Sadly, It Takes Money to Quit Smoking While Pregnant

First of all, let’s get it out in the open…..

I am not a smoker, nor have I EVER been a smoker.  Therefore I cannot fully relate to any one individual’s personal situation, addictions, therapies, etc. surrounding such a personal problem.

I don’t know about the guilt one may feel when succumbing to an addiction.  I don’t know how long it can take or how difficult it can be to overcome the addiction.

I have known personally only a very few number of individuals who do or have smoked in their lifetime.  And even from knowing them, I still haven’t seen what one goes through in dealing with such an addiction, whether it be trying to quit or simply fighting the act of doing it.

It just seems horribly sad when a pregnant mother is known to be a smoker as well, let alone NOT being pregnant.

Paid to Quit

I just finished reading an article about how a financial incentive is the major reason why women will quit smoking during their pregnancy.  In comparison to women who just received traditional smoking cessation help, those that received money vouchers were 2.5 times MORE likely to quit smoking.

What does this mean?

• Are these women just so selfish that they don’t take into consideration their growing baby?
• Is the addiction just so difficult that it is more powerful to hold onto than the desire to do what is best for the baby, let alone themselves?
• Is the value of money greater than the value of getting a fix?

Maybe, Or

• Are these mothers in economical conditions that make it terribly difficult to find and receive help?
• Does the reception of money provide relief in more ways than just monetary?
• Can they afford healthier lifestyles and feel that they truly have a choice about their situation now?

Let that simmer for a minute….

Effects of Smoking on Baby

I found this great video produced by the March of Dimes that discusses the various negative side effects and things that can happen to your baby if you choose to smoke during pregnancy.

You don’t even have to watch it to know that smoking is horrible for us.  But because your baby inside is developing and does not have all of its natural defenses like you do, it has to rely on you.  Everything you consume and do is consumed and experienced by your baby.

If you have that extra slice of birthday cake skyrocketing your blood sugar levels, so does your baby.  If you opt to be lazy today and not get in some needed exercise, same thing goes for baby.  If you choose to lite up and “just have one” cigarette on your break-so does your baby.

You can use google scholar to find a myriad of things shown to cause very detrimental affects from smoking during pregnancy.  Not only directly smoking, but SECOND HAND SMOKE TOO!

• infant birth weight is decreased
• premature births are more common
• reduced fetal growth
• sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) risk more than doubles
• baby’s lungs don’t develop properly
• greater predisposition to asthma
• higher likelihood of disease in life
• baby’s experience mutagenesis (mutations to their DNA) leading to cancer
• leading cause of stillbirths

Whenever I have to walk past someone who is smoking on the street, I ALWAYS hold my breath as long as possible.  I don’t care if I’m pregnant or not, I hold my breathe.

 

I’ll walk upwind of them if possible.  I won’t go in a room where someone is smoking.  If I can even smell it on people, I get away from them.  

 

I don’t do it to be rude.  I do it to protect myself and my family, and hopefully you can see why.

We Need to Understand and Help

I believe that any mother who truly cares about her child would not continue smoking willingly.  They MUST be in circumstances that you and I cannot understand.

This report itself declared that these mothers “have inadequate housing, difficult relationships, low self-esteem and only enough income to subsist.”

That itself shows that I cannot fully understand what these mothers go through because none of these aspects apply to me.  But that does NOT mean that I feel we should turn a blind eye to those who just really need our help.

There is one line in this article that I completely disagree with though:

This evidence shows that the money is the hand they need to pull them out of their addiction.

Money is NOT the only solution.  It may be a part of it.  

⇒ Will money put healthier food on the table, let alone having food on the table?  YES.

⇒ Will money supply more adequate housing?  POSSIBLY.

⇒ But will money release these women from difficult relationships and low self-esteem?  DOUBTFUL.

You could be a women in completely opposite circumstances and still have difficult relationships and low self-esteem that could drive you to keep smoking, whether you have enough money or not. 

This ISN’T About Money-This Is About CARING

We need to advocate for greater understanding and help for these mothers and their families.  We all know that smoking kills, those who smoke themselves know it just as well.

But we don’t always know WHY those individuals keep smoking.  They must be very powerful reasons and circumstances at play in order to keep them making the choices they do.  

Any local doctor’s office, free clinic, hospital, health department, whatever-will have resources available to women who are struggling with smoking, let alone if they’re pregnant or not.

If you know a mother who smokes, offer to take her to that location in order to receive some help.  Help her through her struggles with quitting.  Hold her hand as she goes through it so that she knows there is a far greater reward in doing so.  A lot of the time, that’s all a women needs. 

Help These Women Know What’s Best To Eat As Well

Do you know anyone you can help today?