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When a woman plans to have a baby, there are many questions that come to her mind. Many of them concern the health risks that can exist to the baby and the woman during pregnancy , but the first ones are usually about what helps or hinder a woman to get pregnant.
There are also those issues that converge between these two issues, such as when a woman wonders if being a smoker makes it difficult to get pregnant . Is there a relationship between these two things? What precautions should be taken? That is exactly the topic we will be addressing today.
The Relationship between Cigarette and Infertility
It is well known that smoking affects your health in several ways, but what many people do not know is that it can also interfere with both male and female fertility. In fact, there is already research that points out that in women the effects of smoking are stronger with regard to fertility. To give you an idea, a woman who smokes regularly has about 45% less chance of becoming pregnant than a non-smoker. But why does this happen?
First, smoking can significantly lower estrogen levels in a woman’s body, and it can also cause serious changes in the ovarian reserve . In addition, nicotine, one of the main and most dangerous substances that exists in cigarettes, can cause a series of other damages, which we will talk about next. So you want to get pregnant ? It’s time to quit smoking!
What Problems Can Cigarettes Bring to the Reproductive System?
There are several problems that smoking can bring to make fertilization difficult in several ways. Some of these problems are:
- Problems in ovarian reserves;
- Difficulty in implanting the egg;
- Early menopause ;
- Decreased ovulation rate;
- Total infertility;
- Difficulty in mobilizing the embryo in the tubes, which can cause a tubal pregnancy ;
- Miscarriage.
As you could see, yes, being a smoker hinders getting pregnant, but not only that. Cigarettes can have several consequences even for those mothers who are smokers and managed to get pregnant.
The problems that this type of addiction can bring to children are also very serious, especially respiratory and heart problems, which also cause a lot of concern.
The Solution to the Problem
If being a smoker makes it difficult to get pregnant, the solution to this problem seems very simple: Stop smoking . But despite all this simplicity, this can often be a more difficult task than you might think.
It turns out that smoking is categorized as a disease, an addiction to tobacco. And for the person to be cured of this disease it is not enough just to have willpower – even if it makes a lot of difference – but also medical help.
Therefore, it is recommended that you see a doctor to explain your situation, saying that you are a smoker, that you want to try to get pregnant and that you want to stop smoking. The doctor will perform all the necessary tests, tell you what are the best ways for you to be able to get rid of smoking and tell you how long you should wait before you can have a completely healthy pregnancy.
Without this information and acting on your own, you will put not only your health at risk, but also your pregnancy and the health of your future baby. The solution to this problem is simple, but it is not always a smooth way to reach the results.
Do not discard the help of a psychologist if you deem it necessary for your case, this is a healthy and intelligent way of dealing with the situation.
Smoking During Pregnancy
Another important point that should be commented on when it comes to being a smoker is getting in the way of getting pregnant, are the consequences that smoking brings to the pregnancy. Despite being widespread and widely known, many do not take it seriously or think it may be an exaggeration, but the truth is that smoking is one of the most lethal things for pregnant women.
Recent studies show that around 87% of women smokers do not give up smoking during pregnancy. This is a huge danger to her and the baby. Some of the main problems that can happen are:
- Abortion, as fertility is seriously compromised because of smoking
- The baby may be born with serious lung problems that will accompany him for the rest of his life;
- Heart problems in the baby;
- Risk of sudden death of the baby;
- Growth problems of the fetus;
- Higher risk of developing cancer in the baby;
- In breastfeeding , you end up passing toxic substances to the baby.
There are several harms that the cigarette brings to a woman and her baby. So, if on the one hand being a smoker hinders getting pregnant, on the other, when a smoker manages to get pregnant and continues to smoke, this can be much more harmful .
Does Alcoholism Reduce Fertility?
Yes, just like cigarettes, alcohol also interferes with both male and female fertility. What happens is that alcohol intake is not always an addiction and there are many women who ingest this type of substance sparingly, unlike what happens with cigarettes.
In women, alcohol can cause certain hormonal changes that harm you when trying to get pregnant. This can happen even with those who drink only socially, although the chances of problems happen to be much greater with those who drink regularly.
The chances of a woman who consumes alcoholic beverages to become pregnant are less than those who lead a healthy life and greater than those who smoke. The recommended thing then is that you do not use either of these two substances both for your life to be healthier and to have more chances of getting pregnant and offer less risk to your baby.
The use of so-called licit drugs, especially cigarettes, is generally lethal for women thinking about becoming pregnant. And even though there are cases of babies who did not suffer from their mothers’ smoking during pregnancy, these cases should be treated exactly as they are: Exceptions.
It is scientifically proven that the use of cigarettes not only hinders a woman from having a child, but can also harm the baby in several ways, even causing an abortion. So yes, being a smoker makes it difficult to get pregnant and the best that a woman who thinks about having a child has to do is stop smoking before starting to try .
In this way, the woman will be doing good for her own health, in addition to also taking her first step towards a new life with her future baby.
See Also: Pregnancy Drugs – What Do They Do?
My name is Dr. Alexis Hart I am 38 years old, I am the mother of 3 beautiful children! Different ages, different phases 16 years, 12 years and 7 years. In love with motherhood since always, I found it difficult to make my dreams come true, and also some more after I was already a mother.
Since I imagined myself as a mother, in my thoughts everything seemed to be much easier and simpler than it really was, I expected to get pregnant as soon as I wished, but it wasn’t that simple. The first pregnancy was smooth, but my daughter’s birth was very troubled. Joana was born in 2002 with a weight of 2930kg and 45cm, from a very peaceful cesarean delivery but she had already been born with congenital pneumonia due to a broken bag not treated with antibiotics even before delivery.
