# quit smoking at 12 weeks pregnant.. could i have caused my baby harm



## hellobaby1106

Hi.. before i begin i would just like to say i would not like any rude people telling me what a bad mother i am for smoking at all when pregnant. i am just looking for reassurance and facts.. I didnt know i was pregnant until i was about 8 weeks along and before i found out i smoked about 10-15 cigarettes a day as soon as i found out i started quitting.. and i am now 12 weeks pregnant and pretty confident in myself that i have finally quit.. maybe this is normal but i am so worried that i may have caused some harm to my baby in this time


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## samj732

I don't think you'll cause any harm. Sometimes the fetus can go thru nicotine withdrawls though. But in the long run, it will be good for baby. Don't worry, I'm still smoking (I know, naughty) but I've cut down a lot and I'm trying so hard to quit! If you are super worried though, talk to your doctor. They will probably be very happy that you've quit!


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## time

Smoking whilst pregnant reduces the oxygen to the baby and it is replaced by carbon monoxide, which does make it harder for baby to breathe. Plenty of women do have perfectly healthy babies though it is just a risk to take.. congratulations on quitting though that is brilliant and shows that you are trying your hardest and even the fact that you have posted here concerned shows that you care and that you just want the best for your baby! You have certainly done the right thing to quit and the thought of your baby is probably going to be the easiest reason for you to quit :) well done and good luck! x


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## brunette

Congratulations

You've done an incredibly hard and selfless thing

That makes u a fab mum in my eyes

Well done!


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## Skye1

COngratulations !! :happydance: 


You're fab for quitting so fast ! I haven't yet as I have a stop smoking appoint set up with my mw


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## hellobaby1106

Thank you all for your support.. im sure its probably normal for all pregnant women to worry about their baby during their pregnancies. i know a few people who smoked all throughout their pregnancy and have perfectly healthy babies but i just dont want to take that risk and am scared i have already hurt the babies health.. i have a doctors appointment on the 10th and i am going to talk to her about it.


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## corgankidd

The 3 major complications of smoking while pregnant are stillbirth, premature delivery, and low birth weight but since you quit already there should be a very small chance of any of these. 
I give you a HUGE congratulations on quitting! I quit after 15 years of smoking a pack a day back in November when my mom who was diagnosed with lung cancer from smoking started taking a turn for the worse. I keep telling my hubby how glad I am that I did it before I became pregnant because I just don't know how I would have done it since I used Chantix to quit.
So I am so very proud of your commitment to your baby and your selflessness. Don't worry about any effects, you will be fine just so long as there is no more smoking.


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## bubbles

I applaud anyone who can give up smoking, it is a fantastic thing you have done for your child and I know its hard (i was a smoker before my eldest) well done


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## chipsticks

I quit when I was 13 weeks! Munchkin is 3 and a half weeks old with no problems!(thank god!) my midwife told me smoking starts causing problems after 14 weeks (don't know how right she is!) but well done for quitting and I can honestly say staying off them is well worth it!


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## amjon

You may still have an increased risk of complications, but I'm sure you've reduced it at least some by stopping now. Remember that second hand smoke can also be damaging, so if anyone around you smokes keep away from that as well.


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## hellobaby1106

also i forgot to ask.. does anyone know if smoking causes birth defects, what are they if it does


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## corgankidd

I found an article that talks about birth defects of babies whose mothers smoked and here is what it said:

The risk was increased by 26 percent for having a baby with missing or deformed limbs, 28 percent for clubfoot, 27 percent for gastrointestinal defects, 33 percent for skull defects, 25 percent for eye defects, and 28 percent for cleft lip/palate.

The greatest increase in risk, 50 percent, was for a condition called gastroschisis, where parts of the stomach or intestines protrude through the skin. 

check out the article here:
https://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/jul2011/2011-07-11-02.html


Don't you feel a lot better about your decision to quit!! :D


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## hellobaby1106

also does anyone know if smoking causes any birth defects and what they are if it does


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## hellobaby1106

Yess verry!!!! but now im kind of scared i may have done something like this to my baby!! lol i think im just really paranoid


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## destynibaby

Congratulations to you for quitting as soon as you could. I know it wasnt easy, but in my eyes that shows you are a good mother because you know your child's health comes first.
Have your doctor check you out and closely monitor baby. but since you've quit i bet no permanent damage has been done
good luck!
h&h 9 months!


