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Post by scrappintoee on Nov 14, 2018 21:10:37 GMT
My friends and I were talking about this, and just marveling!!!  SO MANY of our Moms smoked while pregnant, (1960's and 70s) and/or both parents smoked in our houses and in the car, and it was just normal to us. Not only did my Mom smoke through all 4 of her pregnancies, but I just remembered a story I'd forgotten until my friends and I were talking. I was her third pregnancy, and only with me, she was gaining too much weight. She said her doctor told her to SMOKE MORE so that she could stop gaining weight !!! ( I need to google if they tested for gestational diabetes in 1963). Sooo, she started smoking more so HER weight wouldn't increase, but I weighed almost 11 pounds at birth; whereas, my older sis and bro before me were the average--around 8-ish pounds. Isn't it amaaazing how times have changed? If any of you watch "Mad Men", everyyyy time they'd show Don's wife (name?) smoking ciggies while she was pregnant, alllll the other 1960's stuff, it was like seeing a home movie of what my upper-middle-class parents’ lives must have been like. |
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The Birdhouse Lady
Prolific Pea
Moose. It's what's for dinner.
Posts: 7,589
Location: Alaska -The Last Frontier
Jun 30, 2014 17:15:19 GMT
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Post by The Birdhouse Lady on Nov 14, 2018 21:20:16 GMT
Both my parents smoked liked stacks when I was growing up. I don't know for a fact but it's highly likely that my mom did smoke while pregnant. I was just over 5 pounds at birth.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Aug 18, 2025 20:58:29 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 14, 2018 21:22:26 GMT
No. My mum only has one lung, smoking would not have been a good idea.
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valincal
Drama Llama
Southern Alberta
Posts: 6,225 
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Post by valincal on Nov 14, 2018 21:25:03 GMT
My MIL talks about how she smoked in her hospital room with her new baby in the bassinet beside her! 😳
All four kids born in the 60s.
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johnnysmom
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,687
Jun 25, 2014 21:16:33 GMT
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Post by johnnysmom on Nov 14, 2018 21:26:17 GMT
I don't think so, my mom supposedly only smoked when she drank and I assume she stopped drinking once she was pregnant and my dad was only an occasional smoker back then too (he eventually quit while i was still young). I weighed 7lbs-something though I was supposedly 2 months early  (translation: I was born 7 months after their wedding so clearly I couldn't have baked the full 9 months) |
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Post by myshelly on Nov 14, 2018 21:26:31 GMT
No.
Neither of my parents and none of my grandparents or even great-grandparents ever smoked.
By my mom’s time everyone knew it was bad for you.
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melissa
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,912
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Post by melissa on Nov 14, 2018 21:27:36 GMT
They definitely did not test for gestational diabetes in 1963. When they first started screening for it, it was only women considered at higher risk. I think it really wasn't done until the 80's and probably not for everyone until the late 80's. Could be even later in some regions... I'm not really sure.
My mom said she quit smoking when she was pregnant because she didn't like it when she was pregnant. Said that was one of her first clues that she was pregnant! She also had 8 and 9 lb babies. Both my sister and I have had gestational diabetes and my sister is now a diabetic. I was almost a diabetic when I made drastic changes in my diet to reverse it. (Not that it is relevant to gestational diabetes, but my dad is also a diabetic, possibly a combination of type 1 and 2.)
Hmm... wonder if I can figure out when gestational diabetes testing became universal... off to research that a little.
ETA. Universal screening probably began sometime in the 1980's. I know it was already in place when I was in medical school. Can't quite find the right citations.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Aug 18, 2025 20:58:29 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 14, 2018 21:27:38 GMT
Smoking cost money, even back then, plus nobody on my mother’s side smoke. My father only smoked a cigar once in great while.
My aunt married a man that smoked like a chimney, he lived until he was 91. I think that he was just so pickled and smoked( like a piece of meat) that he could not die. ( he was obese, had heart problems, diabetes and bone problems)
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likescarrots
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,879
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Post by likescarrots on Nov 14, 2018 21:28:26 GMT
I don't know if my mom smoked while she was pregnant, but I do not remember a time that either of my parents didn't chain smoke. In the house, in the car, in restaurants, everywhere. I lived with them until I was 21 and I'm convinced I will die of COPD (as my grandmother did) or lung cancer, despite never putting a cigarette to my lips.
