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Q: Don't some mothers smoke during pregnancy and have healthy babies?
A: They may be the lucky ones! If a woman smokes during pregnancy she takes a chance with her baby's health. There is an increased risk of losing the baby during pregnancy. The baby could also be born too early, before the lungs are ready, so he or she may have trouble breathing. Also, the effects on the child's behaviour and attention span may not be detected till the child is much older.
Q: Babies often weigh less when the mother smokes. Isn't it easier to deliver a small baby?
A: It is not always easier to deliver a low-birth weight baby. And a baby that weighs too little is often sick with lots of health problems. Smaller babies are more likely to need special care and stay longer in the hospital. Some may die either at birth or within the first year.
Q: Does cigarette smoke get through to the unborn baby?
A: Yes, when the mother smokes, so does the baby. Smokers take in poisons such as nicotine and carbon monoxide (the same gas that comes out of a car's exhaust pipe). These poisons get into the placenta, which is the tissue that connects the mother and the baby before it is born. These poisons keep the unborn baby from getting the food and oxygen needed to grow.
Q: Will a woman gain extra weight if she quits smoking during pregnancy?
A: A woman needs to gain weight during pregnancy. An unborn baby depends on the mother to eat the right foods. So, if she stays away from junk foods and sweets, the mother's weight gain will be fine. And she needs to exercise. Her doctor/midwife can help her plan how to keep active; brisk walking is good for most women. Even if a pregnant woman gains a few extra pounds, she can lose it after the baby's born.
Q: How about cutting down on cigarettes rather than quitting for good?
A: The only way to really protect your unborn baby is to quit. Cutting down is better than doing nothing but it may not make things much better for the baby. If a pregnant woman cuts down or switches to low-tar cigarettes, she must be careful not to inhale more deeply or take more puffs to get the same amount of nicotine as before.
Q: Does it matter when the pregnant woman quits smoking?
A: The best time to quit is when the woman thinks she will get pregnant in the near future. If she does quit, her baby will probably weigh the same as the baby of a woman who has never smoked. Or if she quits within the first three or four months of her pregnancy she can lower her baby's chance of being born too small and with lots of health problems.
Many women are able to quit during pregnancy. If the woman feels sick in the first couple of months, cigarettes may taste bad, and so it may be easier to quit.
Even if a woman quits at the end of her pregnancy, she can help her baby get more oxygen and have a better chance of making it. It's never too late to quit, but the earlier the better for both the mother and her baby!
Q: What about other people smoking around the pregnant woman?
A: New studies show that if a woman's partner smokes near her during her pregnancy, there are added risks. She has a greater chance of having a baby that weighs too little and may have health problems. So, a pregnant woman should ask her partner, and other people as well, not to smoke near her.
Q: Does quitting smoking provide benefits for the woman as well as for her baby?
A: Pregnancy is a great time for a woman to quit. No matter how long she has been smoking, her body benefits from quitting. She will feel better and have more energy to go through the pregnancy and to care for her new baby. Also, risks from having abnormal placentas that can lead to fatal bleeding is reduced.
Of course, she will also avoid many of the future health risks of smoking such as heart disease, cancer and other lung problems. AND she will save money that she can spend on herself and her new baby.
Q: If a woman quits smoking during pregnancy, will she have a hard time handling the stress?
A: Possibly. That is why she should learn to relax in other ways that are much better for her and the unborn baby. For example, when she feels tense, she can take some deep breaths or chew sugarless gum. She can also do something with her hands like sew something for the baby or call a friend. If the stress is unbearable, it is important for her to talk to her doctor and or therapist.
These are safer ways to handle stress. She can also remind herself that smoking will not make things any better except for the moment.
Q: If a mother who smokes breast feeds her baby, does the nicotine get into her milk?
A: Breast feeding is a good way to feed a new baby but smoking may cause problems. Nicotine is a poison in cigarettes. So if the mother smokes, the baby gets nicotine in her breast milk. Although there are risks in smoking while breastfeeding, there are more risks in not breastfeeding. Long-term breastfeeding may give the infant protection against respiratory illnesses and exposure to second hand smoke. Mothers should be encouraged not to smoke if they choose to breastfeed. If they continue to smoke, it is advised they do not smoke around the baby or just before a feed.
Q: Are there any long-term harmful effects on the baby if the mother smokes during pregnancy?
A: Yes, there can be. Smoking during pregnancy may mean that after the child is born it will have more colds and other lung problems.
These children may also have learning problems in school. And they may be shorter and smaller than children of nonsmokers. And, of course, they are more likely to smoke when they get older because they see their parents smoking.
Q: We know that a woman should not smoke during pregnancy, but is it alright to go back to smoking after the baby is born?
A: It is not safe at all for her to go back to smoking either for herself or the family! Even after the baby is born, her smoking can hurt the baby.
Babies have very small lungs and airways which get even smaller when they breathe smoke-filled air. Smoking can make it hard for the baby to breathe. It can cause lung problems like bronchitis and pneumonia that could put the baby back in the hospital.
Babies of smokers also get more colds and coughs and middle-ear infections. Mothers should also ask people like family, friends, baby sitters, and day care workers not to smoke in any areas near the baby.
Q: Will depression and/or anxiety get worse if a woman tries to quit smoking?
A: About 40 - 60% of people with anxiety or depression smoke. It appears that nicotine may make anxiety worse. In fact, people who suffer from anxiety find they feel better within two weeks of quitting smoking.
Depression is more complicated. There is evidence that shows some people smoke as a way to help their depression while others find that smoking makes their depression worse. Others find their depression gets worse when they quit smoking.
Pregnancy and postpartum can be a time when depression and anxiety have an impact on a woman. Depression can be treated successfully with psychotherapy or medication or both.
If depression or anxiety is a problem, it should be discussed with the health care provider.
Q: Can a pregnant woman use nicotine replacement therapy (NRT)?
A: There is little research on the effects of NRT in pregnancy. Nicotine may affect the heart rate and the breathing of the fetus. However, when a woman smokes, her fetus is exposed not only to nicotine but to other harmful substances in the cigarettes, such as carbon monoxide and cyanide. Using NRT in pregnancy may protect the fetus from those substances. A woman should be referred to her health care provider to discuss the pros and cons of using NRT in pregnancy to help her quit smoking.
Q: How can a partner or family member support a pregnant woman to stop smoking?
A: A partner's smoking is one of the most powerful factors influencing a woman's ability to stop smoking or to stay quit. Partners may not be aware that their smoking makes it more difficult for the woman to stop. Some helpful ways to support a woman to stop include:
- Remembering that stopping smoking is everyone's responsibility, not just that of the pregnant woman
- Smoking around the woman makes it more difficult for her to quit and also exposes the fetus to second hand smoke
- Support the woman's efforts to quit, even if she relapses
- Making her feel guilty about smoking is not very effective
Modified Copyright 2003 by The American Lung Association. Used by permission.