It’s easier said than done, to stop smoking. But expecting a baby is a really good reason to quit and maybe your best-ever motivator.
You know it’s not healthy to smoke, so we don’t even go there. And you probably know lots about trying to quit, so we won’t dwell on that either.
Smoking affects your baby – a lot
But did you know that smoking harms your baby, a lot, since all toxic substances are passed to your baby through the placenta and umbilical cord, and later through the breast milk.
• Carbon monoxide reduces the oxygen in the blood, so your baby gets less oxygen.
• Nicotine contracts the blood vessels in the umbilical cord and placenta, reducing the baby’s supply of nutrients and oxygen.
Smoking can result in premature birth
Mothers who smoke usually give birth early and their babies have a lower birth weight and smaller body organs than babies born to non-smoking mothers.
Pregnancy is an excellent reason for both you and your partner to stop smoking. Children need to be protected from tobacco smoke for a number of reasons. For instance, tobacco causes allergies and long-term infections, and there is also a link between smoking and cot death (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).
So talk to your LMC about getting help to quit once and for all, for both of you.
