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You don’t need me to tell you that smoking is bad for your health, I’m sure your doctor and family have already done that, not to mention all the advertisements showing the impact smoking has on your health. However, what I am here to discuss is how smoking during pregnancy can have a very damaging and lasting impact on the life growing inside of you, on your baby.
The facts and figures speak for themselves. Over 115,000 miscarriages and 5,600 infant deaths each year are attributed to smoking. Smoking causes a decrease in oxygen in your system which also means if you are pregnant your growing fetus is suffering from a lack of oxygen as well. The developing baby needs oxygen to grow.
Smoking during pregnancy will cause:
- An increased risk of vaginal bleeding throughout your pregnancy
- An increased risk of miscarriage
- An increased risk of preterm delivery
- An increased risk of having a low birth weight baby
- An increased risk of infant breathing lapses (apnea)
- An increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
- An increased risk of your baby dying in the first year of life
Second hand smoke can also impact the development of your growing baby so if someone in your household smokes you should ask them to either quit or only smoke outside. They’ll need to continue smoking outside only after the baby arrives too. You should avoid being around second hand smoke whenever you can. Babies and children exposed to smoke tend to have more breathing problems such as asthma and allergies, more respiratory illness during childhood and a decrease in their lung function.
If you are smoking during pregnancy you should quit. The sooner you quit the better. Talk to your doctor about ways to quit smoking, if there are programs you can become involved in that will help you, and what smoking cessation options you can use during pregnancy. Your child and your lungs will thank you for taking the steps to improve your health and the health of your unborn child.
For more information on the effects of smoking on a growing fetus and how to quit smoking you can visit,
I purchased and read the above book based on a recommendation from my mother-in-law. She suggested it as a great book to read and tell my readers about. Several years ago she taught parenting classes and used this book as part of her program so I thought it was worth a read. I purchased the book before getting pregnant, but didn’t start reading it until after I found out. I guess I had extra motivation given that I would be parenting a young child in the near future.
The book discusses a parenting style and approach called Systematic Training for Effective Parenting of Children Under Six. It was developed and written by Don, James and Don Jr Dinkmeyer and Joyce and Gary McKay. The newest edition was published as a whole back in 1997, but some of the sections date back to the 80s. Although it isn’t new material it is still very relevant today.
One of the things I enjoyed most about this approach to parenting is how much of an impact this approach can have on your child throughout their whole lives. It teaches parents how to raise their children with respect, understanding, and consistency. The book discusses and teaches parents how to understand their young children and where their behaviors are coming from, what they mean, how best to handle them, and how to use your actions to help your children learn and grow. The goal of the book and this approach to parenting is to have a respectful, well adjusted child who understands that there are consequences to their actions, that others have feelings that need to be acknowledged and respected, and that they know what it takes to deal well with the many situations they encounter in their daily lives.
I would highly recommend this book to all parents. The book includes some great examples so you can see the approach in practice or how you can get a better outcome by dealing with a behavior differently. If you have young children this is definitely worth a read. You can click on the photo above and it will link you to Amazon where you can read customer reviews and purchase the book.
A typical pregnant woman can expect to see her prenatal care provider 10-15 times during pregnancy. The usual course of visits includes one visit every 4 weeks for the first two trimesters, than one visit every two weeks until the 36th week of pregnancy, and finally one visit a week until the birth of your baby. Of course this course of treatment will be different depending on the special circumstances of your pregnancy, especially if your pregnancy is considered high risk.
Leading up to each prenatal visit you should be sure to keep track of the questions you have for the doctor, symptoms you have been experiencing, and anything else you want to talk to your doctor about. Keeping a list of your questions and symptoms will help ensure you don’t forget to address something while you are at the visit. Of course if you have concerns between appointments that you want addressed right away you should call your doctor’s office.
Each prenatal visit will include a discussion of how you are feeling, a time to address your questions and concerns, your weight will be measured, your blood pressure taken, and a urine sample obtained for screening. Some visits will be longer than others depending on what needs to be done at that particular stage of your pregnancy, like blood tests or ultrasounds. Your doctor should be able to tell you at each visit what you can expect at the next visit and if there is anything special you need to do to prepare for that visit.
As with anything else each pregnancy is different, each provider is different, and thus each prenatal visit is different. Some doctors and midwives will take more time to talk with you about your pregnancy, others will be in and out within minutes. Since you will see your prenatal care provider so many times before the end of your pregnancy, and will have a very close relationship with this person you should be sure to pick a doctor or midwife that meets your needs and that you get along well with. For more tips on how to pick a prenatal care provider see my article, Choosing the Right Prenatal Caregiver.
Be sure if you have questions about your prenatal care, issues you are having with your pregnancy, or concerns be sure to talk with your doctor or midwife.
A new study released by the National Health and Social Life Survey says circumcision rates are on the decline in the US, and have been falling for a while. According to the study circumcision rates peaked in the 1960s with 90 percent of boys born in the US being circumcised. The rate of circumcisions began to drop during the 1970s and now only about 57 of male babies are circumcised.
The decline is attributed in part to an increase in immigration from Asian and Latin American countries where circumcision is not common. Also, parents are doing more research, just as they do with everything else, and are opting not to have their sons circumcised because of that research. They are aware of more options, of differences among cultures, of the reasons to have a boy circumcised and reasons not to.
The study also found that there is even a decline in the number of circumcisions done by Jewish families. At one time it was very common to have a bris after the baby’s birth at which the male child would be circumcised in front of friends and family. This Jewish tradition is beginning to change, with more liberal Jewish families opting to have the bris without the circumcision.
Many doctors still recommend circumcision citing the many medical benefits attributed to the practice, including increased protection against sexual transmitted diseases, reduces rates of penile cancer, and fewer urinary tract infections. Opponents of circumcision say these medical benefits are over stated and the risks are often understated.
With a little more than 50 percent of male babies born in the US still being circumcised it is still a fairly common practice. Any parent considering whether or not to have their male baby circumcised should talk to their doctor and do some research of their own.
Happy Father's Day to all the dads and dads-to-be out there. This is another one of those special days, which, like Mother's Day, gives kids a chance to show their appreciation to a very important person in their life. Dad's will be waking up tomorrow morning to handmade cards, new ties, new golf equipment, maybe even breakfast in bed (or at least a family trip to the local Denny's or IHOP). Kids will do what they can to show you how much they appreciate you and say thanks for all the great things you do for them all year long.
I remember when I was little spending the week leading up to Father's Day working hard making a Father's Day card shaped like a neck tie. It is funny that neck ties and father's day seem to always go hand in hand. I mean how many dads are really the neck tie wearing kind, I wouldn't think it is a majority that's for sure. I wonder if kids still make cards shaped like neck ties for Father's Day?
Again, Happy Father's Day. Enjoy it while it lasts, a regular Monday morning is right around the corner.