QUOTE:
bexie you are kinda funny most of the time but this isnt this is a serious topic i am not trying to be mean but this was not funny this time

Hun, serious is the fact that every hour 31 children die of AIDS, 320,000 babies test positive for alcohol and illicit drugs at birth, and 6259 soldiers have died in Iraq and Afghanistan.
If a woman smokes a ciggie or not while she is pregnant is the least harmful thing I can think of. I have yet to see a child harmed in utero by smoking. My mother smoked and I was 9lbs 8.5 ounces. Her smallest child, my youngest sister Sarah, was over 6lbs and she was a month early. My closest sister, Teresa, smoked with all 4 of her pregnancies (she cut back but didn't quit) and all of her babies were born on time and good size. My older sister Kathy smoked and both of hers were timely and fine. Of the 6 of us, 3 smoke, 3 don't, 2 have asthma, 4 don't. I see more problems with kids who's parents smoke AFTER they are born than those who smoke while pregnant.

Have you ever held a baby while he screamed through withdrawal. I have. My best friends family adopted a cousins 3 day old crack addicted baby when I was 11 yeard old. Her mom worked and her dad was a drunk, so her and I spent a lot of time taking care of Josh. She used to wrap him in a blanket, line the red wagon with towels, and bring him to my house. He would cry and shake and turn blood red and could not be comforted for anything. He had a huge lump on his chest where his sternum had a deformity, he had so much trouble learning anything, and to this day, though he is in his 20's and a father himself, he can barely read, he flips burgers for a living, and he has very little (I can't think of the word I want here but it means...) he knows when he is doing something wrong, but doesn't really care too much. Oh yeah, and he is a drug addict.

So now, maybe you understand why I don't find a mother that smokes to be such an evildoer. I have seen much worse treatment of a fetus.

So you're saying that inhaling products such as paint stripper (acetone), toilet cleaner (ammonia), rat poison (cyanide), insecticide (DDT) and car exhaust fumes (carbon monoxide) is one of the least harmful things to do while pregnant?

Good point, Katie. And Bexie, yes, it isn't the worst thing that can happen. And I'm very sorry for that boy, and for you having to experience that. But, while smoking during pregnancy isn't the worst thing to do during a pregnancy, it's also not the best. Yes, some babies born to smoking mothers are fine, but more often than not they have problems. Also, you pointed out that babies aren't as effected from the mother smoking during pregnancy as they are from a mother smoking after the birth, but when is the mother going to quit? If the mom is smoking during the pregnancy, she will most likely continue smoking throughout the child's early childhood. If the mom is going to quit sometime, why doesn't she quit when she finds out she's pregnant?

I have never understood smoking, period. Pregnant or not, old, young, male, female, rich, poor, whatever. The notion of deliberately placing smoke directly into your lungs is one of the oddest things I think mankind has ever done. Looking at it this way, "drinking" seems more like a "normal" thing to do. But I don't condone any kind of alcohol or drug. (Yes, that includes smoking and dip). Anyway, I just feel for the little ones who had family smoking while in utero and after they were born. I understand that it's "not the worst" thing, but, as mentioned also, it's certainly not the best thing! jellybean123, I commend you for quitting cold turkey, and I trust that you are truly a former smoker and won't start back after the baby is born! And, one more little note, I have always wondered this: my mom smoked a while before she was pregnant with me and into the pregnancy. When she found out she was pregnant, she stopped smoking immediately. I was only 6 pounds. On the other hand, my brother was over 9 pounds! Of course, it could have been just how he and I were meant to be different, but it could have been some from her smoking with me. Anyway, I encourage us all to be healthier in various ways. Most of us know what we need to improve, and I wish you all well on your life's journey!

Alisamber wrote:

QUOTE:
I have never understood smoking, period. Pregnant or not, old, young, male, female, rich, poor, whatever. The notion of deliberately placing smoke directly into your lungs is one of the oddest things I think mankind has ever done. Looking at it this way, "drinking" seems more like a "normal" thing to do. But I don't condone any kind of alcohol or drug. (Yes, that includes smoking and dip). Anyway, I just feel for the little ones who had family smoking while in utero and after they were born. I understand that it's "not the worst" thing, but, as mentioned also, it's certainly not the best thing! jellybean123, I commend you for quitting cold turkey, and I trust that you are truly a former smoker and won't start back after the baby is born! And, one more little note, I have always wondered this: my mom smoked a while before she was pregnant with me and into the pregnancy. When she found out she was pregnant, she stopped smoking immediately. I was only 6 pounds. On the other hand, my brother was over 9 pounds! Of course, it could have been just how he and I were meant to be different, but it could have been some from her smoking with me. Anyway, I encourage us all to be healthier in various ways. Most of us know what we need to improve, and I wish you all well on your life's journey!

Wow. Very well put. You could be a speech writer/presenter or something! You have a gift! Anyway, I agree with what you said

I'm going to spare you my "smoking killed the kid" anecdote and point out that different babies will react differently to smoking while pregnant. Some it may not have affected at all, others may be only slightly affected (it may not even be recognizable to the untrained eye) and others it may seriously mess with.

The woman had said she'd had contractions and she was still smoking, which might just trigger some complications for her kid.

I'll be praying for that kid.