Can smoking make you less fertile?

susan_1981

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I'm still smoking (tut tut). I know I should give up but this baby making business is so stressful it's hard not to. As from tomorrow, I plan on giving up. I will definitely give up as soon as I find out I'm pregnant. I don't think I am at the moment as I think AF will be here tomorrow. But both me and my husband smoke, me more so than him. Can this affect our chances of getting pregnant? I'm sure I already know the answer.
 
I know everyone says yes it is unhealthy but I smoked before I got pregnant with my son and actually decided to take a pregnancy test, set it down and go smoke that way I would know when my last smoke was but my son had other intentions and the test came up positive before I even got the cap on.LOL. i smoke right now but have heard that it is bad for fertility but I do not know the technical reasons other than it is unhealthy in the first place which we already know.
 
Pligarised from elsewhere....but i think it gives you the general idea..........

Smoking makes it harder to conceive, irrespective of which partner smokes.

Both female and male smokers have lower fertility levels, while adults who were born to mothers who smoked have less chance of becoming a parent themselves. Smoking also reduces the chances of IVF succeeding.

It's thought nicotine reduces a woman's fertility by affecting the production of hormones that are necessary for pregnancy. Smoking also impedes the transportation of the egg through the Fallopian tubes to the womb.

Male smokers tend to have a sperm count that is 15 per cent lower than that of non-smokers. Smoking can also:

* reduce the amount of semen

* harm the motility of sperm, ie their ability to move around

* affect their shape.
 
I've really never heard of smoking making you less fertile. My mom has always smoked and was smoking when she conceived my brother and I. So did my aunt and DH's mother. They even continued to smoke while they were pregnant! :shock: Which explains an awful lot actually. :rofl: :rofl: But that was 30 almost 31 years ago and they SAY they didn't know it was bad or wasn't as bad as it is now. :rofl: :rofl: Gotta love the logic. :dohh:
 
im really ttrying to give up but its difficult cause my parents dont actually know how much i smoke, im guessing they think ive had the odd one, but they dont know the full extent, how long do u think it would take for all the nicotine and other harmful chemicals to get out of my system?
 
I read somewhere that smoking canabis can take up to a month to get out of your system (not that that is what I'm smoking) so maybe it's the same? Well I think my AF is here, well will probably be here properly tomorrow so I think that will be a good start for me to give up and get it out of my system.

I've always wondered if they say things like smoking making you less fertile just to make you give up. I was wondering if there is anything scientific to prove this? I know my dad smoked when me and my brother (we're twins) were conceived, although my mum didn't. My BIL smoked when his girlfriend got pregnant (and I actually think he was smoking cannabis) and she seemed to continuously be getting pregnant by him!!!

I also know a few ppl who have smoked through their pregnancy and have gone on to have healthy babies. I will definitely not smoke when I'm pregnant. But my boss said his mum smoked all the way through her pregnancy with him and his brother's and they are both over 6ft, so if it does stunt growth, god knows how tall they would have been if she hadn't! My auntie also smoked through her pregnancies and my cousins are fine.

I'm not taking any chances with that. Once I'm pregnant, I think it will be the perfect opportunity to kick the habit for good.
 
perhaps it should be as soon as u decide to concieve? i dont know, they say that if u smoke then ur kids will probably smoke too, but that may just be the "monkey see, monkey do" but i think that there is still the addiction to the nicotine that the children get whilst they are in the womb???
 
I smoked before i fell with all mine (Like a trooper) , And i fell when i wasnt even trying .. Using condoms and all lol , So i guess smoking cannot affect fertitility too much .
I obviously do not encourage smoking to anyone ,But just it did no harm to my fertility . Good luck hun . xx .
 
yeah good luck with it all, do you want a girl or a boy, or are you non preferable?
 
Have a quick read:

https://pregnancy.about.com/od/smokingpregnanc/a/10nosmoke.htm

I know that it is so hard to quit, best of luck to you. Even try just cutting back at first. Get a big supply of lollypops to keep your mouth busy, while craving. Good luck hun :hugs:
 
well my nan n grandad smoked..my mam n ada, dh n his ex smoked n hes a son, i smoke and feel pg however i mc, yrs n yrs ago b4 this was all know, every 1 smoked and it didnt seem2do them any harm, ut i will give up when i get my bfp, just feel that ttc gices u enough stresses,weve started eating healthy...even joining a gym, we rarley drink and take vits etc ,so at the moment i feel giving up smoking aswell is just a little 2much4me :)
 
Just adding on to the nicotine leaving your system question..

Apparently nicotine levels go down really quickly which is why you have another ciggie and stay hooked on it, so to speak. As far as it leaving the body... im pretty sure after a few days its out..but its the psychological effects that take a loooong time to leave our (hazy) brains..yes, ive given up and then started again...Im really annoyed with myself but im trying again- and i WILL succeed! Dammit, lol!

