I smoked through my entire pregnancy and now I am having hard time to speed-up my dilation faster
Well, if you are one of them, then today I will guide you how it will harm you at different stages of pregnancy.Also, tell you some pro tips how you can get rid of it.
Before that lets give you a motivation. Do you know you are not alone who smoke during pregnancy? Giving birth a baby is even much harder to quit smoking, right?Lets see the success stories of quitting smoking during pregnancy
“According to American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologistsexternal Pregnancy influences many women to stop smoking, and approximately 54% of women who smoke before pregnancy quit smoking directly before or during pregnancy.”
Committee on Obstetric Practice (Ed.). (2017, October). Tobacco and Nicotine Cessation During Pregnancy. ACOG. Retrieved September 4, 2022, from https://www.acog.org/en/Clinical/Clinical%20Guidance/Committee%20Opinion
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Possible Risks When I Smoked through my entire pregnancy :
Smoking during pregnancy is common and can be dangerous for both the mother and baby.
The risks smoking holds for women:
- Smoking while you’re pregnant creates the risk of developing several congenital anomalies, including pre-eclampsia, contractions that are too strong, and even major seizures.
- Additionally, smoking can make it harder for you to give your baby a healthy start in life.
- Smoking during pregnancy can bring a higher risk of miscarriage, premature birth, low birth weight, and low Apgar scores in newborns.
Note: Rhogam shot may help you when you are vulnerable after smoking through your entire pregnancy. So lets find out when is it too late to get Rhogam shot after miscarriage
- Smoking cigarettes can increase the risk of developing babies heart disease and other respiratory diseases.
- The most serious of these problems is maternal smoking-related lung cancer, the most preventable form of cancer in women during their pregnancies.
When did smoking while pregnant become bad?
I break down it at different timeline of pregnancy, lets read:
Early pregnancy:
Smoking during early pregnancy can affect a baby’s development, health, and breathing. It’s a must to be aware of the risks while pregnant and to quit smoking if you want to keep your baby safe and healthy.
During pregnancy:
Smoking during pregnancy can also impact women’s health and well-being, particularly in the first trimester.
In addition to the complications listed above, smoking during pregnancy can increase the risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, and premature birth.
Moreover, It will decrease the oxygen levels dramatically so fetus will not grow or develop, sounds horrible!
Breastfeeding During Pregnancy:
Breastfeeding is the best way for both mother and baby to get the nutrition and oxygen they need. Smoking can adversely affect a baby’s health by reducing the amount of breast milk they are getting.
If you can’t give up smoking then don’t give up breastfeeding instead of making baby formula milk. Rather try the following steps:
What to do when I smoked through my whole pregnancy?
Don’t smoke before breastfeeding, rather smoke afterwards and take a long break before visiting your baby. It is because “According to the about-kids-health-contributors , your breast milk will be free from the toxins within 3-4 hours.”
While breastfeeding and smoking follow these pro tips:
- Don’t smoke near your baby
- Smoke outside
- Make your car/home/office smoke-free
- Change your clothes and wash your hands after smoking
Follow some tips in doing so:
Keep your home smoke free
1) Avoid smoking in large enclosed areas such as your home or office. This will help keep you from reaching high levels of nicotine, which can be harmful to your baby.
2) Avoid smoking while you’re breastfeeding. That way, you’ll be providing your baby with healthy milk that won’t contain nicotine.
3) Avoid smoking in cars. It keeps you and your baby safe from secondhand smoke. Also beware of thirdhand smoker.
4) Avoid smoking in restaurants and bars. This will stop you from becoming a smoker during pregnancy, which can also harm your baby.
5) You can go for Nicotine replacement therapy to give up smoking. NRT therapy basically works through tablets. U.S. Food and Drug Administration validated NRT to use with guidelines. These tablets help a smoker to withdraw their smoking urge.
6) Whenever you feel the urge to smoke, try chewing gum. Inhalators, oral strips, nasal spray, microsites, and patches reduce the urge to smoke.
7) You should also avoid any products containing licorice flavors. Such types of products include nitrogen that will harm you and the baby during pregnancy.
What week of pregnancy should I stop smoking?
Every smoker knows the struggle of quitting forever. With millions of people addicted to nicotine, quitting during pregnancy can be difficult and scary.
To avoid its side effects, it’s better that you try giving up soon. If you’re a gradual smoker, try giving it up in the first 14th week of the pregnancy.
The quicker you’ll give up, the healthier you and the baby will be.
Is it ok to smoke occasionally when pregnant?
Smoking during pregnancy is not recommended, as it can cause health problems for both the mother and the baby.
However, there have been some cases where it may be necessary to smoke occasionally to help relieve stress or take care of duties at work.
Still, a pregnant woman should never smoke or try any. This will make nicotine exposure to the baby, which seems dangerous.
Wrap Up:
No mother wants to regret that I smoked through my entire pregnancy. Because they have already faced birth defects of the baby’s brain and spine, increases in miscarriage rates, and more. Be aware of the risks and try to quit smoking if pregnant.
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