Smoking While Pregnant
Monday 26th of March 2012 | Category: Pregnancy News | Written by: Rosanne MouldingEarlier this month, Stacey Solomon was caught smoking with only a few months to go until her due date. She has faced a barrage of criticism over her decision to continue smoking but the former 'Mum of the Year' has protested she tried to quit but found it too difficult. (Unfortunately for Stacey, her title of 'Mum of the Year' made the discovery of her smoking seem even worse.) So, how hard is it for pregnant mums to quit smoking?
Trying to quit smoking is difficult at any time, thanks to the nicotine found in cigarettes making them extremely addictive, but somehow people manage it. What I want to know is, is it easier to quit smoking when you're pregnant than any other time? Or is it more common because there's more incentive to resist a cigarette?
Unlike alcohol, which you are allowed in small amounts while pregnant, every cigarette smoked can harm an unborn baby. This is why just cutting down isn't enough. But is the media too quick to criticise mums who have tried, and failed to quit smoking? Obviously, cutting down is better than nothing, and even doing that is an achievement when you are addicted to something, so Stacey deserves some credit for trying. However, while cutting down is the least a mum can do if she decides to continue smoking, does this mean she'll go back to her regular amount of cigarettes after the birth? If so, the baby will undoubtedly suffer second hand smoking (unless the mother manages to get far away from the baby for up to twenty times a day.)
Personally, I think it's amazing how many mums manage to quit smoking when they become pregnant. Yes, I know it's only right and that it could harm a baby if you carry on, but it doesn't stop it from being hard. To quit means you're going cold turkey on an addiction you may have had for years, even decades; so perhaps Stacey needs some support, rather than criticism? Saying that, when you look at the possible effects smoking can have on an unborn baby (chemical poisoning, restricting oxygen supplies, higher risk of stillbirth, higher risk of a premature birth, higher risk of the baby suffering from cot death,) giving up smoking seems like an easy, and small price to pay.
I'd love to hear back from mums who have managed to quit smoking because of trying to get pregnant or because they've discovered they're pregnant, so please feel free to comment below if you've managed it! This is a topic I'm really interested in so I'm not trying to condemn or condone anything or anyone. Let me know your thoughts below!
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