Smoking and Pregnancy

Giving up smoking is the single most important thing you can do for your health and to give your baby a healthy start in life. Stopping smoking will:

• Reduce your risk of stillbirth or miscarriage
• Reduce the risk of your baby being underweight
• Reduce your baby's risk of cot death
• Lessen the risk of your baby suffering from breathing problems, asthma, chest infections and glue ear
• Mean your child is less likely to be a smoker when he or she grows up

Smoking puts a strain on the baby's heart and reduces the oxygen and food reaching the developing baby. The umbilical cord is the baby’s lifeline.  Until the baby is born, the baby's blood supply comes straight from the mother. So when you smoke, both you and the unborn child are exposed to the same high levels of poisons in tobacco smoke.

Top Tips for Stopping Smoking

1. Write down your reasons for smoking. Many women think cigarettes help them relax. What cigarettes do is calm the nicotine craving. Nicotine withdrawal makes you feel tense; stopping smoking will free you from this extra pressure.
   
   
2. Write down the reasons you’d like to give up. Your pregnancy is a good reason but think of some for yourself such as money for more basics or treats.
   
   
3. Make an appointment with your local NHS stop smoking service. Call 0800 389 889.
   
   Specialist help is available for pregnant women and their partners who find it difficult to give up. You can discuss whether or not Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT),now available of prescription, is an option for you.
   
   
4. Keep a diary, it helps you see your smoking habit more clearly. Use the diary to help you work out ways to change your routine and avoid tempting situations

Your Questions Answered

Can I use Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) when I am pregnant?

It is best to try to stop without any medication, but your GP or midwife may think NRT is safer than continuing to smoke because it does not contain any tar, chemicals or carbon monoxide.

I am already pregnant, isn’t the damage already done?

Smoking is harmful at all stages of pregnancy, not just in the first few weeks.

The good news is that your baby becomes healthier the moment you stop smoking.

Your body starts to recover, carbon monoxide (CO) leaves the blood stream quickly and your baby gets more of the oxygen it needs to grow.

Will all the information be confidential?

Yes, all the sessions are completely confidential.

The Department of Health do require us to complete a monitoring form to measure the success of the smoking service, but no names or addresses are ever included in the data.

I have cut down, isn’t that good enough?

There is no safe level of smoking.  Smokers who cut down inhale more deeply and take more puffs, so the same amount of chemicals pass to the baby.  This is also applies to changing to low tar cigarettes.

Isn’t it easier to give birth to a small low weight baby?

Low weight babies caused by parental smoking, tend to be more likely to suffer distress during birth and need a lot more medical intervention.

Get Help Now!

Call your local local NHS Stop Smoking Service on Freephone 0800 389 2229 for free practical guidance, information and support to help you quit.