# Pregnant Smokers!!! You make me sick!!! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 18, 2006, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pregnant-smokers-you-make-me-sick/340480 "2006-01-18T05:39:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Hamadryad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6de8d8/32.png) [@Hamadryad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamadryad)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2006, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pregnant-smokers-you-make-me-sick/340480/61 "2006-01-19T01:21:43Z")
> [@cowgirl](#): > > Darn it. Now I feel like having a cigarette. AND a baby. Babies are a lot harder to light. ---
**Author:** ![sj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@sj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sj2)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2006, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pregnant-smokers-you-make-me-sick/340480/62 "2006-01-19T02:11:37Z")
I’m pregnant and quit when I found out. I felt like crap for about a week. It did not kill me or my baby. My doc was very, very proud of me. She also mentioned during my umm, exam, how outraged she was when people claim that their doctor told them to _keep smoking_ to reduce stress. She has never heard a doctor nor heard of a doctor saying such a thing in this day and age. I shake my head at pregnant smokers. It’s just stupid. (But, they could indeed just be fat as others have mentioned.) Oh and all you pregnancy stalkers–that glass of beer I’m enjoying at the bar with my friends? It’s NA. That “martini” I’m having is pineapple juice. That latte is fake is too…but damn I love the smell of coffee decaf or not. Rushing to judge seems to be a hobby for some though…and touching my belly for others. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![BabaBooey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dfb087/32.png) [@BabaBooey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BabaBooey)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2006, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pregnant-smokers-you-make-me-sick/340480/63 "2006-01-19T03:13:03Z")
I don’t see how the abortion/it’s her body arguments apply. It’s not going to be her body in 0-9 months. Maybe smoking affects the fetus, maybe it doesn’t, but if I can have the courtesy to not smoke around children, let alone infants and pregnant women, the expecting damn well better be able to do the same. I’ve quit for months at a time to train for a marathon without too much trouble, I’d imagine it would be much easier to do so for my own offspring. ---
**Author:** ![Uvula\_Donor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e19adc/32.png) [@Uvula\_Donor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uvula_Donor)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2006, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pregnant-smokers-you-make-me-sick/340480/64 "2006-01-19T03:17:39Z")
> [@pace](#): > > . . .the person(s) causing their harm go on my SHIT LIST. Wow, that must be one hell of a huge list. Do you write it down, or keep it in your head? ---
**Author:** ![aurelian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f4b2a3/32.png) [@aurelian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aurelian)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2006, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pregnant-smokers-you-make-me-sick/340480/65 "2006-01-19T04:50:57Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#): > > web-footed asthmatic retarded people. Wow, I should make that my signature. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2006, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pregnant-smokers-you-make-me-sick/340480/66 "2006-01-19T05:00:05Z")
I just wanted to add another linky, even though it seems like the thread is dying down. From the March of Dimes Smoking Cessation website: [Smoking Cessation](http://search.marchofdimes.com/cgi-bin/MsmGo.exe?grab_id=724&page_id=3081472&query=smoking+cessation&hiword=cessation+smoking+) Lots of stuff there. I don’t advocate yelling at pregnant ladies except in the Pit, but to say it has no effect at all because of anecdotes is kind of naive. I’m not here to fight, though, and will bow out now. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2006, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pregnant-smokers-you-make-me-sick/340480/67 "2006-01-19T07:30:17Z")
> [@Hamadryad](#): > > Babies are a lot harder to light. Hey, that was _my_ line! ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2006, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pregnant-smokers-you-make-me-sick/340480/68 "2006-01-19T07:53:56Z")
> [@Hamadryad](#): > > Babies are a lot harder to light. _Juan dances at Chico’s And when the clients are evicted He empties the ashtrays And pockets all that he’s collected But baby’s on fire And all the instruments agree that Her temperature’s rising But any idiot would know that._ --Brian Eno Smoke 'em if you got 'em. ---
