No. Smoking during pregnancy or exposing yourself to second hand smoke is not safe for you or your baby. Many complications can arise from this including:
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1. Higher risk of having a baby with a LOW birth weight
When you smoke, your baby gets less oxygen and nutrients which results in slower baby growth and less weight gain. A baby’s low birth weight is one of the main causes of illness and disability in babies. Furthermore, it increases the risk of your baby being stillborn and can affect your baby’s health into adulthood.
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2. Increased risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
The risk of SIDS increases by four times if you have between one to nine cigarettes per day and eight times if you smoke 20 plus cigarettes a day.
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3. It affects your child’s mental development and behavior
Smoking during pregnancy may affect your child’s mental development and behavior. This can lead to short attention span, hyperactivity and learning problems. In fact, 25% of all behavioral disorders in children are linked to smoking in pregnancy.
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4. It affects your baby’s health for life
Besides increasing your baby’s risk of developing behavioral disorders and having learning problems, your baby is more susceptible to ear infections, colds and breathing problems such as asthma. Your baby may also be more prone to certain birth defects. For example: there’s a strong link between smoking in pregnancy and babies born with a cleft palate and lip.
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5. Your health is affected too
Smoking during pregnancy increases your chances of having a miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy and going into premature labor.
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By now, you probably realize that you want to kick this habit and are probably asking yourself “What can I do to help me quit?”
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Some people find that picking a “Quit” day helps. On that day, throw away your cigarettes, lighters, matches and ashtrays. In anticipation of the quit day, you can reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke per day. When a craving hits, try chewing gum, eating a piece of fruit, calling a friend or going for a walk. Furthermore, pay attention to the feelings and emotions that come up just before you get a craving. By identifying the “cause” you can be proactive and make your life easier. For example: if you find that smoking was your way of dealing with stress than you can help decrease that stress by incorporating things such as meditation or deep breathing exercises into your daily activities.
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If you determine that you will need more help with quitting, contact our clinic or your midwife/doctor to set up a more personalized plan that is right for you.
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Image credit: <a href=’http://www.123rf.com/photo_10588511_pregnant-woman-quits-smoking-all-on-white-background.html’>kaarsten / 123RF Stock Photo</a>