Why is smoking harmful to pregnant women?

[10ClarionSt]

Why is it wrong for pregnant women to smoke? What harm are they supposed to be doing?

In the period after WW2, there was the Baby Boomers. They were born at a time when 80% of the population were smokers. Where is the harmful legacy of smoking mums from that time?

My mother was a heavy smoker. So was my dad and lots of the family. I was brought up with all these smokers.

I am not ill. I'm in excellent health as are my brother and sister. As are the majority of people born after WW2. The so-called Baby Boomers.

It's a load of b0ll0cks. Just propaganda put out by people who don't like smoking.

Similarly, where is the evidence that passive smoking causes illnesses?

Roy Castle? Is that evidence?

No-one can prove either of these. But the government and Roy Castle say it's true. And if it gets in the tabloids, then it MUST be true! I am a non-smoker, BTW.

[dot.hawkes]

I am not sure if it will ever Kill me, but I know if i go within 10 feet of cigerette smoke i have an instant heavy headache and i start off with a mild cough but by the time my chest starts to cave in and the coughing has become painful and violent, i regret that i didn't realise the smoke was there.

[B00]

I found this 10CSt, hiya by the way! :-)

http://ineedsmokes.blogspot.com/

[dot.hawkes]

I found this:

http://www.roycastle.org/kats/facts_sec.htm

[dot.hawkes]

and this

http://www.greenfacts.org/tobacco/2-tobacco-sm oking/2-cancer-smoking-tobacco.htm

[dot.hawkes]

and this:
http://www.babycentre.co.uk/pregnancy/antenata lhealth/quittingsmoking/safetosmokeexpert/

[dot.hawkes]

and this
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/content/PED_ 10_2X_Women_and_Smoking.asp

[dot.hawkes]

and be patient and watchj this:
http://www.starterupsteve.com/swf/smokekills.h tml

[B00]

lol, I think 10Ct has got the gist of your feelings on this matter dotty!

I have to be honest and admit that I smoked throughout both my pregnancies, both of my daughters (one 18 and baby of 21 months) suffered no (and still don't) ill health, they weren't premature, infact the baby was 10 days overdue, and were healthy weights. In an ideal world though I would have quit, but I lacked the willpower (God I'm going to get lynched for this one aint I?)

I did cut down though, and managed to get down to about 3/4 per day. Now, I don't smoke around the baby. I'm usually to be found shivering on the doorstep enjoying -yes I ENJOY- my smoke.

[dot.hawkes]

LOL B00 I imagine there will be some anti-drink folk itching to have a go at me lol, but just incase I missed any of the issues:
http://mwillett.org/mind/do_not_smoke.htm

[Loosehead]

you cannot seriously doubt the weight of evidence against smoking if you do then I don't think I'm going to be able to change such intransigence. For what It's worth I don't care whether it's bad for me I just do not want to have to endure the disgusting smell and the effect it has on clothes hair etc. I don't want to share room with the addicts of this filth.

[B00]

<cancels the room sharing option with Loosehead on the AB Weekender>

;-)

[noxlumos]

I think it's like everything else, smoking, drinking even, yes, drug taking during pregnancy, yeah it's really, really not advisable but there will be 1001 people out there with perfectly healthy babies that did it, and sometimes I think it would be more stressful for the mother's of these little unborn souls to give up and i think that extreme stress during pregnancy has to be the worst thing going of any of them. My wife doesn't smoke, and drank in moderation whilst she was pregnant and our babies were fine. She did have unexplained miscarriages and an ectopic pregnancy and I suppose all the vehement anti everything's will say that her having the odd glass of wine might have caused the miscarriages, but to be honest I seriously doubt it. So I think you just need to use your common sense and give up if you can, but if it's going to have you climbing the walls, then just cut down.

[Ethel]

Typical smokers' argument, citing traffic fumes and so on.

It doesn't wash with me. Traffic is a necessary evil in our world - it carries goods and people.

Smoking has no benefit to me whatsoever - I have chronic asthma. So I avoid going out in rush hour, congested areas and so on because of the traffic pollution. I avoid the pub as well - because of selfish smokers.

[Lonnie]

'10',I don't agree with you, but I like your style.

[beejaybee]

I smoked throughout both pregnancies , but in those days it was not frowned upon. I had 3 very healthy kids (one prgnancy was twins) All the babies were excellent weights, 8lbs & twins 5lbs 8 & 5lbs 12oz. & have never had any illnesses apart from the spotty ones. Even now they`re all perfectly healthy adults.

[jump79]

Are the smokers in your family as healthy as you?

[squirelpoo]

what about roy castle