Dad, can you quit smoking for my sake?

(Baonghean) - Dad, do you remember?When my mother said she wanted to get pregnant and wanted my father to quit smoking, he dismissed it, saying that getting pregnant was her responsibility, not his. My mother threatened divorce, so my father got angry and left for a while.

But Dad, do you know that smoking affects both your sperm and Mom's precious eggs?

Six months after Dad quit smoking, one beautiful morning Mom was overjoyed to see two lines on the pregnancy test. She jumped up and hugged Dad, crying. Was Dad happy then? At that moment, Mom also reminded Dad not to smoke because during this time, they could still lose the baby at any moment.

My baby is two weeks old, and Mom is suffering from morning sickness, vomiting everything she eats, without any pattern—morning, noon, afternoon, night. (I'm sorry, Mom! It's because of me that you're like this.) Meanwhile, Dad is smoking, and Mom and Dad are arguing. (I wonder: Does Dad not want a child?)

Then, in week 16, Dad took Mom to the doctor, and the doctor said the baby was developing slower than normal fetuses. The doctor said: Children born to parents who smoked during pregnancy have a 50% higher rate of intellectual disability compared to non-smokers, and this rate increases to 70% in those who smoke a pack a day.

Even more dangerously, cigarettes can increase the levels of hormones like epinephrine and vasopressin, making miscarriage more likely. Back home, my mother cried uncontrollably, punching my father repeatedly, accusing him of being a terrible father who loved cigarettes more than his child. She threatened to divorce him immediately if anything happened to the baby. My father, having heard the doctor's diagnosis and my mother's threats, panicked and quit smoking for the second time.

Illustration: Nam Phong.

Week 20. Dad has quit smoking! I'm so happy, Mom is ten times happier. Perhaps this is the happiest period for Mom and Dad since I arrived. Dad is more attentive and caring towards Mom. However, every now and then I see Mom sniffing Dad's shirt and lips, then suddenly asking, "Are you smoking again?" Dad vehemently denies it: "No way!"

Week 24. Mom was angry with Dad again when she found out he was smoking secretly. Dad said he'd rather quit anything than cigarettes, and besides, I'm past the dangerous stage now. Mom was silent, probably fed up with Dad because she once told me: "I'm so fed up, Bin, Dad keeps smoking and he never listens! I'm sorry!"

Week 30. The doctor said the baby was gaining less weight than expected for its gestational age, and blamed me for not eating enough because I was trying to maintain my figure. If this continued, it could lead to fetal malnutrition. The doctor told me to eat more at home. I tried very hard to eat a lot, and some days I felt so sorry for her. She would eat until her stomach was full and then lie down, breathless. She said she wasn't afraid of getting fat, that she was just eating so the baby would get enough nutrients.

Week 34. My belly is starting to get too cramped with you, baby. Whether I turn sideways or lie down, it's all so uncomfortable. Sometimes you just kick me hard. I'm sure you're starting to get tired of me, but you never complain. Instead, you spend all day talking and singing to me. Dad tries to talk to me too, but every time, he only manages to say one thing before Mom chases him away: "Ugh, that cigarette smell is awful! Stay away from the baby!"

Dad, actually, I find your voice very pleasant to listen to, but it would be better if you quit smoking so we could talk more. Because what Mom doesn't like, I don't like either, and anything that negatively affects me, Mom will definitely take action to eliminate it!

And I'm wondering if I should "come out" of Mommy's womb right now, because not only Mommy but I can't stand the smell of Daddy's cigarette smoke anymore. Just imagine, Mommy's womb is already too cramped for me, and I'm breathing in cigarette smoke every day. If it were you, could you bear it?

Thanh Tuong(Compiled from the Web)