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Why Quit?: The Benefits of Quitting Smoking and Staying Quit

Pregnant Women

A lot of changes happen during pregnancy, and that time of change can be the perfect time to quit smoking. Here are the benefits for you and your baby when you quit smoking and stay smoke-free:

For your baby:

• Increases the amount of oxygen your baby will get.
• Increases the chances your baby's lungs will work well.
• Lowers the risk that your baby will be born too early.
• Increases your chances of having a normal-weight, healthy baby.
• Increases the chances your baby will come home from the hospital with you.

For you:

• Gives you more energy and helps you breathe more easily.
• Saves you money that you can spend on other things.
• Makes your clothes, hair, and home smell better.
• Makes your food taste better.
• Lets you feel good about what you've done for yourself and your baby.
• Helps prevent heart disease and cancer, the leading causes of death in women.
• Helps prevent colds and serious illnesses like bronchitis and pneumonia.

New Moms

Bringing a new baby home is a time of much excitement, but it can also be stressful. If you quit smoking during pregnancy, it is still important to stay quit. If you are still smoking or have returned to smoking, it is never too late to quit – there are still many benefits for your health and the health of your baby.

Benefits for you:

• Gives you more energy and helps you breathe more easily.
• Saves you money that you can spend on other things.
• Makes your clothes, hair, and home smell better.
• Makes your food taste better.
• Lets you feel good about what you've done for yourself and your baby.
• Increases your choices of family planning methods.
• Helps prevent heart disease and cancer, the leading causes of death in women.
• Helps prevent colds and serious illnesses like bronchitis and pneumonia

Benefits for your baby:

• Helps keep your baby healthy.
• Reduces the number of ear infections your baby will have.
• Reduces the chance your baby will have asthma.
• Helps prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
• Helps prevent colds and serious illnesses like bronchitis and pneumonia.
• If your baby was born too early, quitting smoking and staying smoke free is very important – premature babies are more susceptible to the problems listed above.