Smoking for an easier birth? Don't do it!

There is a lot of evidence that smoking during pregnancy can cause a whole host of problems. Yet, there are still mothers who continue to light up throughout their pregnancies. Is it because smoking is so addictive that they can't say no to cigarettes, even though they keep telling themselves "this will be the last one"? Apparently not. Apparently according to Professor Nick Macklon of Southampton University there are women who keep on smoking while they are expecting because they think it will result in a smaller baby, and set them up for an easier birth!

That sounds shocking, does it not? My hairdresser, who is in her second trimester of pregnancy now, asked me whether I kept on smoking during pregnancy as if it was the normal thing to do. Nope, I am not a smoker. But, it was clear that her reason to smoke while pregnant is its addictiveness and not some plan to have a small baby. My babies were 8 lbs and 6 lbs, and I honestly don't think a smaller baby sets you up for an easier birth this depends on a whole host of other factors including fetal position, your mindset, and just nature.

Professor Nick Macklon told a conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) in Stockholm: "It is important that people who believe that a smaller baby means an easier birth take into account the increased risk of complicated deliveries in smokers, as well as the risk of disease later in life which goes with low birth weight. Smoking during pregnancy is not just bad for the mother and baby, but for the adult it will grow into." Indeed, that is important to remember. And did you know that a new study showed that quitting smoking as soon as you find out you are pregnant is "just as good" as not smoking at all? If you are expecting, trash your cigarettes!