Wonder about the risks of smoking during pregnancy? How to quit? Whether stop-smoking products are safe for the baby? Here's what you need to know about smoking and pregnancy.
Smoking and pregnancy don't mix well — but you can take steps to boost
your odds of quitting for good. Start by getting answers to the most
common questions about smoking during pregnancy.
Does smoking affect fertility?
You probably know the general risks of smoking — from smelly clothes and
wrinkles to heart disease and lung cancer. If you smoke and you're
pregnant or planning to become pregnant, however, you have even more
incentive to quit. Smoking can make it harder for you to get pregnant.
Smoking also increases the risk of ectopic pregnancy — when the
fertilized egg implants outside the uterus, usually in a fallopian tube.
How does smoking during pregnancy affect a baby?
Smoking during pregnancy exposes a baby to carbon monoxide, which limits
the baby's supply of oxygen and the delivery of nutrients. Exposure to
nicotine also increases a baby's heart rate and reduces fetal breathing
movements.
Smoking during pregnancy has been linked with other problems as well, including:
- Vaginal bleeding
- Problems with the placenta, such as when the placenta partially or totally covers the cervix (placenta previa) or when the placenta separates from the inner wall of the uterus before delivery (placental abruption)
- Low birth weight
- Preterm premature rupture of the membranes — when the fluid-filled membrane that surrounds and cushions the baby during pregnancy (amniotic sac) leaks or breaks before labor begins and before week 37 of pregnancy
- Preterm labor
- Premature birth
- Birth defects involving the heart, limbs, skull, muscles and other areas
- Pregnancy loss
Smoking during pregnancy can also affect a baby after he or she is born, increasing the risk of:
- Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
- Colic
- Asthma
- Respiratory infections
- Childhood obesity
Some research also suggests that smoking during pregnancy might affect a
child's emotional development, behavior and ability to learn. Smoking
during pregnancy might even impair a child's own fertility.
How does exposure to secondhand smoke affect pregnancy?
Breathing secondhand smoke during pregnancy can also affect your baby's
health. Women who don't smoke but are exposed to secondhand smoke are at
increased risk of pregnancy loss or having a baby who has birth defects
or a low birth weight.
Can quitting smoking during pregnancy reduce a baby's health risks?
Absolutely. If you smoke, quitting smoking during pregnancy is the best
way to give your baby a healthy start. If you quit in the first four
months of pregnancy, you might lower your risk of having a low birth
weight baby to that of a nonsmoking woman. Quitting smoking during
pregnancy can also reduce the risk of premature birth, pregnancy loss,
infant death and other complications.
Reducing the amount you smoke during pregnancy is a step in the right
direction, but quitting smoking will have the most impact on your health
and your baby's health.
What's the safest way to quit smoking during pregnancy?
The safest way to quit smoking during pregnancy is without the aid of
medication. Start by consulting your health care provider for advice or
seeking counseling. Then consider these practical tips:
- List the reasons you want to quit, such as protecting your baby's health.
- Get rid of any smoking materials — in the house, at work, in your bags and in the car.
- Avoid situations that make you want to smoke.
- Spend time with people who don't smoke, and visit places where smoking isn't allowed.
- Wait out cravings by running an errand or eating a healthy snack.
- With your care provider's OK, use physical activity to manage withdrawal symptoms.
- Make sure you have someone you can talk to when you need support.
- Consider setting a goal and creating a reward for meeting it. For instance, if you quit for a certain length of time, use what you would have spent on cigarettes to buy something for yourself or the baby — or put the money into a savings account for your baby.
Is it safe to use stop-smoking products during pregnancy?
If you're still having trouble quitting smoking, ask your health care
provider about nicotine replacement products — such as a nicotine patch
or inhaler, or nicotine gum, lozenges or nasal spray. Using any of these
products to stop smoking will spare your baby exposure to many of the
harmful chemicals found in cigarettes.
Many nicotine replacement products are available over-the-counter. If
you choose to use the nicotine patch, minimize your baby's exposure to
nicotine by removing the patch while you sleep. As your cravings and
withdrawal symptoms fade, work with your health care provider to
gradually reduce how often you use the patch or any other nicotine
replacement product.
If you'd rather use a non-nicotine medication to stop smoking during
pregnancy, the antidepressant bupropion (Zyban) might be an option. Work
with your health care provider to weigh the risks and benefits in your
case.
Is postpartum relapse common?
Adjusting to life with a newborn can be stressful. As a result, many
women who quit smoking during pregnancy relapse shortly after giving
birth. Women who relapse are more likely to have friends and loved ones
who smoke and tend to have less social support. If you quit smoking
during pregnancy, recognize the risk of relapse after your baby is born
and consult your health care provider for advice on how to avoid
starting smoking again.
Remember that breathing secondhand smoke poses health risks for a
newborn, including an increased risk of asthma and SIDS. If you
breast-feed your baby, he or she will be exposed to many harmful
chemicals through your breast milk. Cigarette smoking will also decrease
your milk production and might impair your ability to breast-feed for
as long as you'd like. If you smoke after giving birth, don't smoke near
your baby or while you breast-feed. Most important, make plans to quit
again.
Stopping smoking is rarely easy. It might take more than one try to quit
for good. Remember, however, it can be done — and your entire family
will reap the benefits.
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