subject: Protecting Your Unborn Baby Means Staying Away From Smokers [print this page] Any woman who wants to have a healthy baby knows that there are some things you simply should not do. No one has to tell you that you should not do any drugs unless prescribed by your obstetrician, consume alcohol in any amounts, and you should never smoke tobacco. Any of these things can harm an unborn baby, even in small amounts you never know how it could effect them. Babies are born everyday with addictions to drugs of all sorts or with fetal alcohol syndrome. Many of them do not survive because they have suffered some deformity and many times they are born very premature as well.
Even if you do not do any of these things yourself, you still have to be careful of your surroundings at all times. You should not be exposed to any kinds of toxic fumes such as some paints might have or other chemicals and this includes other people's tobacco smoke. Breathing in any of these things can cause problems for the fetus. If you live in the home with a smoker or are frequently around people that smoke, you might reconsider being around them at all. When you live with someone that is accustomed to smoking around you, they are not doing you any favors even if you were not pregnant, but when you are, you have to insist upon there stopping it at once.
It does not matter who the person is, they should respect you and you unborn child enough to stay outside to smoke and to not smoke when they are riding in a vehicle with you. You own doctor would advise you to stay away from tobacco smoke because of the risk it places your baby in. It can cause low birth weight, premature delivery and respiratory problems for you and the child. The healthier you stay, generally the healthier your baby will have a chance to be.
Unborn babies have no defenses at all, so it is up to the nurturing mother to be to remain in control of her surroundings and anything she ingests. It is never easy to be pregnant for nine months, but caring for yourself and your baby before it is born will occupy much of that time when you dedicate yourself to it. Always visit your obstetrician regularly. Exercise, eating well and getting enough rest will help ensure your chances of having a beautiful and healthy baby.
