I’m feeling pressured to quit now that I’m pregnant.
People may say you need to quit for the baby’s sake. But think about doing it for you. Besides the money you’ll save, quitting for you will improve your health and benefit your family for years to come.
By cutting down or quitting smoking and vaping, you’ll lower the risk for many serious health problems. Quitting smoking lowers the risk of lung and breathing problems, triggering asthma, many cancers (including breast cancer), and being sicker when you get a cold or flu.
From before you were born until you’re in your mid-twenties, nicotine in tobacco and vaping products harms your brain by affecting your attention, learning, and memory. It can put you at higher risk of anxiety, mood swings and feeling irritable. Changes to the brain from nicotine can last for the rest of your life.
I think it’s too late in my pregnancy to quit smoking and vaping.
It’s never too late to quit smoking. Some benefits happen right away, such as your heart rate going back to normal, your nicotine level dropping to 0 in the first 24 hours, and toxic carbon monoxide gas leaving your blood in just a few days.
Not using tobacco and vaping products, eating healthy, and being active improve your and your baby’s health. These choices will contribute to a healthy pregnancy and delivery, including a better chance of a full-term pregnancy, healthy birth weight, and healthy body and brain development for your baby.
Isn’t vaping just water vapour?
Aerosol (what you breathe out) from vaping products is believed to be less harmful than tobacco smoke, but it can still be harmful. Vaping products have been found to contain toxic chemicals and heavy metals that may cause cancer. It’s best not to use or be exposed to any tobacco and vaping products.
I want to make healthy changes, but I don’t know how to begin.
Quitting tobacco and vaping products as soon as you can is healthier for you and your baby.
Every step you take to cut down and quit is progress. It may take many tries to quit completely, but don’t give up. Every time you try is a chance to learn about your relationship with tobacco or vaping products. Think about what makes you want to quit or triggers you to use. Think about how you could manage cravings in healthy ways.
If you can’t quit all at once, start by using less. Cut out the times you use tobacco or vaping products that you think you need the least. Keep working on using less until you aren’t using at all. You can also try a practice quit. Try to go an hour, an afternoon, or a day without using tobacco or vaping products.
You don’t have to do it alone. There are many
supports and services to help you change your use. If you think you can’t quit without stop-smoking medicine, talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist for help.
If smoking or vaping can cause a low birth weight, will my delivery be easier if I continue to use?
A smaller baby does
not make labour or birth easier. Most people don’t know that smaller babies are more likely to have health problems and may have to stay in the hospital longer.
Are second-hand smoke and vaping aerosol bad for me and my baby?
Second-hand smoke is the smoke that is breathed out or comes off the burning end of a cigarette. It can be breathed in by others and settle on surfaces. This can cause health problems for you and your baby before and after they’re born.
Second-hand tobacco smoke puts you at risk for cancer, asthma, and heart disease. It puts your baby at higher risk for
sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), lung problems, and ear infections.
Evidence is showing that second-hand aerosol from vaping products is not harmless. Like smoke, aerosol from vaping may contain nicotine and other chemicals that can harm you, your family, and pets.
Plan to move all smoke and vaping aerosol outside your home and car, even if you haven’t stopped using yet. For more information go to Health Canada’s guide to
Make Your Home and Car Smoke-Free.
Since cannabis is legal in Canada, is it safe to use during pregnancy?
There is no safe amount or form of
cannabis to use while pregnant. If you are planning to get pregnant, use less or stop using cannabis before you get pregnant. Talk with your healthcare provider about using less and stopping and learn where to get help.
Any type of cannabis can affect your health. If you use cannabis when you’re pregnant, your baby is more likely to have:
- a low birth weight
- problems with sleep and self-soothing (being able to calm themselves)
- problems with their brain
- slower growth
- learning problems
- problems with behaviour
If you use cannabis for medical reasons, talk with your healthcare provider about finding a safer option while you’re pregnant. If you have nausea and need relief, many medicines for nausea are safe to use when you’re pregnant. Your healthcare provider can help you find the best one for you.
