Pregnant Woman Defends Her Decision To Continue Vaping & Asks People To 'Stop Shaming' Her For It
She vaped during her pregnancy.
TikTok According to the CDC, any product containing nicotine — regardless of the amount — is not safe to consume during pregnancy.
However, one woman on TikTok is not only ditching the health guidelines, she wants others to stop trying to set her on the right path.
The pregnant mom defended her decision to vape on TikTok and explained why.
Kaylee Wulf posted a TikTok claiming people need to stop shaming moms who are consuming nicotine while pregnant.
Wulf explained that she had previously taken other drugs but remained sober from them during pregnancy — what she didn't give up, however, is nicotine.
Although Wulf's stance may not be backed by science, it does raise a helpful debate about managing addictions and dealing with shame.
“I vaped my whole first pregnancy with my daughter,” she said in the viral video. “I’m not saying it’s okay and I’m not justifying it. But it’s a real addiction.”
She holds her vape to the camera, “I cannot knock this thing. Why are we shaming people for that?”
Wulf credits TikTok videos that demean women for smoking while pregnant as the reason she uploaded her beliefs.
She is 14 weeks into her second pregnancy and has continued to vape.
“Shaming people who are struggling isn’t right,” she wrote in the caption. “Y’all really find an issue with everything that does not or will not [a]ffect you personally.”
Some people in her comments were supportive.
“I’m glad you said that. I’m pregnant with my second baby and I can’t quit vaping. With my first daughter I quit but this time I just can’t quit,” one user wrote.
“Most of our parents were smoking cigarettes while pregnant with us! Now it’s a problem but not in the ’90s,” another commented.
Some users even claimed that doctors support Wulf’s assertions.
“Some doctors will tell you not to just stop if you’re addicted because it can actually harm them,” one commenter wrote.
“I love you for this. I’m on my first pregnancy and vaped the whole time. Doctor is not worried at all,” one person wrote.
However, not all people agree with Wulf’s acceptance of pregnant women smoking.
“I vaped for about 5 years and was able to stop cold turkey knowing it wasn’t about me anymore,” one user wrote. “I think it’s quite selfish.”
“I have asthma cause mom smoked. Everyday when I have an asthma attack I think about how mad I am of my mom for smoking,” another commented.
“Because it’s not just about you or the person pregnant anymore. It’s selfish to not stop. I stopped 6 days after I found out,” a third user claimed.
A certified doctor on TikTok spoke about the harmful effects of smoking while pregnant.
A board-certified OBGYN doctor on TikTok, Dr. Sloane, shared a video on the harmful effects of smoking while pregnant.
He argues that smoking causes a restriction in the blood vessels.
“The placenta is a big blood vessel, so that constriction leads to a decreased blood flow to the baby,” Dr. Sloane said.
“In addition, because you are breathing for two and you are not getting as much oxygen because of the smoke that is in your lungs, you are also hurting the baby this way.”
He cites the possible harmful outcomes as babies born smaller than usual and entering labor early.
RELATED: 23-Year-Old 'Mom' Of 34 Kids Shares Her Morning Routine That Starts At 4 AM
All Wulf wants is for people to stop shaming her for something that's out of her control.
Even though the effects of smoking while pregnant are proven harmful, Wulf asserts that her video is about stopping the shame of women who struggle with quitting, not saying smoking isn’t dangerous.
“Proud of the people who actually were able to quit,” Wulf wrote in the video’s caption.
Many women in the comments were glad to see they were not alone in the struggle with their addiction.
Shame can even be a factor that causes and drives addiction.
A study published by the National Institute of Health finds that feelings of shame can negatively impact self-esteem and can perpetuate a cycle of substance abuse.
So, regardless of one’s opinion on smoking while pregnant, shaming women for doing so will most likely not help them quit.
Ethan Cotler is a writer living in Boston. He writes on entertainment and news.