If you're pregnant - don't smoke. SIMPLE!

I'm so maddened with the news today that pregnant women who smoke are to be given financial incentives in the form of shopping vouchers to stop smoking!

It's not enough for the expectant mother to be given the information that smoking is the cause of around 5,000 miscarriages a year, as well as more than 100 still births and more than 100 infant deaths.

Oh no, because of their reluctance to stop there has been a trial of more than 600 women in Glasgow. It found that smokers who were paid up to £400 in shopping vouchers were more than twice as likely to quit! This is meant to be an alternative to the £87.5m it costs the NHS to treat the after affects of smoking during pregnancy in babies and mothers.

At 9 months pregnant with my first child maybe I'm more sensitive to this. The responsibility when carrying a child is massive and as a former smoker I'm fully aware of how addictive the fags can be. 

But my incentive to stop was trying to conceive.. that to me was so important as I wanted to be as healthy as possible. 

Then when it took longer than expected and being more complicated that we'd hope,  to fall pregnant - trying to keep my health at an optimum was such a priority. 

I'm just filled with disdain for women who smoke during pregnancy and have been guilty of throwing evil looks when I've seen them - because it exasperates me! I smoked from aged 15, it was such a part of me - but I couldn't have ever imagined smoking whilst pregnant.

There is JUST NO excuse. 

I'm currently binge watching Call the Midwife where everyone smokes and it's bizarre to think how it was so accepted in the 50's but NO more. Your willpower and your future child's well being should be the only incentive you need and I don't think i'm being naive here. 

What kind of message are we saying in society 'Hey pregnant lady who smokes, here's £400 shopping vouchers to help you quit' 

Not even once you've quit. 

What about all the women who don't smoke or have managed to quit, nah, you don't get the vouchers - which could really help prepare for you baby, because you are responsible adults it's just the bloody idiots who have the likes of Kerry Katona speaking out on their behalf. 

As I've already had a rant on my facebook about this a fellow pregnant friend has informed me that Kerry has said something along the lines of the 'stress' of quitting the fags would cause to the mum would harm the baby. 

Get that woman a gag!

Justin Theroux is a strange kind of Leftover..

I'm having a bit of an issue with Justin Theroux..fiance of Jennifer Aniston, cousin of Louis and star of new Sky Atlantic series The Leftovers  which is the story of the people left behind, three years after 140 million people (2% of the world's population) disappeared without a trace.  Now this is written by the same people who had us confused but completely obsessed with Lost. I'm on episode 5 still none the wiser. 

I confess, Justin Theroux was a draw to start watching The Leftovers in the first place.. admit it you'd think the same, as we've just seen him on Jen's arm and whilst there's all the 'will they won't they' I wanted to see if he could act, what he sounded like.. 

He plays police chief Kevin Garvey trying to hold 'it' and his town together after this strange happening. His wife has joined a weird cult, who don't speak. Instead they write notes to communicate and ALL chain smoke, wear white and generally piss everyone else off in the town.  I kinda like his character, but he's also kinda frustrating.. we've seen him sweaty, drunk, angry, lose the plot a bit and we've seen his large back tat! I don't know if I care though. His eyebrows seem to be getting more plucked but I' m not convinced by his character and its bugging me.

Justin has sweats in his sweats in The Leftovers

The back tat!

Each episode so far, has been getting more random. Christopher Eccleston, who I love,  plays a troubled vicar and his American accent is slightly off putting. He managed to come out almost unscathed from having a large rock thrown at his head and losing his church to the odd cult. We also have Liv Tyler who's joined the cult, having left her fiance hanging and is now communicating a la notepad and smoking like a trooper!

I'm not convinced this is a good series, but I'm still watching it which concerns me even more.. I feel I've now invested time into this bizarre unraveling plot and its my duty to stick with it.. Do you do the same? Are you hooked on a series that isn't all that? The Leftovers is on Tuesday at 9pm on Sky Atlantic