Smoking and pregnancy

The single most important thing you can do for yourself and your family is to give up smoking

Smoking is seriously harmful to adults and children but has an even worse effect on unborn babies.

When you smoke you inhale over 4,000 chemicals from the cigarette. One of these is a dangerous chemical called carbon monoxide, which gets into your bloodstream.

This restricts oxygen, which is essential for your baby's healthy growth and development. Cigarettes restrict the oxygen supply to unborn babies, which means their tiny hearts have to beat harder every time you smoke.

Why not let us help you quit?

NHS Nottinghamshire Stop Smoking Service is able to support mums and their families to stop smoking, giving you and your family a fresh start!

We can offer you support at locations across Nottinghamshire. If your partner, friends or relatives would also like to stop smoking then we can support them at the same time.

We will give you support and advice on stopping smoking and suggest tips to help you resist the urge to smoke. We can also support you by offering Nicotine Replacement Therapy, which will assist you in your quit attempt and doubles your chance of success. This is free if you do not normally pay for your prescriptions, if you are pregnant or if you have a child up to a year old.

CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE

A young person can become addicted to nicotine within just four weeks of trying it. It is known that the majority of long term smokers start smoking before the age of 16. We are committed to reduce smoking among young people and promote smoke free norms.

In Nottinghamshire, young people from the age of 12 can access support through Nottinghamshire's Stop Smoking service, New Leaf, their local GP or community pharmacy.