Are you planning to have a baby and hence want to switch to vaping? Or are you already pregnant and wondering if vaping while pregnant - is it safe for the baby?
Well, if you said yes to either of these questions, then you need to do sufficient research before continuing.
Even though vaping is a safer option than smoking, it still has some nicotine content. Some vaping liquids do not have any nicotine, but they do contain other chemicals.
None of these may be harmful for your body in a normal state. But while you are pregnant, your entire body, along with the mind and the brain of your baby, is going through a lot of big changes.
What with the hormone imbalances and the diet changes, not to mention the internal changes when your body starts preparing to nurture a new life, the body may not react in the same way it used before you got pregnant. For the same reason, the seemingly harmless chemicals and other compounds may actually affect either your health or your baby’s health and growth.
So let’s break down the risks and possible effects of vaping while pregnancy.
Effects of vaping on pregnancy
Even though there are mixed opinions on whether the actual process of vaping has an effect on pregnancy, there is still an undeniable effect of nicotine. Generally, nicotine narrows the blood vessels which might be fine in a normal health condition. However, when you have a baby growing inside you, the narrow passage could result in a lack of oxygen or other nutrients for the baby, as it is all imbibed from the mother’s blood.
One thing that makes vaping much safer than cigarettes is the fact that vaping does not involve any carcinogenic chemicals. At least the ones created by well-known and trusted brands are very particular about not adding any harmful chemicals. This is a plus point at any given time even if you are pregnant. However, it does not mean you can go ahead with vaping.
Other than that, there is also a problem of nicotine withdrawal for some people. Sure, vaping does help people get over the addiction to nicotine gradually, but for some people, especially when they are pregnant, their body might crave far more nicotine and supplying it in limited amounts may prove insufficient.
This can lead to severe withdrawal symptoms, undue stress and anxiety, all of which will definitely affect the baby. This is also true for those of you who are thinking of switching to vaping from smoking. As it is, in a normal state of mind, it would be difficult to make the commitment to do away with smoking. Hence it might not be the best idea to make the switch while you are carrying a new life.
The third problem is weight loss. Vaping and nicotine in general are commonly associated with weight loss. In fact, people who are struggling with weight issues actually turn to vaping as a supplement to the regular weight loss regime and it works well.
While you are pregnant, your diet affects your baby’s diet. You need to understand that it is a growing baby inside of you and that it needs sufficient nutrients on a regular and continuous basis in order to grow well. Besides, the growth rate of a baby inside the womb is extremely rapid.
This means that you cannot afford to skip or change the baby’s diet, which implies that you shouldn’t change yours either. If at all you are changing your diet you should at any cost make sure that your baby is getting all the nutrients needed for growth and development.
Since vaping causes weight loss, it is most likely affecting your metabolism as well. It is not a good idea to make drastic changes in metabolism because you need to give your baby the time to absorb all the goodness and find stability.
Besides all of these, experts say that vaping while carrying a baby may cause problems like premature birth, still birth, nicotine withdrawal as mentioned before, issues with the placenta which is quite literally the life of the baby, and other congenital disabilities. There are even cases where the addiction of the mother reflected on the baby after giving birth.
In a rare case of smoking, a mother actually gave birth to a baby who is addicted to nicotine. Hence, the nicotine content could be a threat while pregnant.
FINAL VERDICT
On the whole, it is always safe to stay away from vaping or smoking or in fact, any such intoxication practices while you’re pregnant. Most of them contain chemicals, some of which may be transferred to your baby.
The effects of such chemicals may not even be prominent during the initial stages of child birth. As the baby grows, you don’t want to end up ruing the day you ever decided to vape during your pregnancy, do you?
