‘Am I going to hell for vaping while I’m pregnant?’

A pregnant woman has wondered if she is putting her unborn child at risk with her vaping addiction: “It’s really stressful to quit.”

Close up pregnant woman smoking e-cigarette isolated on black background

As soon as I found out I was pregnant, I was inundated with info on foods to cut out, positions to sleep in and the vitamins that would help support my pregnancy.

While I had never craved sashimi and raw cake batter more than throughout those nine months, I did everything I could to reduce any risk to my baby and cut out all the recommended foods and drinks.

But one Sydney mum dialled into Kyle and Jackie O’s radio segment ‘Am I Going To Hell?’ with what she labelled a moral dilemma when it came to her pregnancy.

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“I’m addicted”

Jasmine is 18 weeks pregnant and called the show in search of support for her decision to continue vaping while pregnant.

“I’m actually dealing with a pretty heavy moral dilemma,” she revealed.

“I’m 18 weeks pregnant, and I’m still vaping.”

“Is that allowed?” asked Kyle.

“That’s a good question because I’m sure they say not to do it”, Jackie O added.

“I did read a recent article that says there’s no detectable risks, and it doesn’t affect the baby”, she defended herself before they took any calls in.

“If you scroll enough on Google, you’ll find anything that will say something is ok,” Brooklyn, the show’s news reader, added.

“It’s really stressful to quit…” Jasmine added.

Kyle began searching points for and against vaping while pregnant; however, Jackie was quick to question the credibility of the sources.

RELATED: How bad is vaping and should it be banned?

If the risks are unknown, doesn't that make it an even bigger risk? Source: iStock

The listeners weighed in

When the lines opened, the support was not in Jasmine’s favour.

“Stop vaping and smoke instead; you’re probably doing more harm vaping,” said one caller, who was basically insinuating that the effects of vaping were currently unknown.

“They are only finding out about these things as they come… you have to think smoking has been around for a long time…when I was born, you could smoke in hospital,” and continued to explain how advancements discovered what was once a common pastime was detrimental to one’s health.

Another caller was quick to scold Jasmine, “How dare you… so many people are trying to get pregnant…and you would just risk everything…you might as well do drugs.

“The fact you’ve even called and know it’s a moral dilemma…how dare you,” she reprimanded.

However not everyone was against the dilemma.

One caller was quick to reassure the pregnant mum and said, “I recently gave birth to a baby girl, and I vaped throughout my whole pregnancy, and she’s perfectly fine.”

“I felt guilty, but I honestly couldn’t give it up…and she came out fine,” she added.

A doctor weighs in

The Kiss FM resident doctor was contacted to provide his expert opinion on the matter, and he offered a warning to both Jasmine and the show’s listeners.

He spoke about the many dangerous chemicals that can be used in vapes and advised that many manufacturers around the world are not held to the same standards and regulations to create safe and chemical-free products that we are in Australia.

Jasmine shared she has kept her vaping a secret from both her partner and GP, which made her feel even more guilty and fueled her inability to quit.

Her addiction was too strong

By the end of the segment, Jasmine decided she would continue to vape and cited everything we do has exposure to chemicals, such as pesticides used in food production, and she felt more comfortable knowing her chemicals were coming from vaping.

While the information available surrounding vaping can be contradictory and confusing, we recommend always chatting with your healthcare providers when it comes to your health and the health of your family.

Originally published as ‘Am I going to hell for vaping while I’m pregnant?’