Cutting down is better than doing nothing but it may not make things much better for the baby. If a pregnant woman cuts down or switches to low-tar cigarettes, she must be careful not to inhale more deeply or take more puffs to get the same amount of nicotine as before. The best time to quit is when the woman thinks she will get pregnant in the near future. If she does quit, her baby will probably weigh the same as the baby of a woman who has never smoked. Or if she quits within the first three or four months of her pregnancy she can lower her baby's chance of being born too small and with lots of health problems.
Many women are able to quit during pregnancy.
It is easier than other times when they tried to quit. They can quit now for their babies as well as for themselves. If the woman feels sick in the first couple of months, cigarettes may taste bad, and so it is easier to quit. Even if a woman quits at the end of her pregnancy, she can help her baby get more oxygen and have a better chance of making it. She has a greater chance of having a baby that weighs too little and may have health problems.