It is common knowledge by now that smoking is not good for your own body, but it can also have detrimental effects on a developing baby.
Smoking reduces the oxygen available to your baby, and every cigarette causes their heart rate to increase to compensate for the lower oxygen availability.
Smoking can increase your chances of miscarriage and stillbirth, cause your baby to be born smaller than they were meant to be, and may make your baby more likely to die of Sudden Unexplained Death of Infants (SUDI or SIDS, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).
If you are a smoker, your midwife can prescribe things to help you quit.
Vaping
Vaping is often seen as less harmful than smoking, and it is often a step away from smoking or a tool to help you quit.
Unfortunately, vaping has not been around long enough to know what the long-term consequences are.
If you vape with nicotine your baby is still exposed to nicotine, which may cause low birth weight and high heart rates in unborn and new babies.
If you are a vaper, your midwife can support you to quit.