The 20-year-old said cutting the amount of oxygen reaching unborn Lilly would cause her heart to work harder, making her stronger. She also said smoking was a ‘mother’s right’ and claimed a friend miscarried because she quit the habit.
She said: ‘Where’s the proof that it’s so bad to smoke? I don’t believe it was hurting Lilly. On a typical day when I was pregnant, I would smoke a fag every 45 minutes.’ Giving up suddenly during the pregnancy would put the baby under more stress, she added.
Miss Wilcox, of Rainham, Kent, made the claims on the BBC3 documentary Misbehaving Mums To Be, ignoring midwives who told her smoking could cause premature birth, low birth weight or other health problems.
Specialist Lisa Fendall warned her: ‘Your baby is struggling for oxygen, and is saying “help me”.’
Lilly, now 14 weeks old, was born weighing 2.7kg (6lb 2oz) – beneath the British average of 3.3kg (7lb 4oz) for a newborn girl, and ten days early.
Unemployed Miss Wilcox’s levels of carbon monoxide were six times higher than the level considered safe for the baby while she was pregnant.
Lilly’s father Shane Baker, 20, said: ‘Unless you’re in the situation yourself then you shouldn’t jump to conclusions.’
She said: ‘Where’s the proof that it’s so bad to smoke? I don’t believe it was hurting Lilly. On a typical day when I was pregnant, I would smoke a fag every 45 minutes.’ Giving up suddenly during the pregnancy would put the baby under more stress, she added.
Miss Wilcox, of Rainham, Kent, made the claims on the BBC3 documentary Misbehaving Mums To Be, ignoring midwives who told her smoking could cause premature birth, low birth weight or other health problems.
Specialist Lisa Fendall warned her: ‘Your baby is struggling for oxygen, and is saying “help me”.’
Lilly, now 14 weeks old, was born weighing 2.7kg (6lb 2oz) – beneath the British average of 3.3kg (7lb 4oz) for a newborn girl, and ten days early.
Unemployed Miss Wilcox’s levels of carbon monoxide were six times higher than the level considered safe for the baby while she was pregnant.
Lilly’s father Shane Baker, 20, said: ‘Unless you’re in the situation yourself then you shouldn’t jump to conclusions.’
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smh.
