How to stop smoking when you're pregnant
Stopping smoking is one of the best things you can do when you're pregnant, for both you and your baby.
When you’re pregnant, smoking is not only bad for you, it can harm your baby too. Cigarettes restrict the supply of oxygen to your baby, which means their heart has to beat harder. This increases the risk of being born prematurely, stillbirth, having a low birthweight and suffering sudden infant death syndrome.
Passive smoking, or inhaling secondhand smoke, can also be dangerous to your unborn baby. This means that if your partner or people you live with smoke, the same harm can be caused to your baby as if you smoked.
The best method for stopping smoking to protect your baby’s health is to go ‘cold turkey’ - stopping entirely. However, this is also the hardest way to quit, and you might be more likely to go back to smoking.
Many people struggle to give up without using a stop smoking aid. If you have had, or think you might have this problem, there are some products which can be used by pregnant women to support quitting. However, some products shouldn’t be used as they can be harmful to the foetus. It’s not recommended that you take stop smoking tablets such as Champix or Zyban whilst you’re pregnant. The NHS also advise against using any liquorice flavoured products to aid your quitting. Studies have found a link between liquorice consumption during pregnancy and ADHD.
However, NRT (nicotine replacement therapy) products are suitable for pregnant women to help them quit smoking. These include slow release products like nicotine patches, or fast acting products like a nicotine inhaler, gum, nasal spray, lozenge or tablet. It’s recommended that you use a combination of these two to manage cravings effectively.
NRT products help you manage cravings by releasing nicotine either throughout the day, or in a quick burst. On its own, nicotine is relatively harmless; it’s the other 4,000 chemicals in cigarettes which cause harm to you and your baby. Read more about choosing the best stop smoking aid for you
Your chances of stopping smoking are also improved if you receive face to face support. Use our store finder to learn if your local Well Pharmacy offers this service.