smoking in pregnancy

i stopped smoking with both my pregnancies the day i found out i was pregnant & yeah its hard but i find my consience hits me harder thinking about whats happening to my unborn baby while im smoking. with my first pregnancy my doctor was the one who told me i was pregnant and handed me loads of leaflets and in it there was this scan picture of this baby blowing smoke rings out its mouth and i dunno it just did something to me & smoking went out of the window instantly it was weird how that picture affected me

hes had few relapses with the weed but not as many as i thought hed have maybe half dozen in just under 3 years? that i know of. mind you it has a very memorable smell (i hate it!) so its pretty easy to know when hes smoked that stuff. as for the fags im just glad he dont smoke in front of any kids including his own. it seems to be bit double standards from what i can see tho. mums get a hard time bout smoking and drinking quite a bit wheras dads dont seem to. maybe im wrong but people seem to be more put out seeing a mum puffing away infront of the kids than a dad doing same thing. neither is great- for the childs health and wellbeing or as a role model but i wonder why this is. as you sayu addiction is an evil thing. that drug tsar was right- ciggies and booze ARE more harmful than LSD, weed and E's... x x

Was not an issue for me as I quit years ago. However my DH has finally managed it and says it's the hardest thing he's ever had to do in his life.
He tried many times over the years and only when he REALLY wanted to quit did it work. i.e. you really have to want to do it as you cannot do it half-heartedly, or because you feel you ought to.
He promised to quit if I got pregnant, then it was before baby arrived, then it was new year, then it went quiet! DS was 2 1/2yrs when he finally achieved it, with the help of the Smoking Cessation nurse at the GP Surgery and some Nicorette Gum. Saved a bloody fortune all round!
Do your best to try and go smoke free - it's not just about baby being born ok, it affects them in later life too. Your child is also more likely to smoke if one/both parents does.
My only plea to those who really cannot quit is this. Please don't smoke around your baby, in the car (especially with the windows shut), and be wary of handling baby within 15/20 minutes of having a cigarette - the toxins remain in your breath and your clothing and you cannot see them.
Best of luck to anyone trying to quit or cut down!

Well done him!! My friend OH tried really hard to stop smoking and did it only to start up again like your OH, he finally manages to do it not long after and now doesnt smoke and hasnt done for several years. Addiction is an evil thing :(

im with you on that- planning to fall pregnant without first giving up smoking is just plain stupid but going cold turkey must be really hard. i insisted that my oh give up just like that when i got pregnant so he wouldnt ever smoke round baby and we'd save loads of money. he tried he really did and failed miserably and was back on 20 a day within weeks. i set an unrealistic target tho and expected him to do it coz i managed to stop drinking. they were totally different things tho- i wasnt an addict although i drank alot and everyday i gave up drinking easily coz it wasnt an addiction more like a bad habit. oh did give up weed cold turkey even tho he'd smoke it for 15 odd years so thats pretty impressive. x x

I dont smoke myself but i imagine it would be incredibly difficult to quit smoking instantly and of course stress is bad for the baby too :S If you are planning for a family and dont quit you are irresponsible, if you find out your pg and you dont at least reduce your intake you are also irresponsible but I think it must be very difficult for people to quit at the drop of a hat. Well done to all those pg ladies who have had to quit or cut down it must be really hard whatever the motivation xx

iwud like 2 admit that i was told NOT 2 give up smokin wen i booked in wiv midwife,this is due 2 the fact that i had previously(b4 conceiving)given up 2 substances and was advised that givin up anything else wud put 2 much pressure and stress on me and therefore be more harmful 2 my babies.i smoke between 2-5 a day and personally hate it and intend 2 give up as soon as i feel i can,but in the meantime i am very proud of wot i have given up already and how my life is improvin daily.

I smoked in early pregnancy when i had just found out but i had cutdown to 1 or 2 a day usually after a meal.

. I found it so difficult but obviously whats best for the baby was what mattered but i do find myself still REALLY craving a cigerrete and maybe once or twice a week il have a few puffs which to be honest isnt good but atleast i have pretty much stopped.

People can critiseze me as much as they want but atleast ive stopped. apart from my odd downfall which is usually when im around smokers. I dont think pregnant woman who smoke are "awful" im sure they are trying extreamly hard to give up.. Yes smoking can have some serious affects on the baby but there are alot of things that can aswell. im not justifying it atall im just not an "awful" person!

Im very proud of myself for giving up and im only 15 weeks so ive stopped for roughly ten. It could have taken alot loger and i know some people who dont bother giving up which is there own look out.