Finding out you’re pregnant as a smoker comes with the pressure to quit… What doesn’t help is the added anxiety and stress, which can mean you want to smoke more.
It is well-known, researched and proven that smoking whilst pregnant can seriously harm you and baby. But, being aware of these risks sometimes doesn’t make the habit easier to kick. It isn’t easy, especially if you’re a long-term smoker and studies show that 10% of women smoke whilst pregnant.
Often you may find yourself in a cycle of guilt, as your desire to smoke can often be overwhelming. If you are planning a pregnancy, it would be advisable to quit beforehand, however if the pregnancy was initially unplanned, the earlier you stop the more you reduce the risks of complications.
Effects on Baby
As soon as you smoke, it has an immediate effect on your baby…reduced oxygen causes your baby to move less
This can mean a low birth weight
Birth defects such as cleft lip
Decreased development of the lungs
Asthma risk
Type 2 Diabetes
Increased blood pressure, meaning higher chance of being overweight
What Can I Do?
In cigarette smoke, there are over 4000 chemicals, including 60 cancerous ones and addictive ones (nicotine). Your baby absorbs nutrients and air from the bloodstream via the placenta. Each time you breath in smoke, carbon monoxide replaces some of the oxygen you would normally breathe. Nicotine restricts your blood vessels as well, overall reducing your baby’s intake of oxygen.
Smoking increases the chance of serious complications, such as ectopic pregnancy, premature rupture of the membranes, premature labour, vaginal bleeding, miscarriage and more.
E-Cigarettes?
If you smoke cigarettes and plan on becoming pregnant, the best thing you can do is quit before conceiving. You increase your chances of fertility, and lower your risk of miscarriage and other pregnancy conditions.
Smoking whilst trying to conceive actually lowers your chance of becoming pregnant by 40%. So it’s best to quit during this period if you’re planning ahead.
The earlier the better. If you are pregnant, quit as soon as you can. And as hard as it may be, it’s best to do it without nicotine replacements. If you stop in the first half of your pregnancy, your baby is likely to be born a healthy weight with a reduced risk of complications.
Try identify your smoking triggers. Is it boredom? Anxious situations? Relationship issues? Or just stressful situations? Finding these triggers and debunking them will help you.
Exercise. This will get more oxygen to you and baby and it will also make you feel better. It will also try take your mind off the cigs. If you feel a craving coming, try occupy your mind with something else.
Support. Get a friend or partner to support you in quitting. Does your partner smoke? Ask if they’ll stop with you, or ask them to help. Your midwife can also support you in kicking the habit.
If you do need to use nicotine replacements to quit, gums, lozenges, tables or inhalers are recommended. Do not use patches! It’s best that you consult your GP for the best course of action. The benefits of using replacements outweigh smoking, but it is still best you try cold turkey.
What Can I Do?
E-cigs have not been tested enough to check their safety, especially with pregnancy.
These chemicals, can be harmful to you and baby. The trouble is, you can’t be sure which other toxins you’re breathing in, even if the ingredients are labelled. So you can’t know which toxins are reaching your unborn baby.
Despite this, using e-cigarettes can severely reduce the risk of complications compared to smoking. You can buy e-liquids which have no nicotine in them. This can imitate smoking and help you quit. But you must remember that they do contain other chemicals and you need to check with your GP and midwife before you consider using e-cigs.
Try identify your smoking triggers. Is it boredom? Anxious situations? Relationship issues? Or just stressful situations? Finding these triggers and debunking them will help you.
Exercise. This will get more oxygen to you and baby and it will also make you feel better. It will also try take your mind off the cigs. If you feel a craving coming, try occupy your mind with something else.
Support. Get a friend or partner to support you in quitting. Does your partner smoke? Ask if they’ll stop with you, or ask them to help. Your midwife can also support you in kicking the habit.