[#1]

Hi folks! Long time no speak! (so long in fact its probably only Sunshine who recognises me! : D)

Anyway i just wondered what people's thoughts were on women who smoke during pregancy. I've spoken to some women who have smoked during pregnancy and have said it didn't do their baby any harm and one lady even said her doctor recommended she carry on smoking as the stress of trying to quit would be more harmful to the unborn child.

Other people have wondered whether it should be considered child abuse to smoke during pregnancy because in their mind its no different from giving a three year old a cigarrette (which i'm sure would soon lead to social services getting involved)

I'm just wondering what other people's opinions are on the subject?

[#2]

Hi folks! Long time no speak! (so long in fact its probably only Sunshine who recognises me! : D)

Anyway i just wondered what people's thoughts were on women who smoke during pregancy. I've spoken to some women who have smoked during pregnancy and have said it didn't do their baby any harm and one lady even said her doctor recommended she carry on smoking as the stress of trying to quit would be more harmful to the unborn child.

Other people have wondered whether it should be considered child abuse to smoke during pregnancy because in their mind its no different from giving a three year old a cigarrette (which i'm sure would soon lead to social services getting involved)

I'm just wondering what other people's opinions are on the subject?

[#3]

Hi,

How are you? Long time no see. Have you changed your name slightly?

[#4]

yes! I couldn't remeber my password (or email password) so i had to change my account! doh!

[#5]

lol

Good to see you on here. I saw your post on hot topics or might not have noticed as I don't cl on here now. I'm still over on Community Chat with Jools though if you fancy popping over and catching up.

[#6]

Hi

I'm not often drawn to this board but your post has tugged at my heart strings.

My daughter would have started school this week and would have been 5 in December, 4 years ago instead we lost her after a long 9 month battle for life.

She suffered a severe oxygen starvation injury to her brain, something we now know is caused by mistakes made during her delivery.

However her type of brain injury falls into two categories, those caused during delivery like hers was and those caused during pregnancy.

One of the causes of the injury include women drinking and smoking during pregnancy as well as some other causes like failure of the placenta.

So when I see a pregnant woman smoking it makes my blood boil, that baby doesn't have a choice in this and the risks of damaging the baby are huge, I just can't see how someone would want to cause potentially unknown damage to an unborn child, the most precious gift of all.

That said I haven't yet had the strength to say that to a pregnant woman smoking, I am just made so angry by it that I can't trust myself to stay calm and rational.

would be interested to hear others views on the subject

Pippa

[#7]

I'm so sorry to read your sad news Pippa : (. I agree in that some people just don;t seem to appreciate what a wonderful gift a child is.

I find it very hard to keep my mouth shut when i see a pregnant woman smoking

[#8]

I've never been pregnant, but I really think smoking during pregnancy is a bit like pushing your baby down the stairs, they might just cry for a bit, or it might kill them. I really think it's unacceptable because my mother smoked through all of her pregnancies, and had to have a cesearean at 6 months with my brother because he wasn't getting enough oxygen. My brother survived, but has disabilities that mean he has to be watched all the time. When things were really difficult when I was younger me and my siblings had to take turns going to school so someone would be at home to help care for him, and I don't think I've ever had a full night's sleep. My mum has had to live with knowing that she caused that, but she's also said that she did know the risks, but didn't think it would happen to her.

I really don't believe that the stress of not smoking is worse that smoking. Everyone I know who smokes gets really irritated if they have to wait a few minutes for some reason, when they want to smoke and they generally seem more stressed than people who don't smoke anyway.

[#9]

Has your mum had to recieve counselling or anything like that? It must be an awful burden to live with knowing your own child is ill and it was from your own doing

[#10]

She hasn't had counselling because when you're a full time carer you just need to get through the day. I can't imagine what it must be like for her, sometimes she says it could have been caused by something else because I think it's too much for her to deal with. I admit me and my siblings didn't help when we were younger because we really resented her. We don't blame her now, because it's not something she did intentionally and she's had to give up everything because of it, but we've never really had a normal relationship with her.

I think part of the problem is that these kinds of disabilities are hidden. My brother never goes out, so nobody really sees the damage smoking during pregnancy can do until it's too late. I think information is a good thing, but many women need to actually see someone with a disability like that before they'll realise that it's not worth it. I don't get angry with pregnant women who smoke because, even though their children are the real victims, many of the mums will need my sympathy, not judgement, one day.

[#11]

Way back when (I am talking about 40 years back) there really didn't seem to be a big deal made of smoking itself or smoking during pregnancy. Warnings on cigarette packs by then I believe but only something like "smoking may damage your health". 

I continued to smoke during my pregnancies,even got told by my GP that it wouldn't be a problem. I  only had two a day( !!) and luckily had two very healthy children  but would certainly not smoke if I was pregnant now. I get really angry with folks that light up when their babies/children are around too.

hugs
Tabbs