Pregnancy and Smoking

Pregnancy is a very natural condition of the body. There are however, some risk factors associated if the mother is not careful enough during the pregnancy months. These risk factors are harmful for both the mother and the baby. The would-be mother is responsible for the birth of a healthy child along with the family members and the doctor. A regular check up is most essential during pregnancy. She should be careful on her diet, vitamins, injections and cleanliness. A factor that might affect the mother and child is smoking. Smoking is a strict no-no to a would-be mother and to any one for that matter.

Smoking affects the baby's health even if it is in the mother's womb. This might result in the child having asthma later on in life or during childhood. In case of the mother, she might have breathing problem, premature delivery and other birth hazards. The mother should try to quit habits like smoking or consumption of alcohol. This is to prevent the development of health complications due to tobacco consumption, heart and lung dysfunctions. This can also lead to cancer. Through smoking, the carbon monoxide and nicotine, reach the mother’s body and also the baby's body through the placenta. These substances like the nicotine hinder the process of supplying nutrients to the foetus and its growth process is hampered. Moreover the mother’s milk is also contaminated with the nicotine.

The future mother should be forewarned and do a lot of reading on the factors that affect pregnancy. She should be educated on the matters that might harm pregnancy. A proper life which is healthy and without the intrusion of alcohol or cigarettes prevents many of the dangerous factors that may risk the life of the unborn baby.

There are a few tips which can be followed by a would-be mother to stop smoking. Smoking would put less oxygen into your bloodstream. You can use deep breaths to change your way of feeling about smoking. You can also write down the keywords why you need to stop smoking and work on them. For instance, it is due to breathlessness, it’s filthy and dirt and causes you to get smelly and there are nicotine stains on your teeth. These are the reasons that help you to quit smoking. These when jotted down in a piece of paper and read over and over again, will help you stop smoking. You also tend to smoke when you take a break. So while you take a break do something different and avoid your usual surroundings. You have to train your mind into thinking that you will stop smoking and work at it one day at a time.

When you stop smoking, you have to drink a lot of water, fresh fruit juice, and a lot of glucose as the blood sugar level tends to go down when you quit smoking.

So when you are really free of smoking think of the wonderful time you are to have with your child when it is born. Indulge in making things for the new born. In other words work towards some positive goal to drive out the thoughts of smoking from your mind. You would be out to a wonderful childbirth and soon be the mother of a healthy bonny baby.