Something many couples planning a baby don't know: smoking affects the odds of getting pregnant. Couples who smoke wait longer on average for a pregnancy than non-smokers. Men should be aware that smoking affects the quality and quantity of their sperm and can even make them barren.
Unfortunately, many mothers-to-be still do not stop smoking even after the pregnancy is diagnosed and they take the risk of harming their unborn child by continuing to smoke. Right on beginning a pregnancy, fewer blood vessels form in the placenta of women who smoke, which impairs the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the baby.
Your baby grows very quickly during pregnancy and the high rate of cell division makes it so baby vulnerable. The unborn child is completely unprotected and the baby's body is defenseless against the toxins you are exposed to while pregnant.
Smoking during pregnancy has been shown to double the risk of miscarriage risk of premature birth, reduces the chances of the baby being born with a normal weight and is delayed maturation of the lungs in the fetus. An increased risk of birth defects, stillbirth and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) has also been linked to smoking. We're not saying it to scare you but to show how serious and important it is to quit smoking. It's worth a stop
smoking during the night at any time during pregnancy. Gradually quit smoking while you are
pregnant – “taper” – should not be an option and it harms your baby.

If you smoke about two cigarettes a day and multiply that by 280 days of pregnancy, that gives the number of cigarettes your child has smoked before coming into the world, i.e. about 560 cigarettes. If you smoke about 10 cigarettes a day, your child has taken it toxins contained in approximately 2500 to 3000 cigarettes by the time of delivery.

 

The smoking ban also applies during breastfeeding. Toxins from cigarette smoke pass through your breast milk to your child. If you cannot quit smoking, you should reduce contamination of your breast milk by deliberately not smoking before feeding your baby. Very heavy smoking is hardly compatible with breastfeeding a baby.

 

Many countries offer helplines, online programs or group therapy to help you quit smoking. Some health insurance or other providers even offer specialized ones programs for pregnant women to help them quit smoking. Get informed in your city for available programs.

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Passive smoking is just as damaging to your baby's health as active smoking and can even cause sudden infant death syndrome. Cigarette smoke is the most dangerous avoidable toxin found indoors spaces today. It contains the same toxic and carcinogenic substances as those inhaled directly smoke. The residence time of the individual components of secondhand smoke in the ambient air is significant. These tiny particles are deposited on walls, ceilings, floors, clothing and objects and are later is released back into the ambient air. You should avoid indoor areas where smoking is allowed, even if no one is currently smoking and the ventilation is good. Even small amounts of these particles can harm your baby's genes.
To protect your baby, you should ask people around you, especially your partner, not to smoke in your presence. Smokers should change their clothes after smoking and wash them hands (and hair if possible) before coming to you. These rules also apply after childbirth if you spend time in rooms where people have smoked.