Smoking poses a big threat to your pregnancy and to the health of your child. Smoking also makes it hard for a woman to conceive a baby.

How does smoking affect the baby?

The carbon monoxide, nicotine and other poisonous substances that you inhale through a cigarette first move to your blood stream, and are then directly passed to your baby in the womb. When a pregnant woman smokes, the level of oxygen in the body is lowered which causes a deficiency of it for the mother and the baby. Apart from this, smoking also:

• Increases the heart rate of the baby.
• Boosts the risk of the baby developing lungs related problems.
• Increases the probability of stillbirth or even a miscarriage.
• Increases the chance of a premature or an underweight baby.

Effects of Passive smoking on the baby

Passive smoking is a combination of the smoke that a smoker exhales and smoke from a cigarette that is burning. The smoke coming off a burning cigarette is known to contain larger amount of harmful substances than smoke that is inhaled by a smoker. A continued passive smoking increases the chance of your baby developing heart diseases, lung cancer, different allergies, emphysema, asthma and also other health issues. Babies who are continually exposed to passive smoking have a reduced capacity of the lungs and are at a risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome).

How to quit smoking Before/During pregnancy

There are a large number of programmes available that aid in smoking cessation. Some tips are given below:

• Hide your lighters, matches and ashtrays.
• Designate your house a strict non smoking place.
• Try not to be around people who smoke.
• Try to stay active and keep yourself and the mind off smoke, it helps in relieving the tension.
• Look for some support from people around you.
• Keep some chewing gums or mint candies handy so that you can take them when you feel the urge to smoke.
• Try to avoid caffeinated beverages; caffeine stimulates the urge of smoking
• Avoid going to places like bars and pubs, where you may find people smoking.

The sooner a mother to be quits smoking, the healthier it will be for her and for the child. The best would be to quit it prior to getting pregnant. Some women think that moving to mild or light cigarettes would be safe, but it is a wrong notion. It is best to quit smoking in order to have a perfectly healthy baby.