Many women who quit smoking before or during their pregnancy start smoking again after their baby is born. But quitting has benefits for you and your baby that last longer than the nine months you are pregnant.

Why Some Moms Return to Smoking

Most new moms who quit while they’re pregnant will start smoking again within their baby’s first year of life. This is because having a newborn and adjusting to a new routine can be stressful. You are more tired than usual and getting a lot of opinions and advice from others. Stress and emotional triggers can cause new moms to start smoking again. Here are some other reasons why new moms may relapse:

• Quitting was temporary. Some women plan to start smoking after their baby is born. They may think their baby is only at risk while they are pregnant. But even if they smoke away from their baby, chemicals from the smoke can stay in rooms and on clothing.
• Thinking that smoking helps with stress. Having a new baby is stressful, but smoking will not help. Whatever is causing the stress will still be there. There are better ways for new moms to deal with stress that are healthier for you and your baby.
• Wanting to regain their pre-pregnancy self. For some new moms, being a smoker was part of who they were before they got pregnant. After having a baby, they might start smoking again because they miss this part of themselves. Imagining your life as a nonsmoker will help you stay smokefree and will be healthier for you and your baby.
• Returning to old social circles. Some activities and places might remind new moms of smoking. Friends who didn’t smoke around you when you were pregnant may start again and might even offer you a cigarette. Planning on how to deal with others’ smoking can help you stay smokefree.
• Having a partner who smokes. When a partner smokes, the smell of cigarettes, wanting to find ways to be together, and other reminders can make a new mom want to start again. Relationships can play a big role in helping you stay quit.

Make Your Quit Last for Good

Smoking exposes your baby to dangerous secondhand smoke. There is no safe amount of secondhand smoke. It harms a baby’s health and development, and over time it can cause disease and even death. Staying smokefree after delivery will protect you and your child’s health. A healthy baby is a happy baby, which means you can get more sleep, and have more time with your partner and for yourself. Children who grow up in nonsmoking homes are less likely to become smokers, so you will be setting a good example.

There are ways you can stay smokefree after your pregnancy:

• Tell friends and family that you’re planning to stay quit after you give birth.
• Create smokefree zones in your house and car.
• See if nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) is right for you.
• Sign up for a text message program for 24/7 tips, advice, and encouragement.
• Download the QuitGuide or quitSTART apps to track where and when you need extra help to stay smokefree.
• Chat with a National Cancer Institute information specialist for free.
• Call a quitline and speak with a trained counselor.

Smoking harms both you and the ones around you—especially babies and young children. Quitting smoking will benefit you and protect the people you care about.

Effects of Secondhand Smoke

Secondhand smoke is made up of the smoke that comes from a cigarette and the smoke that is breathed out by a smoker. Secondhand smoke has more than 50 chemicals that are known to cause cancer in adults. Because babies and young children are still growing, the chemicals in secondhand smoke harm them more than adults. Breathing secondhand smoke for even a short time can harm your baby’s or child’s body. Over time, secondhand smoke can cause disease and possibly death in children.

Remember, there is no safe amount of secondhand smoke.

Babies and young children exposed to secondhand smoke can have:

• Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Babies who are around secondhand smoke—from their mother, father, or anyone else—after they are born are more likely to die of SIDS than children who are not around secondhand smoke.
• Low birth weight. Mothers who breathe secondhand smoke while pregnant are more likely to have a baby weighing 5.5 pounds or less. Babies who are born this small are weaker and have a higher risk for serious health problems.
• Weak lungs. Babies who breathe secondhand smoke can have weaker lungs than other babies. This increases their risk of health problems.
• More sick days. Children whose parents smoke around them get bronchitis and pneumonia more often.
• Asthma. If children already have asthma, secondhand smoke can cause more asthma attacks and more severe symptoms.
• Chronic lung problems. Secondhand smoke can cause lung problems, including coughing, too much phlegm, wheezing, and breathlessness in school-aged children.
• Ear infections. Children exposed to secondhand smoke are at increased risk for ear infections. They are also more likely to need surgery to get ear tubes for drainage.

Set a Healthy Example

Children who have siblings or parents who smoke are more likely to become smokers. By becoming a smokefree mom, you’ll be a healthy role model for your family. Below are some steps you can take to protect loved ones from secondhand smoke.