**Author:** ![TwoTrouts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a9adbd/32.png) [@TwoTrouts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwoTrouts)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2006, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pregnant-smokers-you-make-me-sick/340480/69 "2006-01-19T14:07:10Z")
> [@Larry Mudd](#): > > _Juan dances at Chico’s > And when the clients are evicted > He empties the ashtrays > And pockets all that he’s collected > But baby’s on fire > And all the instruments agree that > Her temperature’s rising > But any idiot would know that._ --Brian Eno Damn! Now I’m going to have that blast-from-the-past earworm in my head all day!!! _Babies on fire Better throw her in the water Look at her laughing Like a heifer to the slaughter_ Thanks a lot! ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2006, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pregnant-smokers-you-make-me-sick/340480/70 "2006-01-19T15:25:15Z")
> [@duffer](#): > > So not only should the bar not allow smoking, but it should also refrain from serving alcohol??? The “exactly” wasn’t precisely used. I’m not an advocate of banning bars. I’m perfectly happy not going to bars and dance clubs. I don’t care what they do in there. ---
**Author:** ![AmericanMaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@AmericanMaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AmericanMaid)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2006, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pregnant-smokers-you-make-me-sick/340480/71 "2006-01-19T16:02:52Z")
> [@YaWanna](#): > > Personally, I despise smoking. My mother smoked while pregnant with me, and didn’t quit until I was a teenager. I’ve had a lifetime of increased susceptibility to upper respiratory infections (I get bronchitis at least twice a year - everyone I know says I get sick more than anyone they know), even though I’ve never smoked. I can’t prove that mom’s smoking caused it, but I strongly suspect it’s a factor. At any rate, I hate smoking and everything to do with it. My mom smoked while pregnant with me too. I was born premature. I too also am susceptible to upper resporatory infection and ear infections. Plus, I was born with a heart defect that lead to me having a stroke when I was 24 years old. So, yeah smoking mothers deserve to be pitted but like everyone else has said, it’s her body and her child that she’ll mess up. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Cymbeline](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_cymbeline/32/9244_2.png) [@Green\_Cymbeline](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Cymbeline)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2006, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pregnant-smokers-you-make-me-sick/340480/72 "2006-01-19T17:54:46Z")
> [@Hilarity N. Suze](#): > > Ah, smoking isn’t all that hazardous to the baby. Smokers do have a higher rate of miscarriage but that’s in the first 3 months. That smoking pregnant woman makes me sick! I think it’s utterly disgusting behavior. That being said, my mom smoked when she was pregnant with my brother and I, back in the early 70s, and we turned out fine and normal and of above-average health and intelligence. But still, it angers me that she smoked while we were in-utero, but luckily we turned out OK. So my point is, it is possible to smoke and have a healthy baby. But it is still a dispicable thing to do. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2006, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pregnant-smokers-you-make-me-sick/340480/73 "2006-01-19T17:56:56Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#): > > My comment was directed more toward the OP. Risks have been acknowledged. However, I stand by my observation that if the risks were that high, nearly everyone I know would be web-footed asthmatic retarded people. Such is not the case. I’ll second this. My mother smoked and drank heavily while she was pregnant with me, my brother, and my sister (it was the sixties and seventies - it was good for you then). No asthma, webbed feet, or retardation. Okay, my brother can be a bit of a jerk at times, and my sister keeps griping that she can’t find a decent man, but otherwise we’re fine. Except for my brain damage, but since no one knew about it until I was 32, I don’t think that can count. For the record: [ul][li]If you start smoking, you’re stupid. (I was when I started).[/li][li] If you do start smoking - it’s your business if you want to fuck up your lungs.[/li][li] You should not smoke if you are pregnant[/li][li] My wife and I quit smoking when she got pregnant with Fang.[/li][li] If you do not smoke, and you go where there were already people smoking - too bad they were there first.[/li][li] If you do smoke, and you go where there are no smokers - be cool, and ask before you light up.[/ul][/li] > [@NurseCarmen](#): > > A gal at my 20th high school reunion looked to be at least 6 months pregnant. So my friend Nancy asked her when she was due. > > _She wasn’t pregnant_. "What are questions you should never ask unless you already know the answer? I’ll take social faux pas for $600"[ul] [/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2006, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pregnant-smokers-you-make-me-sick/340480/74 "2006-01-19T18:02:33Z")
> [@TwoTrouts](#): > > Damn! Now I’m going to have that blast-from-the-past earworm in my head all day!!! Try this Eno instead: _There’s a brain in the table, There’s a heart in the chair And they all live in Jesus, It’s a family affair._ ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_in\_second\_hand\_clothing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9d8465/32.png) [@wolf\_in\_second\_hand\_clothing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_in_second_hand_clothing)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2006, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pregnant-smokers-you-make-me-sick/340480/75 "2006-01-20T00:22:15Z")
