third hand smoke

bananachiki

so i know it's bad for babies, especially bad for preemies, and my friend is getting close to brining baby home from NICU. I'd like to pass a credible article on to her and her H so they stop smoking in the car, and seriously thing about quit before they bring baby home.

 any ideas ladies?

Mrs.DMC

That's a touchy situation. Not sure how to handle it. I guess it depends on your relationship with her and how foward you are willing to be. Someone needs to be the advocate for the baby, but just beware, that can cause some anomosity.

I hate to assume things but....if she is a smoker, and her baby had to spend time in the NICU....is it possible that she smoked during her pregnancy?!? If that is the case...hopefully going through having a baby in the NICU was enough to make her and her H quit smoking. (again, I really hate to assume something like that because I feel like when I tell people my DS was a preemie, they think I did something wrong which is totally not the case) If she didn't learn her lesson yet........she is ignorant and selfish and there is probably no real point in passing on an article to her about second hand smoke when she didn't even care if her baby was getting it first hand while in utero. You can tell people like that about the dangers in smoke til your blue in the face and it still wont sink in. Sorry if I sound presumptious and rude but I get so angry when people take the health of their baby for granted. I felt like that before I had a preemie but now it's tenfold. (I have two friends that smoked their enitre pregnancies and their babies went to term and are fine....I did everything right and ended up with the preemie....go figure)

SBMBride406

Our NICU nurses discussed this with us before we left the NICU and our pedi as well. Big point of contention in my house, since DH is a smoker. I make him change his shirt before he holds the baby, but it still worries me...

bananachiki

its very possible she smoked during pregnancy. she swore up and down she didnt but her H never quit and smoked in front of her and in the car. baby was born pre-term b/c her placenta completly detached and i read in my nursing text that that  could be caused from smoking (not saying thats the case for everyone). i also dont want to assume either but she said she started smoking again because of the stress of NICU.

 as for her and i's relationship, we've been friends for 23 years, and I hope it doesnt cause stress between us, but I'm concerned for baby and imo that over-rules the possiblity of a fight btwn us. i'm hoping the pedi and NICU nurses talk to her about this before she goes home.