The other day I saw a pregnant young lady who must have been about 6 months pregnant puffing away on a cigarette whilst her child sat in his pram, smoke filling the air around them. As an ex-smoker -I gave up as soon as I found out I was pregnant- I didn’t even hesitate with giving up to help support my growing developing baby with the best start in life. Now the smell of cigarettes repulse me and since my asthma has got a whole load worse since I’ve given up, it’s best that I have. I can’t understand why some women continue to do so, it’s not exactly benefiting their baby in any shape or form, why do they think it’s OK to continue to do it? People have asked if I’ll restart smoking again after she’s here, but that’s just pure madness. I’m living much fresher air than before, my chest doesn’t feel like a million knots and apart from using my pump a lot due to Missy’s constant need to put her teeny tiny toes under my ribs, I breathe far cleaner and clearer than I did before.
I just can’t believe some women feel the need to put their child’s health at risk for a cigarette. I see women everywhere doing it. Standing at the bus stop with a child in a buggy, by the sea, outside the maternity ward, outside a pub, whilst sipping their hot drinks at the coffee shop, and all without a care in the world. I quit smoking because the health, life and future of my child was far more important than a cigarette, yet here are these women puffing away like no tomorrow. I just want to shout at them and tell them the risks they’re putting their unborn child in, shake them silly and drill it into their stupid heads that they’re doing more harm than good. I understand that giving up is harder than anything, it’s hard to give up an addiction. I’ve tried giving up before and even with a serious chest infection that landed me in hospital and a serious talk from my doctor that if I carried on my health would rapidly deteriorate, I still didn’t, it actually took finding out I was pregnant and a sizing scan showing a little ickle heartbeat to go STOP. It should be a choice that you think to consider. There are so many plans and programs out there that help to decrease a person’s smoking habits there really is no excuse to not consider stopping. What drives me mad are the women who do not even try to quit, who make excuse on why they shouldn’t quit, who somehow try and convince us that their doctor’s said it’s OK that they can carry on smoking, as if that’s somehow believable! Quitting is not impossible. It’s doable. It’s hard and shitty and causes your blood pressure to go a little higher and makes your mood swings a little crazier but the end result is so much better for you and your child. Isn’t that more important rather than risking miscarriage, stillbirth or health defeats in your child’s later life? Am I the only one who thinks this?
Missy, Me & Him 