> [@pace](#): > > …Then to my horror, after nearly 1/2 hr later, as i’m walking thru the exit, that woman is still there, STILL SMOKING!!! Hey now, it’s hard to quit. Especially now that she’s smoking for two! ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2006, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pregnant-smokers-you-make-me-sick/340480/76 "2006-01-20T02:37:15Z")
> [@wolf in second hand clothing](#): > > Hey now, it’s hard to quit. Especially now that she’s smoking for two! _standing in awe that I’ve missed this point_ Very well done. 😃 As for the OP, I’d like to reiterate my stance on this. NOW has won me over. It’s the woman’s choice and I will not invade her bodily privacy. It is up to her and her doctor to decide how best to handle the pregnancy. Frankly, I just don’t give a shit anymore. I’m through judging and have somehow (amazing considering how pro-life I used to be) learned to just let it go. I get up in the morning, go to work and pay my bills. I know my wife won’t ever have an abortion and that’s good enough for me. Whatever other women want to choose between bearing and aborting doesn’t directly affect me. In fact, if they want to abort it will likely save me money in the long run. If the mother doesn’t want the kid to live, he probably won’t have an upbringing that would nurture a life to let him grow to be the person that cures cancer. Cold? Hell yeah. Do I care? Nope. Her choice. None of my business. And yes, I’m serious. I just don’t care anymore. I have enough on my plate to no longer bitch about someone paying taxes to fund the health care of the children of low-income parents. Let her smoke. It’s her body, her choice. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2006, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pregnant-smokers-you-make-me-sick/340480/77 "2006-01-20T03:08:09Z")
> [@duffer](#): > > …NOW has won me over. It’s the woman’s choice and I will not invade her bodily privacy. It is up to her and her doctor to decide how best to handle the pregnancy. Frankly, I just don’t give a shit anymore. I’m through judging and have somehow (amazing considering how pro-life I used to be) learned to just let it go. While a position based on conviction is better than one based on “I don’t give a rat’s ass”, the end result in this case is the same, I guess. If your newfound apathy could extend to not harping on the subject in unrelated threads, that would be nice. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2006, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pregnant-smokers-you-make-me-sick/340480/78 "2006-01-20T04:04:04Z")
> [@pace](#): > > Ummm you’re kidding, right? this thread IS ABOUT PREGNANT WOMEN! The anger was/is not about this pregnant woman risking her own health, it’s about the UNBORN CHILD her body is helping to develop. IF she smokes, the baby smokes; if she drinks alcohol, the baby drinks alcohol…etc. And in case you have difficulty processing information (did your mom smoke while you were in her womb?), I didn’t lecture this woman or give her dirty looks–I minded my own business, but that doesn’t mean I can’t vent my frustration on an appropriate board such as this one. Get it? The best I can say about that is “Good thing you kept your thoughts to yourself and decided to vent here instead of to her”. But I think irishgirl was going farther than your scope… Do you only care for the unborn kid, and not about that kid and his/her family when it is born? What if the mom stops smoking during pregnancy, only to pick it up again after the baby is born? The kid (for most of the babyhood and childhood) will still be subject to his/her mom’s smoking. Are you also mad at the smoking parents that take their puff in front of their kids, all day long? No? Why not? They are still causing harm to their kids, triggering their allergies and asthma attacks. And by the way, don’t confuse being stupid to doing stupid things. My mom smoked while she was pregnant with me, wasn’t able to quit it (she did quit 2 months after I was born, and never smoked again). What she did was stupid, yes. What she a stupid ignorant woman? Nope. And I turned out fine, thank you… ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2006, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pregnant-smokers-you-make-me-sick/340480/79 "2006-01-20T04:11:08Z")
> [@TwoTrouts](#): > > Damn! Now I’m going to have that blast-from-the-past earworm in my head all day!!! Burn, Baby, burn! Disco inferno! ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2006, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pregnant-smokers-you-make-me-sick/340480/80 "2006-01-20T04:20:38Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > While a position based on conviction is better than one based on “I don’t give a rat’s ass”, the end result in this case is the same, I guess. > > If your newfound apathy could extend to not harping on the subject in unrelated threads, that would be nice. This is true. And I apologize for the seeming cross-reference/thought. Just trying to explain where the stance came from. And the fact that anti-smokers and pro-choice groups have shown me that harping on it is very effective, I let loose my opinion. Of course, since I wasn’t the only one to make the comparison is a bit perplexing. But I digress. My point was made and there isn’t any point on keeping on with it. Carry on. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pregnant-smokers-you-make-me-sick/340480.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pregnant-smokers-you-make-me-sick/340480.md?page=5)