• Keep your house and car smokefree. Children breathe in secondhand smoke at home or in the car more than any other place.
• Make sure nannies, babysitters, and daycare staff do not smoke.
• Go out to eat at smokefree restaurants.
• Try to avoid visiting places that allow smoking.
• Teach your children to stay away from secondhand smoke.

Some women experience depression when they are pregnant or after they give birth—this is called postpartum depression. Learn what to look for and how to ask for help.

What Is Postpartum Depression?

Postpartum depression is a specific kind of depression that happens during pregnancy or after giving birth. About 15 percent of pregnant women and new moms experience it. Any woman can develop postpartum depression, but women who smoke are at a higher risk than women who don’t smoke. Knowing the signs and how to get support will help protect you and your baby, and help you stay smokefree.

Know What to Expect

If you have postpartum depression, you may experience symptoms of depression, like feeling sad, empty, or worthless. You may also:

• Have trouble sleeping when your baby sleeps.
• Feel numb or disconnected from your baby.
• Have scary or bad thoughts about your baby.
• Have thoughts about hurting yourself or your baby.
• Feel guilty about not being a good mom or embarrassed that you can’t care for your baby.

It is common to feel sad or down during your pregnancy or after you give birth. But postpartum depression is more than the “baby blues”. People can experience symptoms daily, or most days—which can last at least two weeks, usually longer. It interferes with your everyday life and can stop you from doing things that are important to you.

If you’re feeling very down after childbirth, talk to your doctor or other health professional to find out if you might have postpartum depression. If it’s not treated, postpartum depression can:

• Affect your ability to care for yourself and your baby.
• Disturb your baby’s sleeping, eating, and behavior.
• Impact your bond with your baby.
• Make it harder for you to stay smokefree, especially if you’ve used smoking to deal with sadness or anxiety in the past.

There are treatments for both depression and smoking. And, even though dealing with depression can be hard, women with postpartum depression can still successfully quit smoking.

It’s OK to Ask for Help

If you’re experiencing postpartum depression, you don’t have to go through it alone. If you think you have postpartum depression:

• Talk to your doctor. They can refer you to treatment, which can reduce the symptoms of depression and shorten how long it lasts.
• Tell your friends and family what you’re going through. Having regular contact with other people can improve your mood.
• Talk to someone now. If you or someone you know is in distress or having suicidal thoughts, get help now. Call or text 988 or chat online for 24-hour, free and confidential support from trained counselors. Para obtener asistencia en español durante las 24 horas, llame al 988.

Balancing work, school, friends, and fun can be hard. Being a parent can make life even more stressful. There are ways you can manage this stress and stay smokefree.

Keep Daily Challenges Under Control

Becoming a new parent or caring for your growing child is stressful. Some days it might seem there is too much to handle, and you might want to smoke to help you relax. Stress and bad moods are common smoking triggers—especially for women. While some stress is normal, too much of it impacts your chances of staying smokefree. There are ways to handle and reduce parenting stress.

Try these tips to RECLAIM your calm:

• Rest, recharge, relax. Getting enough sleep is important for recharging your parenting “batteries.” When you’re awake, take short breaks to calm your breathing—it can help you keep your cool. Take a deep breath in, hold it for a few seconds, and then let all the air out. This can lower your heart rate and help your body relax, even on your craziest days.
• Exercise regularly and eat well. Exercise is a great way to manage stress, even if you only have 10 minutes at a time. Eating healthy foods can help you feel good and keep up with your children. Making a weekly meal plan with recipes that are simple to prepare can help you work good-for-you foods into your family menu.
• Choose your battles. If home begins to feel like a war zone, take a step back. Figure out what issues are most important to you and what you can let slide. Getting your children to do their homework—it’s OK to battle. Your four-year-old wearing superhero PJs to the grocery store—let this one go.
• Learn to say “no.” There are only 24 hours in a day and you can only do so much. Saying “yes” to everything may take time away from your family and add to your stress. It’s OK to say “no” every once in a while.
• Accept (and ask for) help from others. If a family member or friend mentions that they’d be happy to babysit for a few hours, take them up on the offer. Plan a fun time out with your partner, friends, or just yourself. If nobody has offered to help, you can ask. If you don’t ask, people don’t know what you need.
• Invest in yourself. If you’ve been taking care of everyone but yourself, give yourself a break. Whether it’s taking a warm bath, setting up a regular night out (or in) with friends, or taking 20 minutes for a walk around the neighborhood, self-care is a good way to relieve stress.
• Make time for family fun. Between work, tackling piles of laundry, and the many other things you do, weeks may go by without you really having fun with your family. Go for a bike ride, have a picnic at a nearby park, or plan a family game night to break the routine.

