Smoking and Pregnancy
Trying to stop smoking is not always easy, but by deciding to give up you have already won half the battle. As a mother-to-be you want the best for you and your baby. The best time to quit is when you are planning a pregnancy, however, stopping at any time during your pregnancy will benefit both you and your baby.
Smoking in pregnancy increases the risk of:
- Bleeding and miscarriage (27%)
- Placental Abruption and Ectopic Pregnancy
- Stillbirth (33%)
- Eclampsia (500%)
- Premature Rupture of Membranes and premature birth
- Baby is smaller and weaker than it should be
- Serious respiratory infection (50%)
- Sudden infant death (25%)
- Developing asthma and other allergies
- Contracting meningitis and an ear infection – possibility of this resulting in hearing problems and learning difficulties
- Problems keeping warm and being prone to infections both during and after labour
More than 17,000 children under the age of 5 are admitted to hospital every year because of the effects of secondhand smoke.
To help you quit you can use Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT)
There are many pharmacies and drop-in clinics which give you the help and support you need to successfully quit smoking as well as advice on Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT).
NRT is available on the NHS prescription scheme so is free for pregnant women. Those not eligible for free prescriptions can get 8 weeks of NRT for the price of one prescription charge.
Pre-conception for smokers
Women who smoke are over 3x more likely to take over one year to conceive and smoking can significantly reduce fertility in men.
IVF is 2x more likely to be successful for non-smokers.
