Do you think that pregnant women should be allowed to smoke cigarettes?
It's a girl in my class at college who's 6 months pregnant and she smokes everytime we have a break between classes. She even asked another girl for a cigarette and the girl gave it to her! I was shocked. I understand that it's her body or whatever but it's another human being inside of her that's inhaling all of that smoke and I know that it has to have damaging affects on the fetus. What do you guys think? How would you feel if you saw a pregnant girl smoking? Does anyone know the side effects?
2006-06-20T20:15:20Z
I only said "allowed" to smoke because there isn't a law against not smoking while you're pregnant. I don't condone this one bit, don't get me wrong!
Anonymous2006-06-20T20:13:43Z
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Smoking during pregnancy can lead to premature birth and other birth defects. But stress can be a lot more harmful. If a woman was to get pregnant unexpectedly, and was a smoker and couldn't or didn't quit right away, the stress she would put her body through trying to quit in the 2nd trimester could be a lot more harmful than smoking at all. I became pregnant unexpectedly and am a smoker. I was finding it hard to quit, which is horrible I know, but I was very open about it with my doctor, and he informed me of all this. Needless to say I thankfully quit during my first trimester and my son is very healthy, wasn't premature and had no problems. In fact, he was quite large. But some people get lucky when it comes to this, and others don't. Smoking does cause serious birth defects in some cases, which is not fair to the unborn child.
My sister smoked while she was pregnant both times. She did cut down a lot (since before she was smoking full flavor menthols a pack a day and she switched to req. ultra lights and only had like 3 a day) Both her children are healthy. It's taking a risk but it should be up to her not someone else. Do you know what it's like to smoke a pack a day and than suddenly you find out your pregnant so your "not allowed" Qutting is really difficult even if you tell yourself that theres a little baby inside your belly. The side effects can be horrible and thats true but the truth is it's not as easy as just qutting for every woman. I bet if you were to walk up and say something to her she would tell you to take your opinion and stick it up your a$$.
NO SHE SHOULD NOT SMOKE. HOWEVER It is NOT YOUR choice. I would feel just fine if and when I see a pregnant women smoking. It is harmful and pregnant women do know that. Some can't stop some don't care. In fact I've heard a OB doctor tell a pregnant women if she stoped smoking farther into the pregnancy it COULD cause the baby to go into withdraw they get use to being in that bad environment it's all they ever knew~! Drug addicts have been know to lose a pregnancy after stoping use the baby is use to the DRUG "they may have lost it anyway with or without stoping" no way to know. IT'S HER BABY her BODY it's stupid but, YOU CAN NOT TELL others what to do or push your own point of view. You can know it sucks and she is being selfish but, it's her life. I personally don't agree with it but, That is a choice I made for me.
"Allowed"? What, now we're going to have different rules for pregnant women than we have for other adults? Maybe you'd like to go to her house and make sure she's eating correctly? Or that she's properly washing her hands after going to the bathroom? How about overweight people? Extra pounds can cause problems in pregnancy, too. Should we let them bear children? Should we put them on enforced diets?
Look, you know it's not good to smoke. Period. It's especially not good to smoke while you're pregnant. But smoking is legal, and it's none of your business.
I understand the concern but it IS her body. Consider that many people were born to mothers who smoke before the ill effects were completly understood and they are fine. My mother smoked, back in the late 50's and early 60's when all 3 of her children were born and, although we were all very small, we have turned out just fine. Besides, it is likely just as bad to breath the air considering the pollutants we have spewed into it.