When you are thinking about getting pregnant, it is a good opportunity to make healthy lifestyle changes to put you in the best possible health to prepare for pregnancy. Quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do for your overall health.
If you smoke while pregnant, your baby may be born with health problems that last throughout childhood and beyond. If you drink while pregnant, alcohol passes through the placenta into your baby’s bloodstream, which may cause permanent life-long damage to your baby.
For information on where support is available in Lothian to help you stop smoking, click here for information about Quit Your Way in NHS Lothian.
For general information on stopping smoking see the NHS Inform on smoking cessation
Click here for the latest information on smoking from ‘Ready, Steady, Baby’
Alcohol During Pregnancy
By making the choice not to drink any alcohol while you are trying for a baby or pregnant, you are helping to keep your baby safe and healthy. For more information on drinking alcohol while pregnant, click here for the latest information from ‘Ready, Steady, Baby’
No recreational or street drugs are safe at any time and especially during pregnancy
For more information on taking recreational drugs while pregnant, click here for ‘Ready, Steady, Baby’ . (See substance misuse section)
Any drug can affect your pregnancy and that includes prescription, over the counter or herbal medicines. For more information on taking medicine during pregnancy, see Ready, Steady, Baby information on medication safety during pregnancy.
