Smoking During Pregnancy

Protecting your baby from tobacco smoke is one of the best things you can do to give your child a healthy start in life. It can be difficult to stop smoking, but it's never too late to quit.

The benefits of stopping smoking when you are pregnant:

Reduce the risk of pregnancy related illness and complications
Reduce the risk of sudden unexpected death in infancy, previously known as cot death
Stopping smoking reduces your risk of miscarriage or your baby being stillborn.
Your baby’s more likely to be born a healthy weight and full-term (at around 40 weeks) – babies born too early and underweight are more likely to have feeding and breathing problems

If a mother's Carbon Monoxide (CO) level is found to be four or over, their midwife will discuss this with them. If they are a smoker, they will receive information about the support available to quit smoking and signposted to Community Pharmacy Services for smoking cessation support through the Give it up for Baby scheme.

Give it up for Baby Financial Incentive Scheme

Give it up for Baby is a FREE smoking cessation support service delivered through local pharmacies. Women taking part in the GIUFB incentive scheme are offered free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and support from pharmacy staff and, if they remain smoke-free, can receive up to £50 per month in supermarket vouchers for food and groceries until their baby is 12-weeks-old.

Pharmacy staff will assist in the development of a smoking cessation plan and will provide treatment and behavioural support through the quit journey.

Community pharmacies across Tayside offer up to 12-weeks of one-to-one support. These personal sessions can double the chances of a patient successfully quitting smoking – visit the Pharmacy section on this webpage to find a community pharmacy in your local area.

You can also access the NHS Tayside Quit Your Way Helpline by calling 01382 424127

(24-hour answerphone but is also manned between 9.30am to 5.30pm, Monday-Friday)