Almost 1 in 5 mums-to-be are smoking through their pregnancy…

Almost twice as many women in the Ilkeston and Long Eaton areas are smoking through their pregnancy when compared to the national average.

Smoking during pregnancy and immediately after having the baby harms both the baby and mother. It is a major factor of low birth weight and many other health issues.

Did you know that smoking 1 cigarette in pregnancy…

  • Is like putting your baby in a smoke-filled room for 15 minutes
  • Makes your baby breathe 4,000 chemicals
  • Contributes to the increased risk of cot death by 25%
  • Causes your baby’s heart to beat harder

How much do you know about smoking and pregnancy?

1. Quitting is stressful, and that stress is worse for the baby than smoking.

When you stop smoking, your senses of smell and taste get a boost. You may notice that food tastes and smells different as your mouth and nose recover from being dulled by the hundreds of toxic chemicals found in cigarettes.

You are 4 times more likely to be successful in quitting if you seek help through the stop smoking service.

Stopping smoking lets you breathe more easily

Breathing while you are pregnant can often be hard enough. People breathe more easily and cough less when they give up smoking because their lung capacity improves by up to 10% within nine months.

In your 20s and 30s, the effect of smoking on your lung capacity may not be noticeable until you go for a run, but lung capacity naturally diminishes with age.

In later years, having maximum lung capacity can mean the difference between having an active, healthy old age and wheezing when you go for a walk or climb the stairs.

Stop smoking gives you more energy

You need as much energy as you can while pregnant and after having a baby, and within 2 to 12 weeks of stopping smoking your blood circulation improves. This makes all physical activity, including walking and running, much easier.

You will also give a boost to your immune system, making it easier to fight off colds and flu. The increase in oxygen in the body can also reduce tiredness and the likelihood of headaches.

Ditch the cigarettes and feel less stressed

The withdrawal from nicotine between cigarettes can heighten feelings of stress. As the stress of withdrawal feels the same as other stresses, it’s easy to confuse normal stress with nicotine withdrawal. So, it can seem like smoking is reducing other stresses whereas this is not the case.

In fact, scientific studies show people’s stress levels are lower after they stop smoking.

If you’re finding that you are prone to stress, then replacing smoking with a healthier, better way of dealing with stress can give you some real benefits.

Stopping smoking improves smell and taste

When you stop smoking, your senses of smell and taste get a boost. You may notice that food tastes and smells different as your mouth and nose recover from being dulled by the hundreds of toxic chemicals found in cigarettes.

Stop smoking for younger-looking skin

Stopping smoking has been found to slow facial ageing and delay the appearance of wrinkles.

The skin of a non-smoker gets more nutrients, including oxygen, and stopping smoking can reverse the sallow, lined complexion smokers often have.

Ex-smokers have whiter teeth and sweeter breath

Giving up tobacco stops teeth becoming stained, and you’ll have fresher breath. Ex-smokers are also less likely than smokers to get gum disease and lose their teeth prematurely.

A smoke-free home protects your loved ones

By stopping smoking, you’ll be protecting the health of your non-smoking friends and family, too.

Breathing in secondhand smoke increases the risk of lung cancer, heart disease and stroke. In children it doubles the risk of getting chest illnesses, including pneumonia, ear infections, wheezing and asthma.

They also have three times the risk of getting lung cancer in later life compared with children who live with non-smokers.

If at any time you want to discuss stopping smoking you can always talk to your midwife for friendly advice on the best way to achieve your goal

Contact Us

For support and advice on how to quit smoking the Live Life Better Derbyshire provides support to pregnant women to stop smoking.

A Day in the Life of Julie, Pregnancy Stop Smoking Adviser

A Day in the Life of Julie, <span>Pregnancy Stop Smoking Adviser</span>

My day starts arriving at a clinic venue to see a newly referred pregnant woman, “Samantha”. Samantha has been referred by her community midwife, who had carried out a routine carbon monoxide reading which showed the woman to be a smoker. Samantha explained that she had been trying to cut-down since finding out she was pregnant but was struggling as her partner also smoked.

As is often the case she was quite apologetic for being a smoker; most women understand the risks of smoking in pregnancy, but as with many smokers, quitting is not so easy. I reassured her that she was now taking positive steps to stop smoking and she was doing the best for her baby. I asked dad-to-be if he was prepared to stop smoking; unfortunately, at the moment he isn’t ready but said he would consider it later on. Having another smoker in the house often makes it much more difficult for pregnant women to stop smoking, however, I know that many partners do end up quitting and support their partners in their quit attempt. I always find this encouraging and it really helps with me seeing them as often as I do, as I can keep nudging them in the right direction.

After going through how the service will support Samantha and setting a quit day, I see a couple of women who are at various stages of their pregnancy and quit. They are both doing very well with their quit attempt; both have quit for many weeks and are finding it relatively easy. We can equip women to have the best possible chance of quitting through the support they get from the service and the Nicotine Replacement Therapy products.

I find my work on smoking in pregnancy particularly rewarding. I see it as two lives that potentially have been saved, whose quality of life has been improved, risk of illness reduced and overall a happier, healthier family life achieved.