Is Smoking cigarettes safe during pregnancy?
Not recommended at all in pregnancy or while breastfeeding. Quitting at any point helps, and support is free; your clinician can help you start.
PregnancyNot recommended
BreastfeedingNot recommended
EvidenceStrong
What the sources say
Even a few cigarettes a day lower the oxygen and nutrients that reach the baby. Smoking in pregnancy is linked to preterm birth, low birth weight, placenta problems, stillbirth and SIDS. Nicotine and other chemicals pass into breast milk. If you can't quit while breastfeeding, breastfeeding may still outweigh the risks: smoke less, and never in the house or near the baby.
Also listed as
cigarette smoking, smoking while pregnant, smoking during pregnancy
Sources
Last reviewed . This is general information, not medical advice. Ask your doctor or midwife about your own situation.