Even before the egg that is to be fertilised by your partner's sperm is released from your ovary it may suffering from the effects of smoking. We know that cotinine a derivative of nicotine is found in measurable amounts in the fluid surround the developing egg. We know that smoking reduces a couple's fertility. This is just the beginning of the bad effects that smoking can have on your ability to become pregnant and have healthy children.

There is good evidence that smoking in pregnancy can damage your baby. Tobacco smoke contains poisonous chemicals that are carried in your bloodstream to the baby growing in your womb. These chemicals slow the growth of your baby and increase the chance of miscarriage, premature birth and stillbirth.

Babies born to mothers who smoke are more likely to have a lower birth weight (which leaves them more vulnerable to problems in infancy). Low birth weight is the most important reason why babies sometimes die in the first few weeks of life. If you stop smoking in the first 3 or 4 months of pregnancy your baby is likely to weigh just as much as a non-smoker's baby. It is best to stop as soon as you can (before conceiving if possible). In the first four months of pregnancy the baby is developing all the major organs and is very susceptible to damage from poisons like carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke.

Babies born to mothers who smoke tend to feel less well and be less contented. In effect a smoker's baby starts life by having to give up smoking and this can make them irritable. The baby's risk of cot death increases if parents smoke. Babies born to mothers who smoke are more likely to suffer from diseases such as asthma and glue ear as children. There is increasing evidence that babies who do not grow well in the womb are more likely to develop high blood pressure, strokes and heart attacks as adults. By smoking in pregnancy you are putting your baby at risk of illnesses not just in the first few days after birth but probably for the rest of their lives. Do stop smoking and ask your partner to stop as well if he smokes too; passive smoking is damaging too.

Stopping smoking may help you enjoy a better pregnancy. Smokers are more likely to have problems with backache, tooth decay and high blood pressure. Stopping smoking may help to reduce the nausea that can sometimes trouble pregnant women. Women who stop smoking become fitter and have more energy.

If you have already had healthy children and smoked throughout previous pregnancies then perhaps you were lucky. The risk of smoking related damage seems to get greater with each baby. Don't risk your child's health by continuing to smoke. Stop smoking now!