Smoking is bad for health in all conditions whether you are pregnant or not. Normally it only harms your health but if you are pregnant then you are also harming the fetus in the womb. Either you quit smoking and Alcohol during pregnancy when you plan to get pregnant or if you can’t then better not to conceive the baby. It sounds very bad but this is the only fact that you have to choose either a cigarette or your unborn baby.
Have you ever thought that what happens when you smoke during pregnancy? How does it harm your baby? How does your baby feel inside whenever you smoke? I think your answer will be NO because if you have been thought for just a second about these questions then you would never take the cigarettes in your hands during your pregnancy.
Effects of smoking on babies
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- Whenever preggies smoke the cigarettes, the fetus is directly exposed to several harmful chemicals. Nicotine in cigarettes has 4000 toxic chemicals which come in contact with your fetus whenever you smoke. It makes the blood vessels narrow and as a result, the baby in the womb gets less oxygen and fewer nutrients.
- The nicotine also damages the brain and lungs of the fetus which is permanent. As the babies are in developing a process in the womb so they are very sensitive and this any severe injuries to them while their growing process can be last as they will live.
- Apart from Nicotine, cigarettes also contain arsenic, various tar products, and carbon monoxide. These are also equally harmful in the growth of the baby as like nicotine.
- All these chemicals slow down the blood flow to the entire body and thus it slows down the growth of the fetus.
- Smoking can cause miscarriage because the fetus does not get the proper nutrients and blood and inhale many chemicals.
- There are many cases where babies survived for nine months but they suffer a stillbirth. This is a condition when babies die during Delivery. In both, the cases smoker preggies have to face the pregnancy loss.
- Due to smoking, there is a high risk of premature delivery. Some preemies take birth with the high-risk factor of having cerebral palsy, delays in development, hearing problems and sight problems.
- Prenatal smoking also causes Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. In this case, the baby dies after delivery at any time without any reason.
- The baby suffers from breathing problems and wheezing in the first six months after their birth.
- Smokers also face an increased risk of ectopic pregnancy in which the embryo implants outside the uterus usually it develops in a fallopian tube and had to suffer from many placental complications.
- Smoking may also increase a baby’s risk of various birth defects, including cleft lip, cleft palate, and clubfoot.
- Women who smoke also have to suffer from the low-lying placenta. However, this also happens to the non-smoker women but its risk is high in smokers as compared to the other ladies.
- One condition is placental abruption, in which the placenta separates from the uterine wall before a woman’s delivery.
- Smoking also increases the heart rate of the baby as well as gives them permanent birth defects.
Related: Alcohol, Drugs, Tobacco and Infertility
Instructions for the fathers who smoke
Secondhand smokers equally harm the baby as like smoker preggies does. So, it is very important to make a distance from such people. The smoke that comes out from cigarettes is indirectly inhaled by a pregnant lady and causes much harm to the baby. So if you’re going to be a father then quit smoking say goodbye to cigarettes. According to one study, the smoke that burns off the end of a cigarette or cigar actually contains more harmful substances. Harmful substance like tar, carbon monoxide, nicotine, and other is more inhaled by preggies than the smoke inhaled by the smoker.
If any of your family member smokes at home then tell them to go outside. You might don’t know but regular exposure to secondhand smoke also increases the chance of having a stillbirth, a low birth weight baby, a baby with birth defects, asthma, allergies, more frequent lung and ear infections, higher risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and other complications of pregnancy. So, if you are living around pregnant women then avoid smoking because it only causes harm to you and more to preggies and their babies.
Related: Does Smoking Affect Conception
Quick tips for preggies to quit smoking
‘Nothing is impossible is a great saying and it is so true. If you really want to quit smoking then it can be possible with a little bit of effort. However, you cannot stop smoking at one time. Cigarette quitting is a slow process and you will reduce your smoking habit slowly. So, don’t get frustrated if you are breaking your promise of not smoking. Here are some of the quick tips which will help the preggies to quit smoking.
- There are many programs and seminars were arranged which will help you in quitting cigarettes. Make contact with your doctor and they will inform you about such smoking cessation programs. The doctors will also recommend some specific medication or techniques to help you quit smoking.
Apart from consulting with doctors and taking medicines, you can also try some of these tips at home.
- Ask your hubby to hide your cigarette packets every time. Along with cigarettes, hide your matches, lighters, and ashtrays.
- Avoid smokers and even tell them not to smoke in front of you.
- Avoid caffeine sometimes or during your whole pregnancy because the caffeine may stimulate your urge to smoke.
- Avoid Alcohol also because it also increases your urge to smoke.
- Whenever you feel to smoke eat chocolates or bubble gum to avoid the urge to cigarettes.
- Keep busy yourself so that the urge of smoking doesn’t come into your mind.