Vaping Health Studies and Research
Is it safe to vape during Pregnancy?
Can you vape during pregnancy?
When a woman falls pregnant, a lot of precautions are taken to ensure the baby growing remains healthy and enters the world with no problems.
One of the biggest precautions that must be taken is if the mother of the baby is a smoker, she must stop smoking immediately to ensure no harm is caused to the baby or herself. However, it isn’t as easy and straight forward as that due to how hard it is to just give up.
In this article, I’ll look at why it’s important to stop smoking during pregnancy, what nicotine replacement therapy options are available and whether it’s safe to vape during pregnancy.
Stop smoking immediately
Smoking is bad for anyone’s health, and especially bad for your baby’s health also so it is recommended you look at ways to stop smoking ASAP.
When a cigarette is lit, roughly 4000+ different chemicals are created and ingested, with carbon monoxide being one of the main offenders, alongside tar and carcinogens. All of these chemicals will be passed down to your baby and could cause serious implications. Stopping smoking as soon as possible will begin the process of your body clearing itself of the toxins and tar already stored in your body and will make you feel much better as well as keeping the baby healthy.
So I hear, a healthy pregnancy is a happy pregnancy so it’s crucial you should try and do anything possible to ensure you and the baby are healthy and happy!
Passive smoke is also harmful
If you’ve managed to give up smoking, try and stay away from others smoking whilst you’re pregnant as second hand smoke can be just as harmful to the baby.
It’s also worth steering clear of others smoking if you’re trying to quit as it stops the urge of temptation of wanting a cigarette yourself!
And when your baby is born, try and avoid people smoking around your baby also.
Nicotine Replacement Therapy
It goes without saying, Nicotine is addictive and one of the hardest addictions to quit according to studies. So, giving up smoking isn’t as easy and clear cut as that. Which is why it’s highly recommended you speak to a Stop Smoking healthcare professional about Nicotine Replacement Therapy.
NRT options only contain nicotine and none of the harmful chemical compounds found in cigarettes and is a much better option than smoking.
There are plenty of options available now such as Patches, gum, inhalers, lozenges or my preferred choice; an e-cigarette. But is vaping safe to do when pregnant? Let’s look into it…
Vaping is safer than smoking
Since e cigarettes came on to the market, they’ve always been subject to criticism that they are not safe nor better for you than smoking. And that’s where Public Health England waded in to declare;
“Vaping is 95% safer than smoking”
Some chemicals found in cigarettes are present in the vapour created but at very very minimal levels compared to cigarettes and not considered harmful.
People use E-Cigs as a nicotine replacement therapy, and nicotine itself is not harmful when inhaled via a vape, or even a cigarette. The thousands of chemicals found in cigarettes are what’s bad for you, not nicotine!
So, if you opt to use an e cig as your way to get your nicotine fix during pregnancy, it is much safer than continuing to smoke!
I hope this article has helped clear up any unanswered questions and queries you may have had!
For more information, please see the NHS webpage – https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/stop-smoking/
*This article has been written using references from the NHS website and is intended to be informational only. Please consult your GP, midwife, or other healthcare professional if you have any doubts or questions regarding the safety of smoking or vaping during pregnancy and only take advice from them.*
