Everyone probably heard about the negative effects of smoking, however, like other bad habits, on the human body. But, as practice shows, neither awesome photos of affected internal organs, nor the active promotion of a healthy lifestyle do not affect a person’s desires. But with the emergence in the woman’s body of a new life, her bad habits begin to negatively affect the baby. How to be in this case? How dangerous is smoking during pregnancy? How much before addiction is it necessary to give up addiction? And what if you learned about an interesting situation for a period of several months, thereby continuing to poison your baby every day? It is in these issues that we will try to understand within the framework of this material.
The opinion of doctors
It is difficult to argue with statistics, and today it speaks of the active distribution of smoking among the fair half of humanity. Moreover, the age of addiction to such addiction is becoming younger. Doctors agree that smoking during pregnancy is harmful to your baby. Nevertheless, even after a categorical “no” from their gynecologist, some continue to poison themselves and the fetus, citing nervousness, as well as the reviews of those negligent mothers who smoked during the entire gestation period, after which they gave birth to healthy and strong babies. Nevertheless, it is difficult to argue with the results of medical research, but they confirm the opposite.
Risk zone
Smoking during pregnancy in the early stages, as well as throughout all trimesters, is accompanied by extremely negative factors:
- the birth of a premature baby;
- risk of perinatal mortality;
- physical abnormalities and pathologies in the baby;
- high risk of miscarriage;
- the risk of developing congenital diseases;
- mental and nervous breakdown in a child.
What is dangerous nicotine for the fetus?
The consequences of smoking during pregnancy most often come down to pathologies in the woman’s body, as well as the development of abnormalities in the normal growth and formation of the fetus.
The body of a woman and a future baby are one and the same - every mother should remember this. Even one puff that you take leads to the formation of a smokescreen in the child. The consequence of this is often oxygen starvation and spasm of blood vessels. Doctors diagnose placental changes in those women who do not get rid of addiction. The placenta is thinning, which does not allow it to fully cope with the assigned function. Miscarriages, facts of abnormalities in the development of the child, a frozen pregnancy - all these are consequences of placental detachment caused by exposure to nicotine.
Few people know that nicotine even in a minimal amount depresses the reproductive system of the developing fetus. Girls are diagnosed with a decrease in egg supply, which will negatively affect future reproductive function, boys may face impotence in the future.
The harm of smoking for the expectant mother
Each woman should be attentive to her health, otherwise she simply will not be able to endure a strong and healthy baby, protect him from the extremely negative influence of the world. We already said that smoking during pregnancy is very bad for the baby. How does it affect the health of the expectant mother? It is difficult to underestimate the harm that nicotine has on the female body:
- severe pregnancy;
- early toxicosis, weakness;
- digestive system problems, constipation, stool disorders;
- aggravation of problems of the cardiovascular system, varicose veins;
- deficiency of vitamins, especially vitamin C, which leads to deterioration of the skin, hair, nails.
It is worth noting that the insufficient level of vitamin C in the female body entails not only external visible problems. It often results in metabolic disturbances, a decrease in the protective functions of the body, and a depressed state.
Smoking and pregnancy planning
All gynecologists insist that both parents should be more careful and demanding in their approach to the conception process. That is why the term pregnancy planning is so common today. Future parents, deciding to have a baby, first of all must go to a specialized medical institution in order to pass all the tests and undergo a comprehensive examination. The effect of smoking on the fetus during pregnancy is an established fact. But how careful should a woman be when planning a future baby?
So, the couple should prepare together for conception, get rid of bad habits, sources of irritation, tidy up their emotional background. It is obvious that smoking and pregnancy planning are incompatible things. But for those parents for whom this statement is not enough, we will give the facts.
Both parents should give up smoking, because under the influence of nicotine, reproductive ability decreases by about 2-3 times. In women, in particular, the number of eggs is reduced. Numerous studies in this area have shown that smokers are less likely to become pregnant with IVF, and they will have to make twice as many attempts. Think about it, for sure you do not want to run into problems. The negative impact of smoking during pregnancy is so great that the habit should be abandoned at the first opportunity. The sooner you start, the faster you cleanse your body.
