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I know lots of women who drink alcohol and some who smoke cigarettes. I don't know a single one who did either while pregnant. Well, for all I know these women were hiding in their garages each night secretly chugging wine and puffing on cigarettes, but I doubt it. These are intelligent women who understand the dangers that alcohol and cigarettes can have on their unborn children and were willing to make that sacrifice for the well-being of their child.
Unfortunately, there are some mothers who won't make that sacrifice. According to UK baby charity Tommy's, one in 20 pregnant mothers smoke cigarettes and one in 25 drink alcohol. Why would a women endanger the health of her unborn child? According to Tommy's, nine out of ten women feel stressed during pregnancy and some of them turn to cigarettes and alcohol to relieve that stress.
Stress in itself has been shown to increase the risk of complications during pregnancy, sometimes resulting in miscarriage and premature delivery. But relieving stress by indulging in drinking and smoking creates an even greater risk to the baby. Smoking while pregnant can lead to low birth weight, miscarriage and stillbirth, among other things. Babies born to mothers who binge drink are more likely to suffer fetal alcohol syndrome, which can cause brain damage and facial deformities.
According to Andrew Shennan, professor of obstetrics for Tommy's, pregnant women need to be informed about healthy ways to reduce stress. "Instead of turning to cigarettes or drinking excessive amounts of alcohol, these measures can sometimes be as simple as talking through whatever issues are causing concern, or seeking out additional information on the subject," he says.
Pregnancy and all the changes that becoming a parent brings can be stressful. I remember feeling anxious a lot when pregnant with Christy. To relax, I would spend hours floating in the swimming pool, listening to music. What did you do to relieve stress when you were pregnant?
Unfortunately, there are some mothers who won't make that sacrifice. According to UK baby charity Tommy's, one in 20 pregnant mothers smoke cigarettes and one in 25 drink alcohol. Why would a women endanger the health of her unborn child? According to Tommy's, nine out of ten women feel stressed during pregnancy and some of them turn to cigarettes and alcohol to relieve that stress.
Stress in itself has been shown to increase the risk of complications during pregnancy, sometimes resulting in miscarriage and premature delivery. But relieving stress by indulging in drinking and smoking creates an even greater risk to the baby. Smoking while pregnant can lead to low birth weight, miscarriage and stillbirth, among other things. Babies born to mothers who binge drink are more likely to suffer fetal alcohol syndrome, which can cause brain damage and facial deformities.
According to Andrew Shennan, professor of obstetrics for Tommy's, pregnant women need to be informed about healthy ways to reduce stress. "Instead of turning to cigarettes or drinking excessive amounts of alcohol, these measures can sometimes be as simple as talking through whatever issues are causing concern, or seeking out additional information on the subject," he says.
Pregnancy and all the changes that becoming a parent brings can be stressful. I remember feeling anxious a lot when pregnant with Christy. To relax, I would spend hours floating in the swimming pool, listening to music. What did you do to relieve stress when you were pregnant?
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
9-04-2007 @ 2:01PM
Eva said...I had lunch out with friends, talked to friends, talked to my husband and my mother, read books, planned obsessively, rearranged the nursery...
Reply
9-04-2007 @ 4:56PM
LS said...I'm not looking to start a fight here, but I have an honest question... has there ever been research about the effects of withdrawal on an unborn baby? Having seen others go through it, I know that withdrawal is an extremely stressful time for a person who has a full support structure in place. For someone who is on her own, quitting is often extremely difficult and stressful. I'm not saying that she should keep smoking, drinking, etc., but I do wonder how the trade-off balances.
Reply
9-04-2007 @ 10:41PM
SKL said...I don't know about withdrawal, but I know that if you want to have a healthy family, you can quit smoking well before you get pregnant. That's what my sister did. No, it's not easy, but if you care enough, you will make the sacrifice. There are plenty of other ways to deal with stress - music, meditation, problem-solving, laughter, watching AFV on TV, planning, organizing, petting animals, etc.
I know a woman who claims to have tried for quite some time to get pregnant with #4. She is still smoking through her pregnancy, as she did with the first three pregnancies. All her kids have had significant health problems, and one baby of a set of twins was miscarried. Apparently, some people just don't care about the needs of others, not even their own children.
Reply
9-05-2007 @ 9:08AM
wookie said...While alcohol and nicotine can be compared similarly on many levels (both are addictive) it is quite possible to exercise moderation in alcohol (which metabolizes and leaves your system). You can't moderately smoke a cigarette.
It's very easy in North America, where alcohol and women are both demonized, to take this particular soapbox (it's a popular soapbox!). It's a lot better proven that ibuprofen interferes with the developement of kidney function than it is proven that one glass of wine will damage your growing baby (binge drinking and constant drinking however, there is a lot of proof that those do substansial harm). But I have yet to hear a wave of "she's so selfish!" cries over a woman taking an advil while pregnant.
The plain fact of the matter is healthy living and moderation should be the practice for all persons, especially those growing babies.
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