Even though smoking might seem like a good way to de-stress or relax, it actually has the opposite effect on your body. Smoking increases your heart rate and blood pressure. And when the cigarette is gone, all your other stressors will still be there.

Feeling good about your body can be difficult. But learning to have a positive body image can improve your self-esteem and increase your chances of quitting for good.

How You See Yourself

Body image is how you think and feel about your body. Many people feel badly about their bodies from time to time—even people who you may think have a “perfect” body. There are many things that might cause you to have a negative body image, such as:

• Comparing yourself to other people.
• Worrying if people think you’re attractive.
• Comments about your appearance from family, friends, or strangers.
• Messages from movies, television, magazines, and social media.

Having a negative body image can hurt your confidence and can keep you from living the life you want to live. You may avoid parties, dating, going to the gym, or meeting new people. You may also start or continue unhealthy activities to help you feel better about your body, like smoking. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone.

Body Image and Smoking

People sometimes gain weight after they quit smoking. This change could add to negative thoughts about your body and make you think twice about quitting. Try to remember all the positive things quitting will do for you—like improving how you look and feel. Make quitting your health priority.

When you stop smoking, negative emotions, like stress, sadness, or frustration can make you want to smoke again and may cause slips—especially for women. Feeling down about your body or being in a situation that makes you feel anxious or stressed about your body—like trying on a bathing suit or comparing yourself to others on social media—can be emotional triggers and may make you want to smoke.

Creating a Positive Body Image

Having a positive body image means being comfortable and confident in your body. It’s seeing yourself as a whole person, instead of focusing on how you look or how much you weigh. It’s learning to accept, appreciate, and even love the parts of you that are different. This can be difficult. And it can be a lifelong process because your body goes through changes throughout your life.

Becoming body positive doesn’t happen overnight. It takes some practice to appreciate your body. Here are some things you can do to feel good about yourself:

• Think of what’s important: The next time you want to smoke because you feel badly about yourself, try thinking about the things that are important to you. What do you value? What do you want in your future? Then ask yourself how smoking could negatively affect these things. This can help you stay motivated and avoid smoking again.
• Stay positive: Try to be aware of when you have a negative thought about your body. When it happens, think of a positive quality about yourself. You can even make a list and read it to yourself in the mirror. This can help you begin to change negative thoughts. Surround yourself with positive people. They can support your quit and help you see all the great things about yourself.
• Find fun things to do: Try a new dance workout. Volunteer with a local charity. Or start a book club with a group of close friends. Do fun activities to create a positive environment for yourself. When you’re enjoying life, you will have less time to focus on your appearance.
• Help others: Help your loved ones see their beauty, inside and out. Try saying nice things, focusing on health instead of weight, and not criticizing other people’s physical appearance (including your own). This can help create a positive environment for you and the other women in your life. Plus, doing something nice for someone else can lift your mood and keep you distracted when a cigarette craving hits.
• Stress less: When you’re feeling down or stressed, you’re more likely to slip. Use relaxation exercises, like deep breathing or muscle relaxation, to handle nicotine withdrawal or help a food craving pass.

Focus on your superpowers: Think about the powerful and amazing things your body can do. You’re able to get around and do things, heal yourself when you’re injured or sick, or comfort others with the power of touch.

Your age, height, body frame, and other factors determine what’s a healthy weight for you. Learn ways to reach your healthy weight.

The Importance of a Healthy Weight

Women who are overweight or obese (body weight at least 20% higher than it should be) can be at risk for serious health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and pregnancy complications. Losing even a small amount of weight (5 to 10% of your total body weight) can reduce and sometimes reverse the risk.

