Quitting smoking, drugs and alcohol – Midwives Lelystad

Research shows that 6% of pregnant women in the Netherlands smoke every day,
6.9% drinks alcohol and 0.2% uses drugs (cannabis/weed, XTC or laughing gas). This is not always told to the GP or midwife.

Because smoking, drinking alcohol or using drugs during your pregnancy has major consequences for your baby, we are giving you this information leaflet.

Table of contents

• Smoking during pregnancy
• Drinking alcohol
• Drugs during pregnancy
• Stress is less bad for the baby than smoking, alcohol or drugs
• Stop together, including your partner
• Provide distraction
• No nicotine replacements, e-cigarettes or medications
• Smoking less does not help enough
• QR Code to this page:

Smoking during pregnancy

If you smoke during your pregnancy, your baby will receive less oxygen. Even if your partner smokes but you do not, this will affect the growth and development of your baby. There is a greater chance of:

• An miscarriage
• a premature baby
• a baby that is too small at birth due to a lack of oxygen. This can cause brain damage and problems with breathing, feeding and keeping warm.
• Death of the baby during pregnancy or around birth
• congenital abnormalities, such as cleft lip, cleft palate and club feet
• learning disabilities
• lung problems (asthma)
• overweight
• cot death (death of your baby because it stops breathing in its sleep)
• problems with the lungs
• learning and behavioral problems, such as ADHD
• Reduced fertility of your child when he/she is an adult

Drinking alcohol

If you drink alcohol during your pregnancy, the alcohol also enters the baby's blood. This increases the chance of:

• a miscarriage
• premature death of your baby
• a premature baby
• a baby that is too small at birth due to a lack of oxygen. This can cause brain damage and problems with breathing, feeding and keeping warm.
• brain damage to your baby

Drugs during pregnancy

If you use drugs during your pregnancy, your baby will receive even less oxygen than if you smoked. In addition, there is a good chance that your baby will be born with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, which means that your baby will be born with an addiction. Within 24 hours after birth, your baby may show the following symptoms:

• rapid breathing or stopping breathing
• high-pitched crying
• diarrhea
• yield
• weight loss
• sleep problems

Because of these harmful effects on your baby, it is advisable to stop smoking, drinking alcohol or using drugs during your pregnancy. Quitting is not easy, but it is possible with the right help.

Stress is less bad for the baby than smoking, alcohol or drugs

If you stop smoking, drinking alcohol or using drugs, you will become stressed or perhaps start snacking. This is much less harmful to the baby. The advice is always to stop during pregnancy and after birth, so that your baby can grow up in a healthy environment.

Stop together, including your partner

If you want to stop smoking, it is important that your partner also stops. Breathing in smoke from other people is also harmful to your baby. Ask the people who come to your home, such as friends and family, if they do not want to smoke in your neighborhood. This means you will be less tempted and you won't inhale other people's smoke.

Provide distraction

In difficult moments when you experience a lot of stress, it is difficult to persevere. Think about what would be a good distraction for you when you are having a hard time. Sometimes it helps to go for a walk or exercise. Or call a friend or family member.

No nicotine replacements, e-cigarettes or medications

The advice of general practitioners is to stop using nicotine replacement or medications such as bupropion and Varenicline, because it is not known whether this is harmful to the baby.
E-cigarettes can also be harmful to your baby and also perpetuate the addiction.

Smoking less does not help enough

It is very good if you are willing to stop smoking, drinking alcohol or using drugs! To ensure the good health of your baby, it is important that you completely stop taking all these substances. Simply smoking less (for example from 20 to 6 cigarettes) or drinking an occasional glass of alcohol or using drugs is not enough. This is still harmful to your baby.

Have you managed to cut back, but are you unable to stop completely? Then nicotine replacements are an option. This is always better than the few cigarettes you currently smoke per day. This is because your baby still gets less oxygen with a few cigarettes a day and it is therefore important that you stop completely. Nicotine substitutes include chewing gum, lozenges or nicotine patches. Please note: never use nicotine substitutes on your own initiative. Always make an appointment with your GP first.