Smoking and Pregnancy

Our guide to protecting your baby from tobacco

Smoking while pregnant is extremely harmful for you and your baby.

There is no safe level of smoking during pregnancy. You can reduce your likelihood of you and your baby developing serious health risks if you stop smoking completely.

Stop Smoking London has created this guide to bring you the facts on smoking and pregnancy. It includes advice on how to stop smoking from a Consultant Midwife at St. George’s University Hospital in London.

Looking for trusted information when it comes to smoking and pregnancy? Here’s everything you need to know.

Can smoking affect your unborn baby?

Yes, smoking can affect your unborn baby.

Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of your baby developing serious health problems. These include a low birth weight, tissue damage and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Pregnant women also reduce the risk of stillbirth when they quit smoking.

Scientific research shows that children whose parents smoke are much likelier to suffer from asthma and other illnesses that may require hospital treatment.

What is second-hand smoke and can it harm my baby?

Second-hand smoke is the smoke that is exhaled into the air after taking a draw on a cigarette. People around you, who may not smoke, can inhale this smoke.

If someone in your home smokes, their habit could have serious impacts on you and your baby both before and after birth.

It can be much more difficult for you to quit if someone around you is still smoking. Inhaling second-hand smoke has been linked to lower birthweights and an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Additionally, babies with smoking parents are more likely to be hospitalised for bronchitis and pneumonia in their first year.

A happy couple celebrating their pregnancy news.

Increase your chances of success

Nicotine Replacement icon

Nicotine Replacement Therapy

Use nicotine replacement products or quit aids to cut cravings

Get face to face support

Find a free local stop smoking service in your area

Smoking helpline icon

Enrol in our telephone quit programme

Get telephone support from our trained advisers

A vape icon

Find out more about vaping

Vaping is 95% less harmful than smoking

What are the benefits of stopping smoking while pregnant?

Quitting smoking will have beneficial effects on both you and your infant right away. Toxins, like carbon monoxide, that can be detrimental to your health will be removed from your system.

When you quit smoking, your baby’s heart will beat easier. This is because the harmful chemicals in cigarettes restrict the oxygen supply to your baby.

Quitting smoking early on is the most beneficial for you and your baby. Even if you stop during the latter stages of your pregnancy, it will still bring positive outcomes.

What’s the best way to stop pregnant smoking?

Quitting smoking can seem a difficult challenge. With the right support and a mixture of nicotine replacement products (NRT) it is much easier. With help and stop smoking quit aids you are three times as likely to stop smoking for good.

Is it safe to vape during pregnancy?

A vape is a fantastic quit aid for smokers who are aiming to stop smoking.

It is 95% safer than smoking cigarettes and does not produce any of the dangerous chemicals, such as tar or carbon monoxide. Carbon Monoxide is extremely harmful to developing babies.

E-cigarettes, or vapes as they are commonly known as, allow users to inhale nicotine through vapor rather than tobacco smoke.

By experimenting with various forms of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), smokers are three times as likely to quit smoking for good.

You can get free expert help from a stop smoking adviser or find out more which vape is best for you.

Are you struggling to quit smoking while pregnant?

Get in touch with Stop Smoking London’s no-cost helpline at 0300 123 1044 to learn more, or ask your midwife to refer you for help to stop smoking.

Find your free local face to face stop smoking service.

English