I smoke and am planning on quitting. I have cut down and am doing really well with it. I actually feel sick when I smoke now, which is making it so much easier on me to quit. I may be pregnant, and I want to know if quitting now would put my baby through fetal distress. I have heard that withdrawal from cigarettes can cause more damage to the baby than smoking itself. Is this true? What would you advise on quitting safely for my baby?

Stephanie

There is absolutely no benefit in continuing smoking, and quitting causes no harm to the fetus. Please quit as soon as possible.

If you are carrying a girl, your smoking can affect her later fertility. A female forms all the eggs she will ever have during gestation. Exposure to cigarette smoke and its toxins can significantly reduce the total number of eggs your daughter has and the success of her fertility treatment if she has problems.