Losing weight also may help you have more energy, less joint pain, and a better night’s sleep. If you’ve tried to lose weight in the past, you probably know that it’s a lot harder to lose weight than it is to gain it. But like most things that are good for you, weight loss takes time, effort, and discipline

The Role of Nutrition and Exercise

Nutrition

Healthy weight loss starts with a healthy diet. If you want to lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you eat and drink. It’s easier to cut calories from your meals than to burn off the same number of calories through exercise.

But, eating healthier doesn’t mean you have to make big changes all at once. Research shows that small changes in what you eat can lead to slow and steady weight loss over time. Safe weight loss involves healthy food choices and eating smaller portions. Try keeping a food diary to help you see both good and bad eating patterns.

Eating healthier also doesn’t mean you can’t eat delicious food. There are ways you can limit the calories in food and eat the foods you love and feel satisfied. Try baking foods rather than frying them. Swap ingredients in the foods you prepare to make them healthier. For example, try replacing ground beef with ground turkey, or swap butter with extra virgin olive oil.

Exercise

Regular physical activity can help you reach your short- and long-term weight loss goals. But exercise burns fewer calories than many people think. Here are some rough estimates of how much exercise it takes to burn off the calories of some favorite treats:

• Snack-sized bag of chips: 1 hour and 30 minutes of strength training
• Medium order of fries: Biking 1 hour and 35 minutes
• Energy bar: Climbing stairs for 25 minutes
• Large vanilla latte with whipped cream: Jogging for 50 minutes
• Large frozen yogurt with no toppings: 1 hour and 5 minutes on an elliptical machine

If you’re exercising regularly, you might notice you have a bigger appetite. This makes it easy to trick yourself into eating more than you need after exercising. Overeating after exercising can undo the hard work you’re doing to lose weight. Pay attention to portions when you eat after working out. Have a healthy snack before exercising to keep your appetite under control.

Adding muscle is a good way to increase the calories you burn when you're not exercising. If you want to lose weight and reduce body fat, strength training can help. You can lift weights, do push-ups or sit-ups, or do household or yard work that makes you lift or dig.

Setting Healthy Weight Loss Goals

Think Long-Term

Aim to develop lifestyle habits that will help you keep your weight in a healthy range now and in the future. A short-term diet that you go on and then go off is not the answer to long-term weight loss and management. Healthy weight loss means having a lifestyle that includes long-term changes in eating and exercise habits.

Take It Slow

Studies show that people who lose weight gradually and steadily are more successful at keeping weight off. Health experts recommend one to two pounds a week over the long run for healthy weight loss. That’s better than trying to lose a lot of weight all at once.

Set Small Goals

Break down a long-term goal into a series of smaller, short-term goals. This can make your plan more manageable and keep you accountable over the long haul. For example, if your goal is to lose 10 pounds in three months, you might have separate goals for each month. Maybe aim for four pounds in the first month and three pounds in each of the next two months, because early weight loss often is faster.

See the Big Picture

Eating healthier and being more physically active is good for your health, even if you don’t lose weight. Try setting goals beyond weight loss, focusing on how your body feels better and what it can do. Think about the other things healthy eating and physical activity might do for you, like learning how to cook healthier, trying new foods, and having more energy.

Track Your Progress

Keep track of progress toward your weight loss goals. There are lots of tracking tools available that can be used online or on your smartphone. Visit the App Store or Google Play to explore tools to track your progress on your smartphone.

Adjust Goals as Needed

Relying on healthful eating and physical activity most days of the week can help you achieve your weight loss goals in a healthy way. Holidays, vacations, and special events can mean setbacks on your weight loss journey, but you can always get back on track.

Regular physical activity is good for your health, and it can help you quit smoking. Find activities that you enjoy and make exercise a part of your smokefree journey.

Life gets busy. Balancing work, family, friends, school, and other demands can make it difficult to fit regular exercise into your life.

Stay Motivated

Many people start an exercise program but have trouble sticking to it. Here are some simple ways you can stay motivated, have fun, and make exercise a positive habit.

