Smoking is one of the most serious health hazards. But smoking while pregnant can be particularly dangerous to both the mother and the unborn child. Quitting smoking while pregnant is certainly not easy. Ideally, you should quit it before you plan your pregnancy. But if your pregnancy was unplanned, you may need to quit it as soon as possible. So, how to quit smoking while pregnant? What are the hazards of smoking while pregnant? Read on to find out! The Risk from Harmful Chemicals Cigarettes contain toxic chemicals such as carbon monoxide and nicotine , among several others. Both these chemicals can reduce the amount of oxygen in your blood. When you smoke while pregnant, these chemicals reach your baby through your bloodstream. Nicotine can even constrict the blood vessels and reduce blood supply to your baby. The effects of smoking while pregnant can be really serious.These chemicals can deprive your child of oxygen and affect his or her brain development. Smoke from tobacco inhalation can adversely affect your child’s weight at birth, cause birth defects such as cleft palate and lip, and affect the development of the brain and other organs. Recommended Read:  Smoking Cessation and Nicotine Withdrawal Smoking while pregnant during the first trimester or in the later stages – both are harmful for the baby.

Pregnancy occurs in stages. The first stage is when the egg meets a sperm in the fallopian tube. When it fertilizes, it travels to the uterus to stay there until it is time for the birth. During an ectopic pregnancy, the fertilized egg attaches elsewhere in the body and not in the uterus. It requires immediate medical attention. What is an Ectopic Pregnancy? Ectopic pregnancies occur when the fertilized egg attaches itself in the cervix, abdomen or the fallopian tube. It will show up as a pregnancy. But the pregnancy cannot progress anywhere else other than the uterus. It is easy to diagnose. The doctor will know it is an ectopic pregnancy during your first checkup itself. If you haven’t seen a doctor but suspect you are pregnant, the doctor will perform certain tests to confirm if it is indeed an ectopic pregnancy. So, what happens in an ectopic pregnancy? If not treated in time, it can cause ruptures in the tube resulting in a ruptured ectopic pregnancy. Delay in treatment can also cause health complications or problems with future pregnancies. What Causes Ectopic Pregnancy? The cause of ectopic pregnancy is unclear. It can occur due to infection or damage present in the fallopian tubes.

Several couples grapple with infertility. But fortunately several treatments now exist to help women conceive. One such treatment is IVF. What is IVF? In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a fertility treatment that involves fertilization of eggs and sperms in a lab instead of the womb. After fertilization, the embryo/s are transferred inside the uterus for implantation. It is an expensive procedure with a low success rate with just the initial treatment. It can be a long and stressful process for couples undergoing IVF. Use of fertility vitamins and other measures can help increase the success rate of IVF. Vitamin D is considered as a beneficial vitamin for IVF. Vitamin D and IVF When you want vitamins to help you conceive, one nutrient may not solve all the problems. There have been some studies that show that intake of vitamin D for fertility problems can be useful. The body synthesizes vitamin D when exposed to sunlight. You can also get it from some food sources such as eggs, cheese, some varieties of mushrooms, drumsticks and fish like salmon and tuna. Many foods like cereal, milk and juices are also fortified with vitamin D, which the body absorbs well. Vitamin D3 is one of the forms of vitamin D.