Almost every one of my aunts and uncles smoke and now most of my cousins have smoked or are still smoking.
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Post by crazy4scraps on Nov 14, 2018 21:30:15 GMT
I’m sure she did, both my parents smoked like chimneys when we were kids. There was a constant visible fog that hung inside our house. She would try to quit multiple times over the years but kept going back to it because everyone else also smoked. It wasn’t until my mom hit about 65 that she quit for good.
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Post by mustlovecats on Nov 14, 2018 21:31:06 GMT
Yes. My parents and grandparents all smoked extensively and the women did not at that time stop during pregnancy. They were told not to quit during pregnancy so that they could keep their weight down.
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Post by lisacharlotte on Nov 14, 2018 21:37:31 GMT
Whole family smoked and drank and I’m sure my mom smoked while pregnant. Me and my brother were big babies (me 8+ lbs and brother 10+ lbs). I quit smoking just before I got pregnant, had an 8+ lb baby. No gestational diabetes. Smoking started to be restricted in the mid- to late 80s. I recall when it switched and we could no longer smoke in government buildings when I was in the Air Force.
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Post by just PEAchy on Nov 14, 2018 21:39:02 GMT
My mom was a smoker, but she did quit while she was pregnant. This was late 50’s-early 60’s. She said she never really liked smoking, she just did it because everyone else did. That’s probably why it was easy for her to quit while pregnant. All the adults in my life growing up smoked-parents, g-parents, aunts, uncles. My mom finally quit for good when I was in jr high.
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Post by mom on Nov 14, 2018 21:39:34 GMT
No, no one smoked in my family except for my Granddad (who died at 55 with lung cancer).
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jayfab
Drama Llama
procastinating
Posts: 5,748
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Post by jayfab on Nov 14, 2018 21:40:17 GMT
I never asked her but since she smoked like a chimney I'm sure she wouldn't have stopped when pregnant.
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peaname
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,390
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Post by peaname on Nov 14, 2018 21:40:54 GMT
Yes! My mom’s doctor told her quitting would be too stressful on the baby.
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Post by ntsf on Nov 14, 2018 21:42:48 GMT
no one smoked or drank in my family. my dad had a few beers as a young man.. but none of the relatives smoked or drank either. my dad started drinking some wine when friends started a winery in the 1960's.. but all were healthy people who did lots of outdoor activities.
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Post by padresfan619 on Nov 14, 2018 21:44:01 GMT
Neither of my parents smoked cigarettes.
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Post by katlady on Nov 14, 2018 21:45:25 GMT
My parents don’t smoke. I can’t even recall any of my grandparents or aunts smoking, although I had a few uncles that did.
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sharlag
Drama Llama
I like my artsy with a little bit of fartsy.
Posts: 6,586
Location: Kansas
Jun 26, 2014 12:57:48 GMT
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Post by sharlag on Nov 14, 2018 21:45:44 GMT
Yes, and I weighed over 7 lbs, which was pretty healthy for a baby with small, slightly-built parents.
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Post by Rainy_Day_Woman on Nov 14, 2018 21:47:22 GMT
My mom smoked with me. I was born in the 80s. I think it probably was frowned upon by then but I don't know for certain. Everyone is smoking around us as babies in photos.
My parents smoked in the house- we must have reeked like cigarettes as kids.
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Post by jeremysgirl on Nov 14, 2018 21:50:10 GMT
My mom said she quit smoking when she was pregnant because she didn't like it when she was pregnant. Said that was one of her first clues that she was pregnant! My mom never smoked. My dad did, though. I have been an on and off smoker for 27 years and I agree with your mom. Smoking while I was pregnant made me so nauseous. My DH smoked and it literally made me sick to be around him when I was pregnant. So I didn't smoke at all when I was pregnant. |
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scrapngranny
Pearl Clutcher
Only slightly senile
Posts: 4,949
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Post by scrapngranny on Nov 14, 2018 21:50:52 GMT
Yes, my mom and dad both smoked. It’s a miracle I don’t have any respiratory issues. My dad quit smoking when I was in high school, my mom didn’t quit until she was diagnosed with severe COPD.
They didn’t routinely check for gestational diabetes when I was pregnant. My second baby weighted 9lbs11oz, number 3 was 10lb2oz. After he was born the doctor did a fasting glucose test, kind of too late. My guess would have been that I did have GD, but was fine by time they tested. My last baby was born in 1978. Ultrasounds weren’t done then either unless there was a suspected problem.
