Your spouse’s habit can affect your pregnancy

You’ve probably made many changes in your lifestyle since you’ve become pregnant, but here’s one your partner should make. Two large studies in the Journal Sleep found that pregnant women exposed to second hand smoke were far more likely to have problems related to sleep. They found that when expectant women were passively exposed to tobacco smoke by being near smokers, they were more likely to experience inadequate sleep, problems falling asleep, frequent premature awakenings and increased snoring. Interestingly, those exposed to second hand smoke had about the same incidence of sleep disturbances as pregnant women who smoked. These findings were based upon questionnaires of over 30,000 pregnant women polled in 2002 and then in 2006 providing even greater credibility to the finding. In about 80 percent of these cases, the woman’s spouse was a smoker.

Although sleep disturbances may seem inconsequential to the pregnancy, they have been shown to increase your risk of preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, prolonged labor and cesarean section. These studies provide one more reason why pregnant women should avoid tobacco smoke—at home, when socializing, and in the workplace. Tobacco smoke is also associated with heart disease, cancer, and having a low birth weight baby. So ask your partner to take a pledge to stop smoking during your pregnancy. You, he and your child will all benefit from a smoke-free home.