How to get Pregnant » Smoking And Pregnancy
Smoking and Pregnancy
Though advertisements and public health campaigns have driven home the fact that smoking is destructive to health, people still find it difficult to quit the habit. Smoking is especially dangerous if a woman is pregnant and there is a huge connection between smoking and pregnancy risks as the points below will highlight.
Pelvic Pain
The relation between smoking and pregnancy seems to be directly associated with pelvic pain. Women who tend to smoke when pregnant are 20% likelier to have pelvic pains associated with pregnancy. While pelvic pain is a fairly common issue linked with pregnancy, the likelihood of it happening increases exponentially if the woman is smoking. Pelvic pain is responsible for making even daily routine tasks such as getting out of a chair, walking as well as tossing in bed very difficult. One of the reasons why smoking may contribute to increased pelvic pain could be because of reduced flow of blood to the region.
Miscarriage
More women these days seem to fall prey to miscarriages, thanks to their smoking habits. Even those women who quit smoking in the first trimester are prone to miscarriage during pregnancy. Other complications arising from smoking and pregnancy include low weight of the baby at birth as well as deformities in the child.
SIDS
SIDS, the abbreviated form of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is one of the biggest reasons of smoking and pregnancy deaths in the fetus. This happens due to higher concentrations of cotinine and nicotine exposed to the child. Even if the mother does not smoke, if she is consistently exposed to other smokers, the smoke could be enough to kill the infant. The nicotine from the smoke can easily travel into the woman's body and later into the breast milk, thereby affecting the newborn.
Fertility Issues
Smoking and pregnancy have dangers and risks associated even before the mother is pregnant. If the woman smokes before she becomes pregnant, she is at an increased risk of becoming infertile. In fact, smoking can reduce fertility levels not just in women but in men as well; it is also one of the largest causes of erectile dysfunction.
Other Risks
Smoking and pregnancy should never go hand in hand, especially when the woman is still pregnant. Smoking during pregnancy can result in many serious complications such as membrane rupture, ectopic pregnancy, placenta previa, placental abruption etc. Premature membrane rupture can trigger premature delivery. Placenta previa causes the fetus to develop over the cervical opening, making a vaginal delivery impossible. In addition, the placenta could burst before the baby can be born, resulting in the mother hemorrhaging.
Birth Defects
Smoking at the time of pregnancy can also result in several birth defects in the child. These include lesser birth circumference, changed brainstem development, differences in lung structure and several others. As per statistics from the US Public Health Service, if women stopped smoking before, during and after pregnancy, there would be a decrease of 11% in stillbirths and reduction of 5% in newborn fatalities.
Given the fact that smoking causes so many serious health problems, it is imperative that women quit smoking even before they become pregnant. With a healthier body, there is a greater chance of having a comfortable and safe pregnancy.