Pregnancy and vaping

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I hope I don't get too much grief for this, but I recently switched from cigarettes to vaping after a few failed attempts to quit in the hopes that it may be less harmful or make it easier for me to quit. Before, I would sometimes smoke half a pack, more or less, but now it seems like I vape all the time and I am worried that I am causing more harm in the long run. Does anyone know how the body absorbs nicotine in relation to regular cigarettes, or am I just inundating myself with the stuff? I started with 18 mg, now I'm at 12, and I hope to get down to 0. This is after quitting during morning sickness, I just started again more than a month ago after some very stressful things happened. It just seems like I go through the liquid too quickly; a small bottle may last me three or four days, maybe? Maybe less, I've been using different flavors, so it's hard to tell. Two doctors have told me to just go back to regular cigarettes, so perhaps I should listen to them instead of asking people on the internet, but I feel less "guilty" smoking this. But maybe having less guilt is what is causing me to smoke so much. Anyway, I'm not trying to justify myself, I just wondered if there were any other pregnant vapers on here and if anyone may have any information that may help me. The store I bought my stuff from said a small bottle was like 4 to 6 packs of cigarettes, but if you're using 6 or 0 mg of nicotine, that can't be right, can it? Thanks in advance.
 
Previous poster, that would be ideal! I know I need to just not do either, I'm just trying to do the best I can right now. It says on the bottles not to use if you are pregnant, but the same goes for cigarettes. I'm actually pretty embarrassed that I posted this and may delete it, but I'm just trying to help myself. I've even thought of getting hypnotized. Anyway, thanks for the reply.
 

dice57

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Well what nicotine level are you vaping at? Know that the PG, VG and food flavoring in e-juice has never been show to have any ill effects on people. In fact they use PG in the ventilation systems of hospitals, and since the use of PG, respiratory illness in infants has been dramatically reduced, so I would say you and the baby are much, much better off vaping than you would be smoking.

It's hard to believe that a doctor would recommend smoking over vaping. That doesn't seem right. If you are using 6 mg nic juice that is a pretty low intake of nicotine. Find a better source that is more knowledgeable about the effects on vaping, I may be wrong, but the 2 doctors you asked don't seem to know. Did you ask them why they recommended cigs over vape? and what studies they read to give them that recommendation?

Good luck, and merry Christmas. Wishes for you and your baby in 2014!!
 

WarHawk-AVG

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There is a study out that shows propylene glycol can result in lower birth weight
http://www.epa.gov/opprd001/inerts/alginate.pdf

But I GUARANDANGTEE high doses of carbon monoxide don't help NOT lower birth weight considering a study has shown that it reduces the bloods ability to carry oxygen
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1566307/pdf/envhper00506-0045.pdf

The thing is to make educated choices...learn ALL you can...there are tons of studies covering the entirety of the components in vaping...they were not originally done for vaping but due to technology and innovative people vaping uses those chemicals in those studies...and for the most part they have been show to be MUCH safer than those in cigarettes

National Vapers Club - Meeting Place for lovers of e-cigarettes, personal vaporizers and all things "fog" producing!

Ultimately the decision is yours
 
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Jonathan Tittle

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As much as I hate the patch, have you considered that as an alternative to smoking and vaping while pregnant? Ultimately, any doctor is going to tell you to just quite cold turkey if possible because of birth weight, circulation etc, but if you're not smoking much and just need the overall nicotine in your system, the patch may be an option for you.

Last I recall, it's not recommended to those pregnant or nursing, but neither is smoking and I'd consider the patch to be a much safer way of delivery so you're not inhaling anything. If you can do that for 9 months, or however long you have left, then perhaps look into vaping as a way to reduce and remove your reliance on cigarettes and as an aid to help you stop completely.

My son was just born and when asked if I smoked in the house I told the doctor I vaped and there was a sigh of relief, so not all doctors are completely clueless. Of course, they told me it's best not to do it while holding the baby, or to blow a cloud it's face; you know, common sense stuff, but both the doctor and nurses were more relieve to hear I was using a safer alternative and that the house and my clothes weren't going to be an issue for the baby.
 
