Pregnancy: Quitting Smoking
• Birth defects, such as a cleft lip.
• Death early in life, mainly because of sudden
infant death syndrome (SIDS).
Babies with low weight at birth can have more
health problems than those born at normal
weight. Some of the problems can be serious.
A baby with a low birth weight may have a
greater chance for problems in adulthood, such
as high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart
disease.
Smoking and pregnancy
When you're pregnant, everything you put in
your body can affect your baby.
If you smoke, your baby is exposed to chemicals
such as nicotine and carbon monoxide.
Secondhand smoke also is a problem. Babies
whose mothers are exposed to secondhand
smoke during pregnancy have a higher risk for
health problems.
It's also important to not go back to smoking
after your baby is born and to ask others not to
smoke in your home. This will reduce your
baby's chance of having breathing problems.
If you quit smoking before you
become pregnant (or during the first
3 months of your pregnancy), your
risk of having a baby with a low birth
weight is the same as that of a woman
who does not smoke.
Women who quit later in their
pregnancy still reduce the risk of
problems for their babies.
How do you quit?
Use these tips to help you quit:
Get ready
• Talk to your doctor about a program to help
you quit.
When you smoke during pregnancy, it increases
the chance of:
• If you're not pregnant, choose a quit date that
works for you. If you're pregnant, stop
smoking right away. If you're pregnant and
can't stop yet, try to cut down as much as
you can.
• Placenta problems. The placenta gives the
baby oxygen and nutrients from the mother
and gets rid of waste.
• Get rid of your cigarettes, ashtrays, and
lighters. Clean your house and clothes to get
rid of the smoke smell.
How does smoking affect your
pregnancy?
• Preterm birth. The baby is born too soon.
• Miscarriage or stillbirth.
• A baby with a low birth weight.
• If you live with someone who smokes,
discuss quitting together. If this is not an
option, talk to the person about not smoking
around you.
Make a plan for quitting
• Find ways to avoid places where others are
smoking.
• Think about when it might be hardest to not
smoke, such as when you are restless or
around others who smoke. Plan how you will
handle your cravings during these times.
• Change your routine. Avoid those things that
make you reach for a cigarette.
• Find ways to cope. For example, take a walk
after dinner instead of having a cigarette.
Find ways to cut down on stress in the first
few weeks of quitting.
• Keep trying to quit if you start smoking
again. Most people who smoke quit and
restart many times before they stop for good.
Each time you start smoking again, think
about why you went back to smoking and
why it's important to quit.
Get support
• Ask loved ones or people who used to smoke
for support and tips.
• Get counseling. People who use telephone,
group, or one-on-one counseling are much
more likely to stop smoking.
• Join a support group for people who smoke.
• Find an Internet chat room for 24-hour
support.
How can you get through nicotine
withdrawal?
Nicotine withdrawal can make you feel grumpy,
restless, nervous, or sad. You may have trouble
sleeping or concentrating. You may often feel
hungry. Withdrawal symptoms are at their worst
in the first 2 to 3 weeks after you quit, although
they can last longer.
You can deal with withdrawal symptoms by
getting more physical activity. You can also help
symptoms by taking steps to reduce stress. For
example, you could try to reduce how much you
have to do in a day. Remind yourself often that
your symptoms will get better.
Smoking and medicine
People sometimes use medicine or
nicotine replacement products to help
them quit smoking.
Most medicines that help you quit are
not safe during pregnancy, and using
nicotine replacement products during
pregnancy has been linked to low birth
weight. But smoking is more
dangerous to you and your baby than
nicotine replacement is.
Talk to your doctor about nicotine
replacement. If you are already
pregnant, your doctor will recommend
that you try other ways to stop
smoking before using nicotine
replacement.
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of this information, which does not replace medical advice. 2015-05-abk6018