Smoking and your health

Like most mums-to-be, you want to be sure of two things - a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. Stopping smoking is the single most important thing that you can do to achieve these

Having a baby should be an exciting and challenging experience. You'll want to make sure that you have a straightforward, relaxed nine months. But if you're a smoker, you significantly increase the risk of complications during your pregnancy. You and your baby have a lot to gain from you quitting, financially and healthwise. Every year 56,000 pregnant women stop smoking. Give yourself and your baby a head start by kicking the habit for good.

Q. What difference will smoking make to my pregnancy?
A. If you carry on smoking, you're more likely to suffer complications during your pregnancy. This means that there's a greater risk of:

  • Having a miscarriage
  • Bleeding
  • Your waters breaking early - as a result, your baby might be born with an infection
  • Your baby being born prematurely
  • Your baby dying just before or after birth
  • Your baby dying from cot death
  • You having an ectopic pregnancy
  • Your baby being smaller and lighter

    NHS Pregnancy smoking helpline: 0800 169 9169

    Q. How can smoking affect my baby?
    A. Each cigarette you smoke can have a direct effect on your unborn baby's development. The chemicals in cigarette smoke reduce the amount of oxygen your baby gets through its umbilical cord. This makes your baby's heart beat faster and your baby grow more slowly. Nicotine reduces blood flow through the placenta and smoking causes it to age too quickly so that your baby gets less nutrients.On average your baby will weigh 7oz - that's 200g - less when it's born. This isn't healthy; smaller babies are much more likely to pick up infections and other diseases.

    Q. I'm already well into my pregnancy - will it make any difference if I quit now?
    A. Yes. The moment you stop smoking you start increasing your chances of a healthier pregnancy and a well-developed baby.

    Q. Is it okay if I just cut back?
    A. No. Smokers who just cut back tend to inhale more deeply and smoke more of the cigarette. The result is that you don't reduce the amount of harmful chemicals going into both your bodies by nearly as much as you expect (if at all).Each cigarette contains about 4,000 chemicals, many of which cause cancer and other diseases. As soon as you light up they enter your and your baby's bloodstream.

    They include:

  • Carbon monoxide, the lethal gas that comes out of car exhausts
  • Ammonia, which is found in household cleaners Cyanide, an extremely poisonous substance ? Butane, which is used to fuel cigarette lighters

    Q. What happens if I continue, or start smoking again, after my baby is born?
    A. Your baby is much better off in a smoke-free environment. Passive smoking doubles the risk of cot death (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) and the risk of children suffering from serious respiratory diseases in infancy increases by more than 50%. Children who live with smokers are twice as likely to spend time in hospital for chest illnesses such as bronchitis and pneumonia. They're also more likely to suffer childhood asthma, wheezing and ear infections.

    NHS Pregnancy smoking helpline: 0800 169 9169

    Q. I'm worried about getting withdrawal symptoms - won't these be harmful to my baby?
    A.Withdrawal symptoms won't harm your baby at all, in fact they're a good thing. They prove that your body is recovering from the effects of tobacco. Some of the withdrawal symptoms you may experience include:

  • Craving for another cigarette. Distract yourself until the feeling passes. You could try some relaxing deep breathing, chewing sugar free gum or nibbling a stick of celery or carrot.
  • Coughing. This might get worse at the beginning but it's simply a way of your body clearing out all the mucus that has built up.
  • Feeling moody and irritable. Don't worry, this soon passes. Just let your friends and family know you've stopped smoking.

    Q. When I stop smoking, won't I just gain extra weight - especially while I'm pregnant?
    A. Yes, possibly, but the health benefits to you and your baby greatly exceed the risks of putting on weight. Watch your diet, making sure you are eating balanced meals with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. Low-fat milk and yoghurt and higher-fibre items like wholemeal bread, cereals and baked beans will also give you the balanced diet, rich in vitamins and minerals, that you need. This, of course, will fit in with your doctor or midwife's advice on eating during pregnancy. The great thing is that these foods will give you extra energy too. You will feel healthier both during your pregnancy and in the future.

    Q. How can my partner help me to quit?
    A. Your partner can help you by not tempting you to smoke. If he's a smoker, ask him not to light up in front of you and agree limited smoking areas in your house. Better still, get him to quit with you. The same goes for grandparents. Dad's or Grandma's smoking can be almost as harmful to your baby as mum smoking. Ask your partner to help and congratulate you every day you spend without a cigarette. Explain to him that stopping can be hard so he needs to be understanding and sympathetic.

    NHS Pregnancy smoking helpline: 0800 169 9169

    Breathe...and relax

    Breathing exercises can help you relax and help you cope whether your tension comes from wanting a cigarette or just from the stresses and strains of life in general.

    1. Lie down or sit comfortably with one hand placed on your chest and the other on your abdomen. Push your abdominal muscles when you breathe in, then pause, and feel them pushing out again when you breathe out. There should be only a little movement in your chest. This will help you be aware of breathing slowly and smoothly. You should try to breathe 12-15 times a minute. It may help to have someone count the breaths for you at the beginning so that you can concentrate on your breathing.

    2 'SOS' - Sigh Out Slowly - is a simple exercise that you can do by yourself. Breathe in deeply then release the breathe slowly and gently as a sigh until it is all expelled.

    Taken from www.quit.org.uk