Anyway..even though nicotine leaves the body quickly, you have to keep in mind that it takes nearly 3months for new sperm to be produced and roughly the same time for an egg to mature. So really, you both have to stop smoking for 3 months for the beneficial effects of stopping to take effect.

Good luck, ladies!!:)
 
All i know is that someone i worked with smoked they ttc for 2 years and got nowhere, they went to see someone who said that because they both smoked this could be what was making it difficult. Before they would try anything else they were made to quit. " months later she was pregnant with her first child. She hasnt smoked since and second time it was only a few months so she swears that it effects your fertility.
 
I think the whole point of this is that no one can say smoking WILL make you infertile.....it's just it CAN reduce your chances. There are always going to be those that smoke that fall pregnant and those that don't smoke that won't find it easy. Its called averages.

Me personally, I'd just rather not take the chance of it affecting me. I don't see the point in stuffing myself full of everything I can to increase my fertility and then doing something that could decrease it again. it just doesn't make sense. But then I don't smoke an I don't have the problem of giving up at a stressful time (I did smoke and I did give up, but I found it quite easy), but I can appreciate when TTC maybe it wouldn't be for some.:hugs:
 
I gave up the cigs as soon as we decided to try for a baby.

I had a good incentive and I havent had one now for about 6 weeks!! :happydance: I feel great and dont miss it one bit...I would rather have a baby than a cigarette.

It is hard hun, but like you say, you will stop as soon as you find out you are pregnant. As far as it affecting your fertility Im not 100% if it does or not.

If I were you I would try to not have any in the 2WW, then atleast you wouldnt have had any at all, and try to cut down the rest of the time.

Good luck hun...I know how hard it is. I stopped before a few years ago for 3 months! (God knows why I started again!!) Probably stress!!! :rofl:

xx

:hug:
 
:hugs: Its so tough. I'm in the same boat and right now i feel like my head and heart are in 2 very different places.
Firstly i feel selfish for smoking, selfish that my life could be short lived and others who love me could be left without me, and mostly selfish because i could potentially hart our future baby.
Secondly i hate the fact that i feel i depend on them, the fact that i smell, my clothes, car and so on smell. I really really want to give up but i know i won't find it easy.
So many people have suggested the Alan Carr book to me, pop on amazon and check out the reviews. I am going to try that. As is my DH.

We saw the fertility specialist recently and he said that regardless of who smokes, it can make things harder and it can damage eggs and sperm....therefore affecting bubba. He also said that the miscarraige rate is 50% higher in smokers. Those thoughts alone terrify me, yet i still find it hard.

Now i don't know how true those "facts" are......but all i do know is we will get there, we just need and want to suceed and more importantly we need to believe in ourselves. Good luck xx
 
I heard that stopping while pregnant can sometimes be even more harmful so I stopped smoking at the start of July before we started trying - i thought it was going to be so hard to give up - how wrong was I!

The solution IS the allen carr book - it is AMAZING!!!!!! The man is a genius! I know lots of people that have tried to stop smoking using various methods however the only successful ones were the book readers.......!

Good luck to you!!!!

xx
 
Well I was supposed to stop smoking today but I failed. On the brighter side, I only smoked 3 cigarettes which is better than my usual 10 or so. I may have one before I go to bed. Tomorrow is a new day so I'm going to try again. Buy myself some chewing gum and take my cravings out on them. All I do know is that I'm rushed off my feet at work at the moment and that makes me want to smoke more! And all this ttc isn't helping but I agree, I want a baby more than a cigarette so I think when I have cravings, I should think about this.
 
:hugs: Its so tough. I'm in the same boat and right now i feel like my head and heart are in 2 very different places.
Firstly i feel selfish for smoking, selfish that my life could be short lived and others who love me could be left without me, and mostly selfish because i could potentially hart our future baby.
Secondly i hate the fact that i feel i depend on them, the fact that i smell, my clothes, car and so on smell. I really really want to give up but i know i won't find it easy.
So many people have suggested the Alan Carr book to me, pop on amazon and check out the reviews. I am going to try that. As is my DH.

We saw the fertility specialist recently and he said that regardless of who smokes, it can make things harder and it can damage eggs and sperm....therefore affecting bubba. He also said that the miscarraige rate is 50% higher in smokers. Those thoughts alone terrify me, yet i still find it hard.

Now i don't know how true those "facts" are......but all i do know is we will get there, we just need and want to suceed and more importantly we need to believe in ourselves. Good luck xx

2 of my friends went to one of Alan Carr's meetings. They gave up for about a week or so and then went back to it. Reading your comments, I think that is a real incentive for me not to give up if it can create problems. I just can't stop eating at the moment!!
 

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