Advice after your nerve block for surgery
On this page…
Stopping smoking is very important for you and your baby
If you smoke and are pregnant or planning to have a baby, this information is for you. It is also for you if you are around tobacco smoke at home. Partners and family members of women who smoke may also find this helpful.
Many women find it hard to stop smoking, but quitting is one of the best things you can do for your baby’s health, growth, and development. It is also the most important thing you can do for your own long-term health.
When you smoke or breathe in cigarette smoke, over 4,000 harmful chemicals (including carbon monoxide and nicotine) go through the placenta into your baby’s blood. This means your baby is smoking with you. These chemicals reduce your baby’s oxygen and food.
If you stop smoking, these harmful gases leave your body and you will:
- Lower the risk of problems during pregnancy and birth
- Lower the chance of your baby being born early (before 37 weeks)
- Lower the chance of your baby being born too small
- Lower the risk of miscarriage or stillbirth (baby dying in the uterus)
- Lower the risk of the placenta coming away too soon (placental abruption)
- Lower the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), also called cot death
- Lower the chance of your baby having breathing problems like asthma or pneumonia
- Lower the chance of your child having behaviour or mental health problems like ADHD
When you quit smoking, your body starts to get better quickly:
- After 20 minutes: Your pulse starts to go back to normal.
- After 8 hours: Oxygen levels return to normal and harmful carbon monoxide drops by half.
- After 48 hours: All carbon monoxide is gone and your lungs start clearing mucus.
- After 72 hours: Breathing feels easier.
- After 2–12 weeks: Your blood circulation improves.
- After 3–9 months: Coughs and breathing problems get better as your lungs work up to 10% better.
- After 1 year: Your risk of a heart attack is half that of a smoker.
- After 10 years: Your risk of dying from lung cancer is half that of a smoker.
- After 15 years: Your risk of a heart attack is the same as someone who never smoked.
Stopping smoking also helps wounds heal faster and lowers the chance of infections.
More great benefits of quitting smoking
- Your sense of smell and taste will get better.
- Your skin will look healthier because it gets more oxygen.
- Your teeth will look whiter, your breath will be fresher, and you are less likely to get gum disease or lose teeth early.
- Your fertility improves, and you have a better chance of a healthy pregnancy.
- Men who quit by age 30 can live 10 years longer.
- Many people think smoking helps with stress, but studies show stress levels are actually lower when people stop smoking.
Myths about smoking in pregnancy
There are lots of myths about smoking when you are pregnant. Here are some common ones:
| Myth | Fact |
|---|---|
| The uterus protects the baby from smoke | The uterus protects your baby from many things, but cigarette toxins go into your blood and straight to your baby. |
| A smaller baby is easier to deliver | A smaller baby does not mean an easier birth. Smaller babies are weaker and may struggle during labour, which can lead to a caesarean section. It also increases the risk of early birth and stillbirth. |
| My mum smoked and I’m fine | Smoking affects babies in different ways. Stopping smoking gives your baby the best chance to be healthy. Why take the risk? |
| It won’t harm my baby if my partner smokes | Second-hand smoke is very dangerous for your baby. Try quitting together to give your baby the best start. |
| I didn’t know I was pregnant - it’s too late now | It’s never too late to stop smoking. Stopping at any stage helps you and your baby. |
| Quitting while pregnant is too stressful | Smoking increases stress and anxiety. Nicotine gives a short feeling of calm, but it quickly wears off and leads to withdrawal. |
Yes. At your first antenatal appointment, your midwife will ask if you or anyone in your home smokes. This is so we can give you and your family help to stop smoking as early as possible.
You will be asked how often you smoke and how much you smoke each day. You will get information about how smoking and breathing in other people’s smoke can harm you and your baby.
To help you have a smoke-free pregnancy, all women who smoke, use e-cigarettes, or vape are referred to our maternity stop smoking service. A Stop Smoking Advisor will contact you and offer support and advice.