• Plan your workouts in advance. Create a weekly workout plan that works with your schedule. You might have to be flexible and adjust your exercise plan to stay on track when illness, bad weather, or other unexpected events come along.
• Find a workout buddy. Having a friend or group to exercise with can prevent skipping workouts or sleeping through them. Some studies show that working out with a buddy improves results. Plus, it’s more fun than exercising alone.
• Sign up for a race or competition that gives you a reason to train. If you pay an entry fee in advance, you’ll be more likely to participate to get your money’s worth.
• Find a cause or problem you care about and sign up for a charity race or event. You’ll help the charity increase awareness and raise money while you get fit.
• Use a fitness app or activity tracker to measure progress and stay accountable. Explore the internet, the App Store, or Google Play and find tools to track your progress on your smartphone.
• Try a new activity. A different type of exercise can refresh your commitment to improving your health through physical activity.
• Think about the good example you’re setting for your loved ones by exercising regularly. You might inspire them to start a fitness program too.

Set SMART Goals

Starting an exercise routine or taking your current workout to the next level is a great way to improve your health. It can be overwhelming and hard to know where to start. It’s OK to start small, and SMART goals can help.

Specific

“I’ll move more” or “I’ll watch less TV” are too general to be helpful goals. Be specific about what activities you’ll do and for how long. For example, “I will walk five mornings a week for 30 minutes each day.” Also, be specific about how you’ll reward yourself when you reach your goals, such as “I’ll buy myself new sneakers if I stay with my plan for a month.”

Measurable

Including a number in your goal helps you track your progress. For example, you might start with brisk walking for 10 minutes and over time build up to 30 minutes. Keep a record of your progress towards your goal and see how your workouts are going. Write it down in an exercise journal. You might also try wearing a fitness tracker, or getting a health and fitness app for your smartphone.

Attainable

Goals that are too hard could make you give up. Try creating a series of small challenges for yourself, especially if you haven’t been active in a while. For example, you might set a small goal, such as “Call a friend this week to arrange a hike together,” to reach a broader goal—“Go on a hike this month.”

On the other hand, goals that are too easy may not keep you interested or give the results you’re working toward. Finding a healthy balance can help you create exercise goals that you stick with and feel good about when you reach them.

Relevant

Your goals should mean something to you and where you are in your life. Avoid setting goals that someone else wants you to do. Physical activity should be something you like doing, or it will not be something you keep up. Try including different activities. If one kind of activity becomes boring, switch to another type.

Time-Oriented

Pick a timeframe for completing small goals to help you reach a larger goal. For example, “Work in my garden for an hour every Saturday for the next two months.” Setting a start date and deadline for small goals may help you hold yourself accountable. Plus, it easily lets you see if you’ve achieved your goal.

Get Fit With Your Family

Being active with your family can be a fun way to get everybody moving. You’ll be a great role model for your kids, and it’s a good way to help the people you care about live healthy, active lives. Give these ideas a try, or come up with some ideas of your own!

• Play. Swim, toss a ball, or dance to your favorite music. If your kids play sports, practice with them. It shows them that you care and is a great way to be active as a family.
• Explore. Check out your neighborhood as you walk the dog, ride bikes, or head to the park.
• Celebrate. Celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, and other special occasions with an activity. Go for a , plan a treasure hunt through your neighborhood, or hold an obstacle course race in your yard.
• Ditch Your Wheels. Walking, biking, and rollerblading are low-cost, healthy, and fun ways to get around without driving.
• Give Back. Train with family or friends for a charity walk or fun run to benefit a cause or issue you care about.

Quitting smoking can give you the confidence to make other healthy choices, like eating better. Take control of your health and learn how to make changes toward a healthier diet.

After quitting smoking, some people say they feel hungrier, or snack to distract themselves from cigarette cravings and withdrawal. Quitting can give you the confidence to make eating healthy a part of your smokefree life. Learn how to make easy changes to your diet.

Set Healthy­­­­ Eating Goals

You don’t have to change your whole diet at once. Think of changes that are reachable, positive, under your control, and specific. For example, “Cut up veggies and fruit in the evenings so I can take them in my lunch the next day,” or, “Eat a meatless dinner once a week, swapping veggies for the meat.” Here are a few other goals that might work for you or give you ideas for your own:

• Make half your plate a variety of different colored fruits and vegetables.
• Make half the grains you eat whole grains.
• Choose a variety of lean protein foods.
• Eat smaller portions.
• Drink water instead of sugary drinks.
• Eat some seafood every week.
• Prepare meals at home that consist of whole (unprocessed) foods.

