Annika quit smoking when she became pregnant with her first child as she didn’t want to be a smoking mum. She used her baby as the motivation to quit and got help from her midwife.

I quit smoking for my baby

Annika was exposed to secondhand smoke from an early age after growing up in a smoking household. By age 13, Annika had already begun to smoke.

She quit smoking when she became pregnant with her first child as she wanted to break the cycle and focused on her new baby as a motivation to quit smoking. 

Growing up in a smoking household

Second-hand smoke is harmful to those around you. If someone smokes in your home, this can have a serious impact on your health.

Annika said: “I feel like I’ve been smoking for my whole life because my dad was smoking so much in the house. My room was hazy from his smoke. I feel like I’ve been a passive smoker for 13 years and that developed into me becoming a smoker.

“I had a cough all the time, my breathing sometimes felt difficult and I remember the house stinking of tobacco.

“I also have eczema and smoking made that condition worse.”

Annika quit smoking when she became pregnant

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

There is no safe level of smoking when pregnant. If you smoke during pregnancy, you increase the risk of your baby developing serious health problems such as low birth weight, stillbirth and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Annika quit smoking with help and support after finding out she was pregnant and has stayed smokefree since. Merlin, her son, was born in December 2023.

“As soon as I found out I was pregnant, I didn’t want to put Merlin at risk and he was the motivation to stop this smoking cycle that I’d grown up in. I wanted to give Merlin the best chance at life and introduce him into this world as a happy, healthy little boy.

“Thought of being a mum that smoked scared me. That was the moment I knew I had to give up smoking for good.”

You can reduce the risk of you and your baby developing serious health risks if you stop smoking completely.

Annika got support to quit from her local stop smoking service

Quitting smoking can seem difficult. But with the right support from your local stop smoking service or from your midwife, and a mixture of nicotine replacement products (NRT), giving up is much easier than going cold turkey.

“Giving up smoking is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life.

“I found it hard at first. I think without the support I had from my stop smoking service – who gave me guidance, support and advice throughout my journey – I wouldn’t have been able to do it.

Using loved ones as motivation to quit smoking

“I used smoking as a coping mechanism to deal with stress and anxieties in my life.

“So quitting smoking while pregnant – when your body is undergoing this massive change, you’re dealing with a new way of life and planning for this massive change – is incredibly difficult to break that behavioural cycle at first.

“When I struggled with nicotine cravings, I’d focus on Merlin and hold on to this image of him being healthy and me – a smokefree mum.”

“I don’t even think about smoking now. I have more money, my cough has disappeared and my eczema is much more manageable.

“I’d urge people who smoke to get in touch with their nearest stop smoking service. It doesn’t matter how many cigarettes smoked, help is available and long term, you will look and feel much better.”

You can quit smoking with professional help

You can get free help from Stop Smoking London. We’ve helped thousands of people over the years to quit smoking and we know that everyone’s journey to giving up is different.

You’re three times as likely to quit successfully with free expert help and ongoing support offered by your local Stop Smoking Service.

Find your nearest local stop smoking service.

Sign up for the free text messaging service  here.

Access helpful guides, read success stories from ex-smokers and use free resources.