You may have caught the BBC's recent "Misbehaving Mums-to-Be" series on BBC3, but if not, it was a show dedicated to
Most of them ended up seeing how wrong it was- via a visit to a Smoking whilst pregnant nurse who made them breathe into a contraption which showed them the shocking levels of carbon monoxide their unborn child was inhaling due to their smoking. I say most, but there was one notable exception.
20 year old Charlie, from (argggghhh!!!!) my neck of the woods, the Medway Towns.
According to Charlie, regardless of what she smoked she was doing her baby a favour. She believed that her child's heart would grow stronger due to the levels of dangerous, potentially fatal chemicals the baby was breathing in. So, she merrily carried on smoking 20 a day. She felt, and voiced, that there was no proof that smoking harmed anyone.
Yes, really. No proof.
So obviously Cancer and other smoking related illnesses which we've all been aware of for decades has passed Charlie by.
Even after she saw the danger the child was in via the shocking results of the Carbon Monoxide monitor, she just carried on, refusing to give up or take the advice of a trained professional.
Now, this may not just be a Medway Towns thing, but I myself was told by a young pregnant friend that if I wanted to keep my figure whilst pregnant with Mini, I should smoke, as it would make my baby smaller.
I actually couldn't believe the stupidness of that statement, and got quite angry (which, being pregnant I was allowed to get away with as everyone blamed the hormones), saying that the reason they were smaller (I think I threw in a token "Dumb ass" at this point) is because their development was hindered by the chemicals.
It was no surprise to me that this girl thought she was being clever by smoking.
So, what happened to the baby?
Well, she was born just recently, after Charlie carried on smoking. The child was premature, which is little surprise. Yet Charlie is unrepentant. She still believes that her baby did so well(!) in neonatal because her smoking made her heart muscles used to working harder.
How about someone tells this girl, "er, hello, you stupid, stupid excuse for breath, if you hadn't been such a selfish moron in the first place, your child probably wouldn't have been early, thus making her recovery and stay in neonatal unnecessary".
It makes me mad because, as many of you know, Littlest was born at 28 weeks, a huge 3 months premature, through no fault of mine or his.
I didn't drink, smoke, I even cut out coffee, which is practically my life blood of a morning. I didn't stay up late, I ate lots of good food (or bland food. Either or), and cut out all the foods the experts tell you to avoid.
Yet, this absolute joker, well, caused this child's illness through a combination of selfishness and stupidity.
Frankly, I hope that bodies intervene- if thats what she feels is good for her newborn before she was born, God help the little mite now she's here.
Image: graur codrin / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
I agree - my baby was born with a cleft lip, and I was questioned over and over about smoking and drinking in pregnancy. I did neither. I took all my vitamins and folic acid. I didn't do anything wrong (knowingly). Yet you and I (and our babies) suffer when this excuse for a mum is allowed to blatantly break the rules (and let the world know all about it) without consequence. Not that I wish any consequence on the baby - she needs all the luck she can get!
ReplyDeleteI am a smoker (outside only), but the second I found out I was pregnant with Zack, I threw them in the bin, and didn't start up again till I split from the boys' dad 3 years later. I just couldn't put an innocent little baby through something like that. It's so SO wrong in *every* way.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree with you here!
Well, at the end of the day, surely this type of thing, which I'm sure happens everywhere, should be treated as either neglect, abuse or some kind of torture. It's quite obvious the child doesn't stand much chance of success having a parent like that and the child, I hate to say, would most probably be better off with parents who will actually respect her and love her the way she deserves to be loved.
ReplyDeleteOf course, this girl has now got herself famous because not only has she been on the telly, but people are talking about her, lol.
Great post and good on you for speaking up about this. It's just plain stupidity, but I really do believe it is neglect, too. Such a shame as adoptive parents and foster parents are monitored so heavily while these idiots get away with "almost" murder.
CJ xx
I stopped smoking with both of mine the day I found out I was pregnant. I actually had one puff whilst pregnant with my first (not as in one fag, one puff of someone elses) and felt so unbelievably guilty I couldn't do it even if I wanted to!
ReplyDeleteThe min the babies were born and I got home, I immediately started smoking again! (with both!)
I have now given up... (unless filled up with wine, when I cave under the lovely smell of them on occasions!)
I kinda think, once a smoker, always a smoker (even if you don't smoke).. and I think that if I can give up when pregnant - anyone can.
(You will probably see this non-smoker with a fag after a few glasses of vino at Cyber Mummy!)
I don't miss the Medway towns at all, lived there (and Gravesend which is just as bad) for far too long, and this kind of thing makes me so mad.
ReplyDelete