Benefits of quitting smoking during pregnancy

If you're pregnant and smoke, StopForLife can help you to quit. Our specialist pregnancy coaches are on-hand, providing 1-2-1 support to help you give your baby the best start in life.

We spoke to one of our coaches about some of the benefits you may see throughout your quit & pregnancy:

If you are expecting a baby, there may well be a number of changes you are thinking about making to your lifestyle in order to have as healthy a pregnancy as possible. Quitting smoking is the most important step you can take. There are so many benefits to you and your baby when you quit and with the right support, it is more than doable.

While some people may have an idea that smoking is harmful in pregnancy, it can be helpful to have an in-depth understanding of the good things that happen when you quit. Knowing these in detail could help you get through your more difficult moments when cravings hit and you are struggling with wanting to smoke.

When you stop smoking, you are no longer exposing yourself and your child to the over 4000 chemicals found in cigarettes, as well as carbon monoxide. If you successfully manage to quit, you are less likely to experience complications in both pregnancy and birth, including lowering your risk of pregnancy loss, stillbirth and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (otherwise known as cot death) once your baby is here. You are more likely to give birth at term instead of risking a premature birth. Your baby is also more likely to develop as they should overall and be born a healthy weight. This can sound like a minor issue but in fact, babies whose size and development is affected by their mother smoking in pregnancy are more at risk of being unable to maintain their temperature and can get more infections.

The risks to your child when you smoke can last beyond your pregnancy. If you quit, your child is less likely to suffer with conditions like bronchitis, pneumonia, and asthma. It is important that your partner understands the risks if he or she also smokes. Secondhand smoke can also affect a child before birth and you could find it harder to quit if you have someone around you who continues to smoke. Your partner is welcome to contact our service for support as you try to quit, if that would help you. Our advisors have experience in supporting partners quit at the same time and find it can help to have someone go on your quit journey with you.

Here at Stop for Life Oxon all the advisors have specialist training in quitting smoking during pregnancy so you can rest assured you are getting the best help. You are twice as likely to quit if you receive the support of a trained advisor. Whilst we are unable to provide vapes to anyone who is pregnant, with more evidence on their safety being needed, Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) is generally safe to use and licensed for use in pregnancy. It’s important you use a 16-hour patch rather than a 24 hour one if you opt to use patches, so your growing baby has a break from the nicotine overnight. If you use our service, you can be assured of judgement free support – we know quitting during pregnancy can be tough and we care about seeing you succeed.

To find out more about the support available to you to help you quit, click here or text STOPOXON to 60777