We have specialist Best Start in Life advisors, who can help you to have a smokefree pregnancy. Treatment for tobacco dependency is now a standard part of your maternity care, and we are here to help.
Smoking and your unborn baby
Protecting your baby from tobacco smoke is one of the best things you can do to give your child a healthy start in life. It can be difficult to stop smoking, but it’s never too late to quit.
Every cigarette you smoke contains over 4,000 chemicals, many of which are dangerous, so smoking when you are pregnant harms your unborn baby. Cigarettes can restrict the essential oxygen supply to your baby. As a result, their heart must beat harder every time you smoke.
Benefits of stopping smoking in pregnancy
Quitting at any time in pregnancy or the postnatal period is a benefit to both you and your baby. However, the sooner you quit, the greater the benefits.
- You will reduce the risk of complications in pregnancy and birth
- You are more likely to have a healthier pregnancy and a healthier baby
- You will reduce the risk of stillbirth
- Your baby is less likely to be born too early and have breathing, feeding and health problems that often link with being premature
- Your baby is less likely to be born with a low birth weight. Babies of smokers are, on average, lighter than other babies, which can cause problems during and after labour. For example, they are more likely to have problems keeping warm and are more likely to get infections
- You will reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), also known as ‘cot death’
Stopping smoking now will also help your baby later in life. Children whose parents smoke are more likely to suffer from asthma and other serious illnesses that may need hospital treatment.
The sooner you stop smoking, the better. And we’re here to help. You can get help to stop smoking whenever you want it.
Secondhand (passive) smoke also harms your baby
If your partner or anyone else who lives with you smokes, their smoke can affect you and your baby before and after their birth. You may also find it more difficult to stop if someone around you smokes.
Secondhand smoke can also reduce your baby’s birthweight and increase the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Babies whose parents smoke are more likely to be admitted to hospital for bronchitis and pneumonia during their first year.