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Post by karinec on Nov 14, 2018 21:51:04 GMT
Yep, both my parents did. I was just under 8lbs, which is kind of big considering my mom was a small woman. We both nearly died from her difficulties during labor, mainly because her pelvis was not wide enough to deliver.
My mom quit smoking in her mid-40s, I believe, but she did contract lung cancer anyway. After radiation and chemo her lung cancer was in remission, but she died of brain cancer shortly thereafter.
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Post by teddyw on Nov 14, 2018 21:54:21 GMT
I don't know if my mom smoked while she was pregnant, but I do not remember a time that either of my parents didn't chain smoke. In the house, in the car, in restaurants, everywhere. I lived with them until I was 21 and I'm convinced I will die of COPD (as my grandmother did) or lung cancer, despite never putting a cigarette to my lips. Almost every one of my aunts and uncles smoke and now most of my cousins have smoked or are still smoking. I worry about the same thing. I have asthma. All my parents health problems are directly related to smoking. |
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Post by colleen on Nov 14, 2018 21:59:21 GMT
Oh yes she did. She had three good size babies (7+ pounds) and one 7-month preemie that weighed in at a whopping 3 pounds. My mom loved to smoke and didn't quit for good until I was in college. My sister the preemie has allergies (she had that test on her back and reacted to everything!) and asthma. I'm amazed we all don't. I remember going on long car trips (like Minnesota to Texas) and the car was like a hotbox of cigarette smoke.
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Post by LavenderLayoutLady on Nov 14, 2018 21:59:39 GMT
My mom smoked while pregnant with me. And all throughout my childhood.
I was born healthy, as far as I know, but I had chronic colds and sinus and ear infections as a kid.
And I knew I smelled bad everyday because everything in the house smelled. It was mortifying, even as a little kid, once I realized why my friends' parents didn't want me in their car or to come inside their house.
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Jili
Pearl Clutcher
SLPea
Posts: 4,378
Jun 26, 2014 1:26:48 GMT
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Post by Jili on Nov 14, 2018 22:01:50 GMT
Yes, she did. My father, too. My mom did note that she managed to quit when she was pregnant with my sister three years later, but she was a smoker until I was 21. My father had quit several years before, which was quite a feat considering she continued to smoke.
I must have been the kid who smelled like smoke, though I'm sure that many of us did. When I really noticed this is when I went to college. When I came back from breaks, my roommates would comment that the room smelled like smoke. It was me and the clothes I brought back. It was embarrassing.
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Post by jemmls4 on Nov 14, 2018 22:04:31 GMT
My mom did. She went into labor with her first child at 6 months and his lungs were not developed enough; he died a few hours after birth (early 60s).
I was 2.5 months premature...I only weighed 4 lb. I have had a TON of health issues, mostly immune system and digestive tract...both systems that generally mature at end of pregnancy.
Ditto what jili said. I hated it when she smoked but didn’t realize I smelled until I went to college and came home the first time.
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Post by scrappintoee on Nov 14, 2018 22:06:22 GMT
likescarrots... Ugh, I HOPE you won’t develop or die of COPD ! You mentioned restaurants, which my parents also definitely smoked in .... oh, and then there was our beach trips....EVERYONE smoked at the beach! My parents also enjoyed many cocktails! I have a pik of my very elegant, pretty Mom on the beach holding a GLASS (lol!) of some kind of booze on the rocks, and her always-present ciggie, with my older brother & sister next to her. . Serrriously? My parents brought nice GLASSES to the BEACH !?! LOL !!! The last time we went, (2007), there were signs saying smoking prohibited on the beach, and there were fines if people did. I’m gonna highjack my own thread a little; because your mentioning restaurants reminded me of how times have changed, but also how DIFFERENT smoking-related issues things are according to region. Back in 1996, DH & I lived in San Antonio, and some ( maybe most ? ) restaurants still had smoking sections. We were visiting beauuuutiful Vermont and went to a nice Italian place for dinner. DH automatically said : “ 2 people, non-smoking, please.” The hostess looked at him with a look of horror on her face and snobbily replied: “ we don’t HAVE a smoking section!” ..... well okay, then! LOL
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SO MANY of our Moms smoked while pregnant, (1960's and 70s) and/or both parents smoked in our houses and in the car, and it was just normal to us. 