I think it depends on your doctor whether or not you can get the patch. I was told it was Category X in pregnancy because of the way the nicotine is delivered, and that I couldn't have it. That was my method of choice, and she wasn't sure about the e-cigarettes. Actually, she was just a midwife, as I don't get to see the doctor every time, so I will ask again when I see him. One doctor I saw knew what he was talking about, I think, he was just afraid that I may smoke and use the patch, too.
 

Jonathan Tittle

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I think it depends on your doctor whether or not you can get the patch. I was told it was Category X in pregnancy because of the way the nicotine is delivered, and that I couldn't have it. That was my method of choice, and she wasn't sure about the e-cigarettes. Actually, she was just a midwife, as I don't get to see the doctor every time, so I will ask again when I see him. One doctor I saw knew what he was talking about, I think, he was just afraid that I may smoke and use the patch, too.

I would ask to speak with a doctor and voice your concern to see if they would allow you to use a low-dose patch. IMO, they should opt to choose the lesser of the two evils, which would be the patch, since there's no inhalation. While I don't foresee vaping to be a concern, and as much as I'd like to say it's not, I'm not a doctor. Hopefully your actual doctor would be able to clearly see that your willingness to not want to harm the baby by inhaling smoke or potentially harm the baby by inhaling vapor and instead, use something like a low-dose patch and be able to work with you.

Of course, using nothing would be best and is what most will suggest, but telling you that is akin to telling someone addicted to another type of substance or chemical that there's no options, just quit and deal with it. There's always options, just opt to skip the pills like Chantix and related - WAY TOO many side effects, even if they were safe for those pregnant (i.e. suicides, night terrors, etc). I don't even know how that pill is on the market right now, much less any form of anti-depression medication, but that's another story :).
 

Tinkiegrrl

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First. I think those doctors told you to go back to cigs because of the newness of vaping, not because it actually is more dangerous then smoking. I can't imagine it being as bad as smoking though, especially if you're using 0 nic and 100% VG liquid. Why not just try that? Skip stepping down the levels and go straight to 0 nic? If you've been off cigs for a bit now, and your body is only dealing with the nic addiction and the hand mouth thing, I think you may do better at 0 nic then you think. I know my nic addiction seems to be less of a beast to deal with then an actual cig addiction.
 

bcalvanese

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There have not been enough studies done for anyone to give you advice for this type of thing. That is probably why these doctors told you to smoke cigarettes.

This forum is probably NOT the right place to ask this question as people may give you the wrong advice and influence your decision.

If I were you i would disregard any advice you get here, listen to your doctor, and know that the best decision would be not to smoke or vape.
 

sdorich

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I am a chemist and quite frankly there has not been enough research done on long-term effects of vaping to really say if you're safe or not safe vaping while being pregnant. We all know that nicotine really isn't bad for one's health (it just happens to be the VERY addictive chemical compound in cigarettes). It's all the other crap (tar and whatnot) in normal cigarettes that are bad for us. I've actually done my own research on e-cigarette liquids and found no alarming compounds. I used the GC-MS and basically just found vanillin and other harmless chemicals (and nicotine of course). However, what happens when the mixture of these compounds turn into vapor and enter the human body? This is the million dollar question that scientists need to do research on. I'm sure there are a few articles/research projects out right now attempting to answer this question. But ultimately, scientists will need to prove the affects of e-cigs by doing a massive long-term study with ppl smoking e-cigs for x amount of years under various controlled conditions. Although this doesn't answer your question, as a chemist I can tell you that there is no proof that vaping while pregnant is harmful at all. Good luck and please post how everything turns out! You can be one of the first in the attempt to really know what the effects of vaping are.
 
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WarHawk-AVG

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There have not been enough studies done for anyone to give you advice for this type of thing. That is probably why these doctors told you to smoke cigarettes.

This forum is probably NOT the right place to ask this question as people may give you the wrong advice and influence your decision.

