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A. This information is for you if you smoke and are either already pregnant or thinking about having a baby.
It is also for you if you are exposed to tobacco smoke at home. You may also find it helpful if you are the partner or a relative of a woman who smokes.
Many women find it difficult to stop smoking but it is one of the most important things you can do to improve your baby’s health, growth and development. It is also the single most important thing that you can do to improve your own long-term health.
When you stop smoking, you and your baby will feel the benefits immediately.
A. Just as smoking is bad for you, babies in the womb can be harmed by tobacco smoke because it reduces the amount of oxygen and nutrients that pass through the placenta from you to your baby.
Smoking when you are pregnant increases your risk of:
Babies and children whose mothers smoke during pregnancy are also at greater risk of:
Stopping smoking reduces all the risks described above.
A. Yes. From your first antenatal appointment, your obstetrician will ask whether you or any other member of the household smokes. This is important so that you and your family can be given support and help to stop smoking as early as possible. You will be asked how often you smoke and how much tobacco you smoke a day.
You will be given information about how smoking and passive smoking harms you and your baby.
A. There is no safe level of smoking, either for you or your baby. The earlier you stop smoking, the greater the benefit to you and your baby, but it is important to know that stopping at any time during pregnancy is beneficial to some extent.
Reducing the number of cigarettes you smoke, is a positive step, although there is no evidence that this is better for your baby. Therefore, both you and your partner will be advised to stop completely – not just cut down.
A. Yes. If you are exposed to other people’s tobacco smoke, it is known as passive smoking. Babies in the womb exposed to smoke in this way have a higher than normal risk of:
Ask smokers to support you and your baby by smoking outside and not near you. This includes in the car.
Also, try to keep away from smoky places and people who are smoking.
A. You may be aware of the risks and want to stop smoking but find it really difficult to do so. If you smoke or have recently stopped smoking (within the last 2 weeks), you should be referred to a counsellor for support.
Typically, the counsellor will offer you one-to-one appointments, and will also suggest ways to help you cope with the cravings and withdrawal symptoms that you may have once you stop smoking. The length of time that you will need support will depend on you and your circumstances.
It may be difficult to begin with, but 4 out of 5 women who manage to stop smoking for 28 days do so for good. Your obstetrician will ask how you are getting on at each appointment and write in your notes whether you are smoking or not.
Your partner or other close family members and friends who smoke can support you by stopping too. This will improve the chances of you successfully giving up. They should be offered help and encouragement to stop too.
A. Nicotine replacement therapies (NRT), such as patches, chewing gum, lozenges or mouth sprays, deliver clean forms of nicotine and are safe and effective aids for people who want to stop smoking.
It is safe to use NRT in pregnancy. Using NRT is safer than smoking because it doesn’t contain poisons such as tar or CO, but does provide you with some nicotine to help you manage any withdrawal cravings once you have stopped smoking.
Some drugs prescribed to help smokers stop are not safe to use during pregnancy or when breastfeeding.
A. Little research has been conducted into the safety of e-cigarettes in pregnancy. Using e-cigarettes is not entirely risk free but research on their use among the general adult populations shows that vaping is substantially less harmful than smoking tobacco and likely to be significantly less harmful to a pregnant woman and her baby than cigarettes.
If you’re pregnant, licensed NRT products such as patches and gum are the recommended option to help you stop smoking. But if you find using an e-cigarette helpful for quitting and staying smoke free, it’s likely to be safer for you and your baby than continuing to smoke.
Evidence shows that using both e-cigarettes and smoking (dual using) does not confer any health benefit over using just cigarettes. If you are using both e-cigarettes and smoking you should be supported to stop smoking.
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