smoking during pregnancy

Let me just say, this is a bad bad bad idea! I'am on yahoo answers answering people pregnancy questions and this topic has come up quite a bit. (unfourtunatly) You have people on there that answer like this. "Oh, it's totally fine smoking during pregnancy... this person I know did, and this person, and this person." They go on rambling how its totally fine just because some people they know gave birth to healthy babies.

Just because a few women had healthy babies doesnt mean that smoking didnt effect them in some way or another. Just means God was watching that baby and helping it.

you know when you smoke especially after the third month it can cause quite a few potential risks. Plus not to mention that your uterus fills up with smoke and that is what your baby is getting in his/her system. It's like a nonsmoker stuck in a tiny rm with a bunch of chain smokers. (poor baby!)

here is a list or potential risks. I got it out of one of my fav books, What to Expect When You're Expecting.

babys heart beat speeds up
etopic pregnancy
abnormal placental implantaion
premature placental detatchment
premature rupture of membranes
early delivery
low birthweight
shorter length
small head circumference
cleft palate
cleft lip
heart defects
SIDS
prone to apnea
low apgar score
lowered immune system
respitory diseases
ear infections
colic
TB
food allergies
asthma
short stature
ADHD
abnormally aggressice toddlers
likely to be smokers themselves.

So you see just because the baby was born healthy does not mean it cant/wont have problems as it grows up. It also depends on how much the mother is smoking. These potential risks are greater if the mother continues to smoke after the baby is born.

All in all its much healthier for you and your baby if you just quit altogether. that baby is gonna go through withdrawal after its born cause his/her system is use to the nicotine.

Please ladies dont smoke while pregnant.... for your baby's sake! feel free to comment. if you have questions my email is shorti4ever88@yahoo.com.