Can I smoke during my pregnancy?

Can I smoke during my pregnancy?

Jay Goldberg (Obstetrician/Gynecologist, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center) gives expert video advice on: Can I have artificial sweeteners while I'm pregnant?; Can I get my hair colored or my nails done during my pregnancy?; Can I smoke during my pregnancy? and more...

I don't recommend smoking during pregnancy. Smoking marijuana, smoking cigarettes; it's just not good practice. Smoking cigarettes has been associated with some complications in pregnancy of which you would not want to put your baby at risk. Ectopic pregnancy is a risk, for example. This is not a normal pregnancy and cannot result in a normal pregnancy. If you have a pregnancy outside the uterus, that pregnancy needs to be terminated. It also can cause small for gestational age babies which is a baby that is actually small; it is not developing at a normal rate and can come out small. A baby that's not of adequate size upon delivery can struggle in its initial days of life, having difficulty eating, difficulty controlling their temperature, and difficulty controlling their sugar levels. So, it can be a major complication. Therefore avoiding cigarette smoke in pregnancy, either as a first hand smoker or a second hand smoker is strongly recommended.