Smoking while Pregnant

Statutory Warning: Smoking is injurious to health.

I guess all the pregnant women reading this may benefit by keeping this in mind and I am sure most of you know where can this sign be seen! Needless to say, smoking is not exactly a good idea if you are pregnant (as if it was a secret till now!). But on a serious note, smoking while pregnant can pose potential dangers to your soon-to-be-born bundle of joy. Remorse, in such cases if something happens to the baby would not undo the damage. Therefore the ideal situation according to health experts would be to quit smoking. Here is something about smoking while pregnant which would reinforce your decision to stop smoking!

Effects of Smoking While Pregnant

Miscarriage
The most obvious and common smoking effects in pregnancy can be manifested in a miscarriage. Yes, there are chances of miscarriage even if you do not smoke. But if you smoke in pregnancy, the risk of miscarriage increases manifold. In fact smoking is so dangerous that it could almost kill an unborn child. In addition to that, risk of stillbirth, which refers to the death of the fetus in the uterus also increases in case of smoking during pregnancy.

Premature Delivery
Dangers of smoking while pregnant along with miscarriage also includes premature labor and consequently delivery. As we all know, the earlier the labor and the delivery, the harmful it is for the baby because the vital organs of the baby, for instance lungs are not developed enough. Obviously then the baby would not be able to breathe properly and would need assistance to do that. In some cases if the baby is weak, it can even die due to these complications shortly after birth.

Birth Defects
Several birth defects like a cleft palate or even a cleft lip are found in babies who have mothers who were smoking in pregnancy. Apart from this the chances that the baby might develop cerebral palsy, mental retardation or even learning disabilities cannot be ignored. Another crucial aspect is that a person smoking does not let enough oxygen to enter the blood stream. In case of pregnant women, if they experience this, the baby's blood would undergo negative impact. This will result in an increase in the baby's heart rate.

Birth Weight
After all this, it is no surprise that smoking while pregnant effects on baby also entail low weight at the time of birth. The substances in the cigarette smoke cross the placenta in the blood stream of the baby. That hinders the growth of the fetus and eventually it does not get enough nutrition for its proper growth and development.

Placenta Problems
Women may face problems related to their placenta if they smoke during pregnancy. Either it gets too low or the placenta separates from the uterus prior to the birth of the baby.

Some other problems which can be encountered by kids whose mothers smoked all through the pregnancy are behavioral problems and in general poor health, which trickles down to the fetus. Passive smoking too can be harmful for the fetus. Well, now if you are thinking how to quit smoking while pregnant, then here are some points which might help you do that.

How to Quit Smoking

• Changing your habits related to smoking will help you in kicking that bad habit. If you are stresses out and feel like smoking purposefully do something else.
• Have lots of fruits and vegetables and have a healthy diet.
• Make your home a no-smoking abode and whenever you want to smoke chew a straw. It will give you the feeling of having something in your mouth.
• Also avoid consuming caffeinated beverages and alcohol.

Finally, stay active and keep away from those who smoke if you are pregnant. That was how you can say bye to smoking and have a healthy pregnancy and a fine little bundle of joy!

At the end I think, you would also now agree as to why smoking while pregnant is not a very appealing thought! Take Care!