Cut it out!

Smoking

For many women, smoking represents a brief escape from the pressures of everyday life. However, most women know that smoking harms them, as well as their unborn baby, if they smoke while pregnant, but knowing the risks doesn’t necessarily make giving up any easier.

Many women do feel more motivated to stop when they find they’re pregnant. It’s worth getting any support you think may help from family and friends or from specialist health workers. If your partner smokes as well, it can really help to stop together.

If you’re unable to give up completely, then cutting down the amount you smoke during pregnancy will help to reduce the risk to your baby. The effects of the chemicals and lack of oxygen transported to your baby when you smoke a cigarette are ‘dose-related’. This means that the more you smoke the greater the damage. The damage, however, is quickly reversed when you stop smoking.

A baby born to a smoker is:

• Twice as likely to be born prematurely
• More likely to suffer from placenta problems around the time of birth
• Three times more likely to be underweight at birth (even if born on time)
• More likely to be a victim of cot death.

Be careful about using nicotine skin patches or nicotine chewing gums to give up, as it is not clear whether these are safe for use during pregnancy. For help, talk to your midwife or family doctor. They will be able to give you details of local support groups and national helplines as well as leaflets and other sources of advice.

Whatever stage of pregnancy you’re at though, it is never too late to give up or cut down –- you and your baby will benefit immediately.

Drinking

Although you may want to celebrate news of your pregnancy with a glass of champagne, downing the whole bottle is certainly something to avoid while pregnant! Heavy drinking can damage your baby as alcohol crosses the placenta quickly and easily and too much alcohol on a regular basis can cause a collection of problems for the baby (known as fetal alcohol syndrome).

But how much exactly is regarded as ‘heavy’ drinking? More than 6 units of alcohol a day would give you a very high chance of having a baby with fetal alcohol syndrome. Drinking between 2 and 6 units a day may mean you give birth to a baby with a milder form of fetal alcohol syndrome. But it is not yet clear from research exactly how much alcohol you can have before harm is caused to your baby.

Guidelines suggest you should avoid drinking more than 1 or 2 units of alcohol once or twice a week. The type of drink makes no difference, as it is the amount of alcohol in units that matters.

You may find that while you are pregnant you don’t like the taste of alcohol, or feel that it’s safer not to have any alcohol at all to eliminate the risks, but if you do normally enjoy a drink and find it hard to resist the temptation then these ideas may help:

• Quench your thirst with non-alcoholic drinks
• Sip your drink and put it down between sips
• Try alcohol-free or low-alcohol drinks
• Ask family and friends to support you by not offering to pour or prepare you drinks
• Make some of the days of the week alcohol free (and don’t drink more than 2 units on the other days).
• If you drink a lot and are worried about how to cut down, then talk to your midwife or family doctor. Alternatively, you might prefer to call one of the helplines listed in the box opposite.

Units of alcohol:

• 1 unit of alcohol = 10g of alcohol which is measured as:
• 25ml of a spirit such as vodka, gin etc.. (1 ‘single’ pub measure)
• 100mls of wine (1 small glass)
• 100ml of champagne (1 small glass)
• A half pint of beer or lager
• A quarter of a pint of ‘strong’ beer or cider
• 55mls (1 sherry glass) of port, sherry or fortified wines such as Cinzano
• 55ml of liqueur such as Baileys
• Just less than one bottle of alcopops 

Drugs

The term drug is used to mean any kind of tablet, medicine, suppository, inhalant, ointment or oil – either prescribed by a doctor, or other practitioner, or bought illegally. During pregnancy your baby is particularly vulnerable to the effects of any drugs you might take. This is because:

• Your baby’s rapidly developing body is very sensitive to poisons in her environment
• Her liver is not ready to deal with harmful substances entering her body.

In order to be as safe as possible:

• Never buy over-the-counter medicines for yourself without first checking with your doctor or pharmacist. They will be able to recommend alternative drugs or other sate treatments.
• Always tell your doctor, pharmacist, dentist, or anybody else advising you on your health, that you are pregnant. They will be able to help you make decisions by balancing your health needs against any possible risks to your baby.
• Always check with your doctor, pharmacist or a qualified herbalist before taking any herbal medicines or tablets. Fruit and herbal teas sold in supermarkets are generally safe – but be careful with preparations brewed by family or friends, or more unusual teas sold only in healthfood shops.
• Always check with your doctor, pharmacist or a qualified practitioner before using any homeopathic remedies, aromatherapy preparations or massage oils.

Drug Addiction

If you feel that you have a drug addiction problem then do speak to your midwife or doctor. It can still be possible to give up drugs during pregnancy, although you will need skilled support. There are a number of specialist maternity departments across the country that care for women who abuse drugs. Many other hospitals also have staff specially trained to understand and help meet your needs.

Further Support 

NHS Pregnancy Smoking Helpline: 0800 169 9 169

ASH (Action on Smoking and Health): 020 7739 5902 www.ash.org.uk

Alcohol Concern: 020 7922 8699 www.alcoholconcern.org.uk

Drinkline: 0800 917 8282.

National Drugs Helpline: 0800 77 66 00.