Quitting smoking while you're pregnant means that your baby can develop healthily
Baby on the way, quit today - if you're pregnant, stop smoking
If you smoke while you’re pregnant, your baby smokes too. We can help you quit.
Stopping smoking is hard. But if there ever was a moment for you and your partner to quit, it’s now, when you are pregnant. It’s the most important decision you can make for your baby.
Know the risks
It’s difficult to imagine when you can’t see your baby, but smoking when you’re pregnant is like blowing smoke in your baby’s face. Even other people’s cigarette smoke will pass into your bloodstream and from there into your baby.
And smoking when pregnant increases the chances of miscarriage, stillbirth and cot death. A baby whose mum smoked is at least 25% more likely to die from cot death than a baby whose mum didn’t smoke.
It may be that you know people who have smoked when pregnant and their baby has been fine – but it’s a gamble with your baby’s health.
It’s never too late to quit
The earlier you quit, the better the chance your baby will be OK. Smoking in the last four to five months is particularly harmful for your baby - so even if you smoked in the early stages it’s not too late to quit.
Every day you’re smokefree, your baby can grow and develop properly. Don’t wait until the baby arrives to decide to stop.
Find more information on how smoking affects your baby, on Smokefree
Top tips to help you stop smoking
It’s never too late to stop smoking. As soon as you quit, your baby’s oxygen supply will improve so that it can grow and develop properly.
Make your own action plan
- Choose a date – this is the day you stop smoking completely.
- The day before, get everything ready. Think about how you’ll deal with difficult situations and have a solution ready.
- Think about which habits you need to change that are associated with smoking.
- Review your plan and get rid of your cigarettes.
- Take one day at a time and reward your successes.
- Get an empty jar and start putting in the money you would have spent on cigarettes – you could use this to spend on your rewards.
Get others to join you
- If you spend time with your partner, friends or family who smoke, try to get them to understand. Ask if they’ll quit with you.
- If they find that too hard, try asking them to smoke less around you, to try to keep your baby safe.