Weight and Pregnancy and Smoking

One of the things that we as women worry about is weight. When we become pregnant we are still concerned about our weight but we are also aware that the baby needs nutrition. While pregnant it is hard to see what weight gain is baby and what is us. Doctors do a good job of trying to keep us on track during pregnancy so that the baby gets the nutrition necessary to develop properly but that we don't just use this time as a time we give ourselves permission to eat beyond the nutritional needs of ourselves and our babies. I would encourage you to talk to your health care provider so that you eat well, from all of the food groups but do not eat in excess. You may be hungry for pickles and ice cream but go easy on the ice cream.

I know that some women think if they can limit their weight gain they will have a smaller baby and the birth will be easier. Nothing is further from the truth. Women that smoke do have smaller babies, and more babies who are born premature. THE PROBLEM is that smoking while pregnant means that your baby will not get the optimum amount of oxygen to develop and grow with the best possible results of a happy, healthy baby. Smoking while pregnant, often causes complications and premature births which end up being anything but easier. Smoking while pregnant is very hard on the developing child and giving them the best beginning means not smoking. Again, I suggest that you talk to your Health Care Provider about your fears of gaining too much weight and taking their counsel to heart about eating a healthy diet and not smoking during pregnancy. This way of eating will include a well rounded diet of all of the food groups making sure that you eat plenty of vegetables and fruits. Limiting sodas, and desserts is also a good idea. This is the best way to gain the amount necessary to give your child the best beginning and have a healthy pregnancy for you and your child.

When I was pregnant with my second child I used the pregnancy to give myself permission to eat without thought. You can imagine the results, I gained a lot of weight that had to come off after my baby was born. Of course I also had other things going on after the birth, night feedings, the demands of taking care of my family and keeping up with all of my responsibilities outside of my house. Just having a newborn is a tiring, exhaustive undertaking and adding on the other responsibilities can be overwhelming. We also want to return to our pre birth weight immediately. All of these things scream STRESS! How you handle this stress is very important to you and your baby. Remember the ways of handling stress will or already have helped you quit smoking. These tools are also helpful in handling the stress of a newborn or your older children too. Whether it is 4-4-4-4 breathing, or visualization; whatever you use to quit can help you after the birth as well. Remember the archived blogs that talk about handling stress might be a good thing to review. It is never a bad time to commit to not smoking so that your baby, and children do not have to live with the poisons in tobacco smoke.

While considering how to return to your pre birth weight, or as a way of handling your weight don't think that smoking is a good way to achieve this goal. First of all be patient with yourself. Weight should come of slowly and through the use of a balanced diet. Don't use tobacco to handle your appetite. Remember how hard it was to quit smoking and don't put yourself in that position of needing to quit again. It is of life long importance to Not Smoke for the health of yourself and your family. Many childhood illnesses are a result of being around secondhand smoke or they become more serious because of living with secondhand smoke. Don't underestimate the dangers of secondhand smoke on your children and start smoking again If you have begun to smoke again you can quit, you know how because you quit while pregnant and you know you can do it. I encourage you to utilize the support and help from your Health Care Providers in maintaining a good healthy diet and remember that there are other ways to handle stress than eating or smoking. Enjoy your Children and remember that by not smoking you are helping them stay healthy.

Stay Smoke Free

I have always been amazed at how women change so many things during pregnancy so that their babies can have the best start. Women give up alcohol, quit smoking and change their eating habits so that they are concentrating on good nutrition. I salute all that you do so that your children have the best start possible. I think we can all agree that good parenting begins in the womb and that women make extraordinary changes in their lives to assure a good beginning.

Things will change and although your new normal will be different than your old normal, your life will return to a more regular rhythm and it will become less stressful. If you have postpartum depression get some help from your health care provider. The baby blues are real and should not be ignored but actively treated. Don't put so much pressure on yourself that you forget why you quit smoking and drinking, you quit to give your child the best start. I have seen many women who have gone through the difficulty of quitting tobacco and then when the stress and demands of a new baby enter their lives they start smoking again. Don't let this happen to you or to your baby. Sometimes women put a lot of emphasis on the changes needed in their life to give their children a healthy beginning and don't understand that to continue to do what you can to insure that your child is healthy you must continue to not use tobacco. Smoking is very hard on babies and children. Don't begin smoking again for your own health but also it continues to be of supreme importance to the health of your baby and children.

If you are pregnant right now resolve to quit and to remain smoke free. If you have had a baby don't let yourself use smoking as a way to cope with the difficulties of the parenting job. It doesn't work that well and it is very hard on babies whether in the womb or out of it. Just as you made changes in your life style to accommodate your pregnancy remember that becoming tobacco free is an important life long commitment to your child and yourself. If you have begun to use tobacco again after quitting during your pregnancy; know that you can use what you learned when you quit then to quit again. You can do it and it is important for you to.