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## horseypants

you will be fine sweety. good job!!!!!!

:hug:


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## urchin

I don't think anyone can reassure you that you definitely haven't done any damage - but what is certain is that quitting when you did has greatly reduced the risk... and this is what you need to hang onto.

You are not psychic, you didn't know you were pregnant for the first 8 weeks, but once you found out you did absolutely the right thing and quit as soon as you possibly could.
This is the sign of a good mother, not a crappy one! Be proud of yourself chikkie and keep reminding yourself that you have done everything you could to reduce the risk to your baby :hugs:


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## Nitengale

Aww...what a good mommy!! It will only get easier. I am so proud of you! Big congrats to you and everyone else who quit!


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## pinkribbon

I just wanted to say a big well done for quitting. My OH smokes and I know he is struggling to quit.

I don't really think you can say 100% no damage has been done BUT you've made the change and you've made it early so I would say the risks are a lot lower than if you'd continued to smoke.

Hope that makes sense and enjoy your pregnancy! :flow:


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## bluecathy1978

hellobaby1106 said:


> Hi.. before i begin i would just like to say i would not like any rude people telling me what a bad mother i am for smoking at all when pregnant. i am just looking for reassurance and facts.. I didnt know i was pregnant until i was about 8 weeks along and before i found out i smoked about 10-15 cigarettes a day as soon as i found out i started quitting.. and i am now 12 weeks pregnant and pretty confident in myself that i have finally quit.. maybe this is normal but i am so worried that i may have caused some harm to my baby in this time

Hi,

When I got pregnant with my first baby 12 years ago I didnt even realise until I was about 2 months because I was on the pill! My pregnancy was fine, he was 10lb 15oz when born and is now a healthy and very intelligent strapping 12 year old lad!!

Try not to worry. Well done for quitting as I hate seeing pregnant women smoking. There are so many sacrifices you have to make being aparent, so giving up for 9 months should be easy! I have never started smoking again but evryone is different. Sometimes I still remember the feeling that you get when you have been dying for a smoke and when you have that first puff................. but I will never smoke again. Cany afford to now anyway!!

Congratulations and good luck with your pregnancy xxx


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## Betheney

I honestly don't know if you have or haven't but I wanted to say that the information is now irrelevant. Don't let yourself feel bad if damage could have been done, you cant go back in time and change it, what's done is done. But I wanted to say good for you for quitting! It's better late than never and you've overcome a terrible addiction. Hold your head high your doing the best you can.


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## XJessicaX

Your growing foetus started its life in not so optimal conditions. I wont lie. But that (as Betheney said) is irrelevant now. Now you must eat well, take vitamins and stay healthy so that the remaining weeks make up for the shaky start x x


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## Rockell8788

Well done Hun, baby should be fine I wouldn't worry. I found out 2 days ago and quitting will be easy for me, I can't touch one without feeling sick


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## Mamabean4ever

CONGRATS GIRL...You made your first incredibly selfless decision for the welfare of your baby!! I quit as well when we found out we were pregnant at 8 weeks. My daughter does have asthma and had lung infections when she was little but I'm hoping it's just a coincidence and not because of me :( I also steered away from second hand smoke mostly because it made me very nauseous and still does this time around with baby #2. This time I sacrificed my coffee, want a toxin free pregnancy this time :)


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## Celestine

I also want to congratulate you on quitting. I am not a smoker but I can imagine that it is a very hard thing to do. I would not dwell on what may have happened but I would focus on trying to maintain the best possible diet now. 

Congrats again and GL!


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## ocean_pearl

Well done for quitting, but we can't tell you if you've done any harm. The first trimester is the most important for development too. Good luck


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## miss cakes

if it makes you feel better before i realised i was pregnant id had a mad weekend boozing it up like there was no tomorrow drinking shots and jagerbombs and smoking about a hundred fags lol i brought it up with the doctor an he brushed it off saying in the first three months theres not a whole lot you can do to affect your baby what will be will be at that stage because its not living off the placenta then or something like that so dont worry about it you quit now and really well done to you its bloody hard to quit! x


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