When can you plan a pregnancy?
A number of medical studies have proven that blood from nicotine clears after 8 hours. For complete cleansing of the body, at least six months will be needed. When planning a pregnancy, you need to give up cigarettes at least a few months before the proposed conception, because, as we have found, they negatively affect reproductive function. By the way, many, trying to get rid of addiction, use such highly advertised plasters and chewing gums. So, it is safe to use them only before pregnancy.
Hookah and pregnancy
For completeness, you should definitely touch on this topic. If smoking during pregnancy is a 100% evil, can cigarettes be replaced with hookah? In fact, this is a very topical issue. A future mother should know and understand that smoking even without nicotine is still dangerous for a baby developing in her womb. In the process of burning any substance, not necessarily tobacco, two fatal carcinogens are released: carbon monoxide and benzopyrene. Their inhalation for an hour can lead to the development of infectious pneumonia, inflammation of the mucous membrane of the larynx and nasal cavity. All kinds of aromatic additives, which always accompany the hookah smoking process, are no less harmful to the female body and the development of the child. It is they that can cause the development of allergies, which will interfere with the newborn immediately after birth.
Electronic cigarette: an exit or all the same danger?
How harmful is the so-called "electronic" smoking during pregnancy? Reviews of some future mothers push many to the time of bearing a child to switch to electronic cigarettes, which will save their addiction, only getting rid of its negative manifestations. This is a device that simulates the smoking process. A person inhales steam generated in the process of heating a special fluid, presented in sufficient abundance and diversity. There are nicotine-free products, which are most often chosen by pregnant women who do not want to part with addiction.
Doctors are quite categorical, they oppose such an alternative. Even the so-called nicotine-free liquid is created on the basis of an impressive amount of carcinogens, the inhalation of which provokes the same pathologies and complications as cigarette smoking. Another danger is the high risk of acquiring a fake, thereby causing even greater harm to a woman and her unborn baby.
Smoking and breastfeeding
We have revealed quite important and relevant issues for future parents. Smoking during pregnancy is a huge harm. But if you did not have enough strength to get rid of this habit while carrying the baby, then you are unlikely to abandon it after it is born. Nicotine addiction during breastfeeding has two negative sides. First of all, it has already been scientifically proven that smoking suppresses the activity of the hormone prolactin, which is responsible for the production of breast milk. If for some reason you can’t refuse cigarettes in any way, make at least a small restriction - refuse them for the period from 9 pm to 9 am, when milk is produced most actively.
Nicotine and other substances penetrate into breast milk, respectively, the baby, which has not yet gained strength, receives the same carcinogens as his mother. Think about it, are you really capable of doing harm to your baby in such aggressive conditions of the world around you? The children's body simply can not cope with this effect.
Myths and fallacies
Smoking during pregnancy is a fairly discussed and relevant topic, giving rise to enough bias around itself. One of them, that smoking does not harm the child, we have already dispelled.
A fairly popular myth says that during the bearing of a child you can not abruptly quit the habit. But here, doctors are unanimous: continuing to inhale nicotine vapor is much more dangerous. Moreover, it is smoking during pregnancy in the early stages that is accompanied by a large number of complications. Some women believe that higher-quality and more expensive cigarettes do less harm. Again, this is a fallacy. In expensive cigarettes, the sharp taste of tobacco is most often interrupted by aromatic additives. The process of smoking becomes more enjoyable, but its consequences remain the same.
Switching to lighter cigarettes will not solve the problem either. You can only psychologically reduce the harm that you continue to do to your child.
To summarize
Alcohol and smoking during pregnancy harm not only the woman, but also the fetus that develops in her womb. Ideally, future parents six months before conception should take care of their health: eliminate all bad habits, enrich the diet with vitamins and minerals. Only in this case you will be able to bear and give birth to a strong and healthy child. Do not believe the reviews of negligent mothers who smoked throughout their pregnancy and, according to them, did not notice any negative consequences of their dependence.
In other words, even if the pregnancy came as a surprise to you, you must quit smoking as soon as possible, thereby speeding up the process of cleansing your body.