If I were you i would disregard any advice you get here, listen to your doctor, and know that the best decision would be not to smoke or vape.
There have been studies TONS of em in fact...just not specifically "vaping directed"

National Vapers Club - Meeting Place for lovers of e-cigarettes, personal vaporizers and all things "fog" producing!

Vaping is just so new, they haven't been correlated together and not enough people have researched them and the media machines of those that DON'T want vaping as a viable replacement (I said replacement not Tobacco Harm Reduction) for smoking to actually get a viable foothold

But yes..this is the internet...and everything on the internet is true...Bonjour :D

I am a chemist and quite frankly there has not been enough research done on long-term effects of vaping to really say if you're safe or not safe vaping while being pregnant. We all know that nicotine really isn't bad for one's health (it just happens to be the VERY addictive chemical compound in cigarettes). It's all the other crap (tar and whatnot) in normal cigarettes that are bad for us. I've actually done my own research on e-cigarette liquids and found no alarming compounds. I used the GC-MS and basically just found vanillin and other harmless chemicals (and nicotine of course). However, what happens when the mixture of these compounds turn into vapor and enter the human body? This is the million dollar question that scientists need to do research on. I'm sure there are a few articles/research projects out right now attempting to answer this question. But ultimately, scientists will need to prove the affects of e-cigs by doing a massive long-term study with ppl smoking e-cigs for x amount of years under various controlled conditions. Although this doesn't answer your question, as a chemist I can tell you that there is no proof that vaping while pregnant is harmful at all. Good luck and please post how everything turns out! You can be one of the first in the attempt to really know what the effects of vaping are.
ding ding ding

Here was my non-chemist/found studies already done take on what is actually is the bad stuff that IS in cigarettes http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/general-e-liquid-discussion/465485-its-not-nicotine.html

I say listen to the doctors and I can offer no advice whatsoever on the subject...just "information" that I have found
 
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bcalvanese

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There have been studies TONS of em in fact...just not specifically "vaping directed"

National Vapers Club - Meeting Place for lovers of e-cigarettes, personal vaporizers and all things "fog" producing!

Vaping is just so new, they haven't been correlated together and not enough people have researched them and the media machines of those that DON'T want vaping as a viable replacement (I said replacement not Tobacco Harm Reduction) for smoking to actually get a viable foothold

But yes..this is the internet...and everything on the internet is true...Bonjour :D

ding ding ding

Here was my non-chemist/found studies already done take on what is actually is the bad stuff that IS in cigarettes http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/general-e-liquid-discussion/465485-its-not-nicotine.html

I say listen to the doctors and I can offer no advice whatsoever on the subject...just "information" that I have found

You do realize you are telling this "pregnant" woman to listen to her doctor and at the same time giving her all this information that may influence her in a different direction.

Right?

Not a good idea IMO.
 

bcalvanese

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I am a chemist and quite frankly there has not been enough research done on long-term effects of vaping to really say if you're safe or not safe vaping while being pregnant. We all know that nicotine really isn't bad for one's health (it just happens to be the VERY addictive chemical compound in cigarettes). It's all the other crap (tar and whatnot) in normal cigarettes that are bad for us. I've actually done my own research on e-cigarette liquids and found no alarming compounds. I used the GC-MS and basically just found vanillin and other harmless chemicals (and nicotine of course). However, what happens when the mixture of these compounds turn into vapor and enter the human body? This is the million dollar question that scientists need to do research on. I'm sure there are a few articles/research projects out right now attempting to answer this question. But ultimately, scientists will need to prove the affects of e-cigs by doing a massive long-term study with ppl smoking e-cigs for x amount of years under various controlled conditions. Although this doesn't answer your question, as a chemist I can tell you that there is no proof that vaping while pregnant is harmful at all. Good luck and please post how everything turns out! You can be one of the first in the attempt to really know what the effects of vaping are.

Really???

You want to use a pregnant woman as a test subject???

staregirl00
Please disregard any advice you get from here and listen to your doctors.

If you want to research vaping more after your child is born, then feel free, but we are talking about the life of an unborn child.

Do you realy want to influence your decisions this way?
 
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