A pregnant woman who is addicted to smoking has an increased risk of affecting the health of her unborn baby. This is because when a pregnant woman smokes nicotine, the harmful smoke reaches the unborn baby in her womb. Will you as a woman like your baby to breathe toxic, cancer-causing nicotine just because it is difficult for you to get over the habit? There is perhaps no woman in the world that does not care for her baby. But it is also true that the addiction to smoke can be very high and difficult to get rid of. Chantix, the prescription based anti-smoking medication has shown very good, positive results and has been tried by women and men across the globe with success.
There are views that Chantix cannot and should not be taken by pregnant women. If people are confused and on two minds about the effects of Chantix on pregnant women and the child, they are not completely wrong. Pfizer, the manufacturer of Chantix, also does not highlight that it can be taken by pregnant women. The experiments done to find if it is safe for pregnant women have been done on animals. It has been found that occasionally the drug has entered the system of nursing pups and has caused immense damage to the unborn. This fact is taken seriously by doctors and they tend to advice against pregnant women using Chantix. So it is better to be on the right side of logic and tell the pregnant woman to avoid taking Chantix, lest it could harm the health of the fetus. The contents of Chantix are such that the medical fraternity believes that they can lead to weakness and reduced bone mass of the fetus.
So if Chantix is really good to stop the smoking cravings but the smoking-addicted pregnant woman cannot take it, where does it leave her? Relax! The best thing you can do in such a case is talk to your doctor about the possible side effects. Your doctor knows your body well, and its reaction to various substances, considering he gets all clinical tests conducted to get a clear understanding of your blood and functioning of various organ systems. This will give your doctor clear-cut idea whether your body is fit to consume Chantix. Your doctor will weigh the pros and cons and will only recommend Chantix if the benefits are proving to be better than any possible harm. If your doctor does not advise you Chantix, you can explore alternative quit-smoking procedures during the pregnancy period like Yoga and meditation.
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