be fine. Its a personal decision. I smoked 2 packs a day up until I became pregnant, and the reason I quit was because it gets a little harder to breathe when you've got a baby in there, and I didn't want to make it any harder than I had to.

Answer 8

I found out I was pregnant on my 5th week. I quit cold turkey. It wasn't too bad to quit because i started to get sick and the smell of the cigarretes would make me feel worse. It was the best decision, I'm sure.

Smoking while pregnant can cause lower birth weight, lung problems, lower IQ, and everything else that a lot of people wrote here already.
My advice is to slow down A LOT and take a pregancy test.

Good luck to you!

Answer 9

smoking may be bad for pregnancy. i am 20 weeks pregnant with baby number 2 and as a smoker, i know i shouldnt do it, and i have tried to quit, its just really hard when you cant have anything to help you quit, but i smoked throughout my entire first pregnancy and my baby is just fine and very healthy. i smoke with this baby too, and he is normal and growing just fine. the surgeon generals warning on the cigarettes that i smoke say "smoking by pregnant women may result in low birth weight, premature births, fetal complications" but i really dont think there is scientific proof that smoking causes this, i have known people who dont smoke and have babies that are premature, and little and have RSV when they are born. i do cut down alot when i am pregnant on the smoking though too, so its not as bad.

Answer 10

I know from experience, I smoked with my first two pregnancies and it is my worst regret. I am so thankful that my daughters are healthy. So far they have suffered no bad effects they are 9 and 11, but they were small. 5 and 6 lbs,

I quit before I had my son and he weighed 8lbs, so from my experience yes it does affect their weight.

I was able to quit with the patch. People can bash me if they want, I am being truthful. I know it is harmful, your baby doesn't get all the nutrients it needs. I am just glad to say I do not smoke now and I was blessed and very lucky to have healthy children. You are gambling with the health of your child, please quit.