Reward yourself when you reach each goal. It will give you something to look forward to. Avoid using food as a reward. Treat yourself with extra time spent with a friend, a hobby you’ve wanted to try, or an activity that gets you moving. Or combine rewards, like taking a yoga class or going for a bike ride with a friend.

Plan for Healthy Meals

With a little planning, you can make dishes that are filling, healthy, and tasty. Think about your meals for the upcoming week and how much time you’ll have to make them. Go shopping with an ingredient list and try to stick with it. Pick items from the outer edges of the store, where they usually stock fresh and unprocessed foods.

You can make healthier versions of your favorite dishes without losing the taste:

• Add spices and herbs instead of sauces.
• Bake or grill meat, poultry, or seafood.
• Roast veggies, meat, seafood, or poultry with a non-stick cooking spray or a small bit of olive oil.
• Sauté food using a non-stick vegetable spray, a small amount of broth, or a tiny bit of vegetable oil.

Learn the Label

When you’re shopping, try to limit the amount of packaged foods you buy—they usually have hidden sodium (salt), saturated fats, or sugars. Even foods labeled “natural” or “healthy” can be hiding sugar by calling it different names, like high-fructose corn syrup, barley malt, and dextrose. Before you buy a packaged food, look at the Nutrition Facts label first. It helps you know what’s inside, manage portions, and stay healthy. Learn the important parts of the Nutrition Facts label:

• Servings: The label shows the serving size and the number of servings in the package. When it comes to smaller packages of foods, one package is not always just one serving.
• Calories: The label shows the calories per serving and sometimes the calories per package. Calories are a measure of how much energy you get from a food serving. Eating too many calories per day is linked to overweight and obesity.
• Ingredients: The label lists several nutrients that can have an impact on your health. The nutrients listed first are the ones people generally eat enough—or even too much—of.
• % Daily Value (DV): The % DV tells you the percentage of each nutrient in a single serving, in terms of the daily recommended amount.

Remember: The information on a Nutrition Facts label is based on 2,000 calories a day. You may need to eat less or more than 2,000 calories depending on your age, gender, activity level, and whether you’re trying to lose, gain, or maintain your weight.

Serving Size & Portion Control

A portion is the amount of food that you choose to eat for a meal or snack.

A serving is a measured amount of food or drink, such as one slice of bread or one cup (eight ounces) of milk.

When people are given or choose larger portions, they often eat and drink more than their bodies need. Choosing smaller portions is an important step in eating healthy. Try these tips to help you control portion size at home or when dining out:

• You can start to recognize serving sizes by measuring out one cup, one-half cup, or one ounce of some different foods into the plates, bowls, glasses, and cups you usually use.
• Eat your meals on a smaller plate. It can reduce the number of calories and make you feel satisfied.
• Measure single servings of your favorite snacks and store them in bags or food storage containers.
• Wait 10 minutes before going back for seconds. You might not want them after all. If you do go back, add veggies or fruit.
• At a restaurant, ask for a take-home container and put half your meal in the container to save for later.

Eat Mindfully

Many people use food in the same ways they used cigarettes—to deal with stress or boredom, reward themselves, pass time, or help them be social. After quitting smoking, some people snack more often because it keeps their hands and mouth busy (even if they’re not hungry). When you eat mindfully, you’re aware of what’s happening with you and what’s around you right in that moment—like noticing the colors, smells, flavors, and textures of your food.

Take time to enjoy your food. Eating slower is healthier, and when you slow down, you’re also more likely to feel when you’re full. Try turning off the TV and putting your phone away while you eat. Going gadget-free helps you pay attention to the details of your food. You might notice tastes you otherwise would have missed.

Track It

Tracking your food in a diary can help you:

• Be aware of what, how much, when, and why you are eating.
• Eat mindfully by making notes about what you were doing or feeling at the time.
• Find where you can make healthy changes, like avoiding mindlessly munching and filling up on empty calories.
• See patterns of overeating or healthy eating.
• Identify overeating triggers, like celebrating holidays or experiencing a bad mood.

Don’t focus too much on the details. What’s important is that you track what you eat consistently. Try not to be discouraged if you have some days when you haven’t eaten the food or portions you planned. Your food diary is a helpful tool for a healthier lifestyle, now and in the future. It doesn’t have to be handwritten—you can even download free smartphone apps to help you track.