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a poisonous gas. It is higher in women who smoke or breathe in other people’s smoke. CO reduces the oxygen that reaches your baby.
At your first antenatal appointment, your midwife will ask you to do a breath test to check your CO level. This shows how much tobacco smoke you have been exposed to. The test will also be repeated at 36 weeks and sometimes at other times during pregnancy.
All pregnant women are advised to have this test, even if they don’t smoke. High CO levels can also happen if you have faulty gas appliances at home. CO poisoning can be very dangerous. If you don’t smoke and your levels are high, call the Gas Safety Advice Line on 0800 300 363.
CO levels can also be higher if you are exposed to pollution or have a medical condition called lactose intolerance.
Maternity Stop Smoking Service
We have a specialist service to help pregnant women quit smoking. Pregnancy is a great time to quit, and many people find this support helpful. Our service will help you stay smoke-free and includes:
- One-to-one support
- Information about helpful products
- Help setting a quit date
- Tips for dealing with cravings and tricky situations
- Support for you and your family
Remember: A craving only lasts about 4 minutes - the rest is just thoughts. So, finding a distraction is the key!
The Tobacco Dependency Advisor (TDA) will give you support and offer nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). You can talk about your smoking habits and what you expect when you quit.
The TDA will ask you to follow the “No Puff Rule”: once you start your quit attempt, you do not smoke even one puff again.
You can choose the type of NRT you want to use during pregnancy from the products we provide. You will also set your quit date - the day you stop smoking.
From weeks 3 to 12, you will have follow-up appointments. Some will be face-to-face, and some will be over the phone. The TDA will:
- Talk about any challenges you face
- Celebrate your successes
- Check your CO levels
You can use NRT during pregnancy if it helps you stop smoking and you can’t quit without it. NRT only has nicotine, not the harmful chemicals found in cigarettes, so it is much safer than smoking. It works by giving you the nicotine your body is used to, without the smoke.
You can get NRT:
- From your GP or an NHS stop smoking adviser
- Buy it from a pharmacy without a prescription
NRT comes in:
- Skin patches
- Chewing gum
- Inhalators
- Lozenges
- Nasal and mouth sprays
Stop smoking tablets like Champix or Zyban are not recommended in pregnancy.
Before using any NRT, talk to a midwife, GP, pharmacist, or a stop smoking adviser. Our maternity tobacco dependency service can give you NRT for free. Getting advice means you’re doing the best for you and your baby.
Remember: You are twice as likely to quit successfully if you get support from a trained adviser.
E-cigarettes and vapes are quite new, so we don’t know all the long-term effects yet. But current evidence shows they are less harmful than smoking.
E-cigarettes and vapes do not make tar or carbon monoxide (CO), which are very harmful chemicals in cigarettes. The vapor from e-cigarettes and vapes does have some chemicals, but at much lower levels than cigarette smoke.
Although they are not risk-free, using e-cigarettes or vapes to quit smoking is much safer for you and your baby than continuing to smoke. If you want to use them to help you quit, you can still get support from your Tobacco Dependency Advisor (TDA). Unlike NRT (patches or gum), e-cigarettes and vapes are not available on NHS prescription.
Contact us
If you have any queries relating to this information, please contact the Maternity service.
About this information
Service:
Maternity
Reference:
M/021
Approval date:
1 March 2026
Review date:
1 March 2029
Click ‘show accessibility tools’ at the bottom of the page
Then click ‘select language’
Alternative formats
You can use the accessibility toolbar at the bottom of your screen to:
-
Change the text size
-
Adjust the font
-
Modify the colour contrast
-
Use the translate function
If you would like this information in another format, such as Braille, audio, or easy read, please speak to a member of staff.
You can also print as well as download as PDF using the “Print this page” button at the end of the page.
Staff will print a copy for you on request
Important note
This page provides general information only. It is developed by clinical staff and is reviewed regularly every 3 years for accuracy. For personal advice about your health, or if you have any concerns, please speak to your doctor.