Smokefree Pregnancy
Stopping smoking is the best thing you can do to protect your baby.
Stopping smoking is the best thing you can do to protect your baby and ideally, you should avoid exposure to nicotine entirely, however, using nicotine replacement products in pregnancy is still far healthier for both you and your baby than continuing to smoke. Click Here
What help will I get to quit?
While you are pregnant, you will be referred to the Specialist Maternity Advisors and they will offer helpful advice, support and therapy to help you quit. Your midwife will monitor your carbon monoxide and offer you support and therapy to quit smoking until birth. After your baby is born you will be offered ongoing support by our Smokefree services in the community to help you to remain quit.
Partners, family members and friends can access our local community support for help to stop smoking, and this will also support you stay smokefree.
What kind of therapy can I use?
When you are pregnant, quitting smoking without using any nicotine products is the best option. However, using nicotine replacement products in pregnancy is still safer and healthier for both you and your baby than continuing to smoke and along with support from your midwife and family, you will more than double your chances of quitting. Patches, mouth spray, gum etc. are all licensed to be used in pregnancy to help you manage cravings to smoke.
What about Vapes?
If using an e-cigarette (Vapes) helps you to stop smoking, it is much safer for you and your baby than continuing to smoke.
E-cigarettes (Vapes) do not produce tar or carbon monoxide, the 2 main toxins in cigarette smoke. Carbon monoxide is particularly harmful to developing babies. The vapour from an e-cigarette does contain some of the potentially harmful chemicals which are also in cigarette smoke but at much lower levels.
Your Maternity Advisor will discuss the best options and safest way to use this if it is your choice. More information about using vapes during pregnancy can be found here
If you are pregnant and want help to stop smoking please contact your Midwife or maternity clinic today.
For more information on Stopping Smoking in Pregancy visit the NHS website