Pregnancy and Smoking in Grand Rapids, MI

Smoking during pregnancy exposes you and your unborn baby to serious and preventable health risks. Secondhand smoke (passive smoking) from partners, family members, or coworkers can also harm you and your baby.

In Kent County and the greater Grand Rapids area, tobacco use in pregnancy remains a concern, especially in colder months when people spend more time indoors and secondhand smoke can build up in homes and cars. The good news: quitting smoking at any point in pregnancy improves health outcomes for both you and your baby.

How Smoking Affects Pregnancy

Increased Risks for Pregnant Women

If you smoke while pregnant, you are at higher risk for:

  • Miscarriage (spontaneous abortion)
  • Ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy outside the uterus, usually in the fallopian tube)
  • Placenta problems, including:
    • Placental abruption (placenta detaches too early from the uterine wall)
    • Placenta previa (placenta covers or blocks the cervix)
  • Premature rupture of membranes (your water breaking too early)
  • Premature labor and birth
  • Stillbirth (fetal death in the uterus)

Smoking causes blood vessels to narrow and reduces oxygen in your bloodstream. In Michigan winters, when flu, RSV, and respiratory infections are more common, smoking can further strain your lungs and heart during pregnancy.

How Smoking Harms Your Unborn Baby

Every cigarette reduces the oxygen and nutrients reaching your baby. Carbon monoxide and nicotine in tobacco smoke interfere with normal growth and development.

Effects on the Baby Before Birth

Smoking during pregnancy is linked to:

  • Low birth weight (babies weighing less than 5 lbs 8 oz)
  • Slower growth and development in the womb
  • Increased risk of birth defects, including:
    • Cleft lip
    • Cleft palate
  • Weaker movements in the womb for at least an hour after each cigarette
  • Impaired development and function of the placenta, which supplies oxygen and nutrients

Mothers who smoke are about twice as likely to have a low birth weight baby compared to non-smoking mothers. Low birth weight babies are more likely to:

  • Have breathing difficulties at birth
  • Need care in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), such as at Spectrum Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids
  • Be more vulnerable to infections
  • Have long-term health problems in childhood and adulthood

Long-Term Health Effects on Your Child

Smoking during pregnancy can affect your child’s health for years, including:

  • Weaker lungs and higher risk of asthma
  • Increased risk of respiratory infections, especially in Michigan’s cold and flu season
  • Higher chance of being overweight or obese in childhood
  • Increased risk of:
    • Heart disease
    • Type 2 diabetes
    • High blood pressure in adulthood
  • Up to three times the risk of sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI), including SIDS
  • Increased risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

Secondhand Smoke During Pregnancy

Even if you don’t smoke, breathing in other people’s smoke can harm you and your baby. Secondhand smoke:

  • Reduces oxygen to your baby
  • Exposes your baby to many of the same toxic chemicals as active smoking
  • Increases the risk of low birth weight and premature birth

If you live in a multi-unit building in Grand Rapids or spend time in homes, bars, or social settings where people smoke indoors, talk with family, friends, and landlords about smoke-free spaces, especially during pregnancy.

Cutting Down vs. Quitting Completely

The more cigarettes you smoke during pregnancy, the higher the risk of complications. However:

  • Simply cutting down does not remove most of the risks
  • Stopping smoking completely, especially early in pregnancy, gives your baby the best chance of a healthy start

It Is Never Too Late to Stop Smoking

  • Stopping smoking by the fourth month of pregnancy can reduce the risk of low birth weight and premature birth
  • Quitting at any time in pregnancy improves oxygen delivery to your baby
  • Each smoke-free day in pregnancy benefits both you and your child

Smoking and Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding has many important benefits for your baby, including protection against:

  • Chest infections
  • Ear infections
  • Gastrointestinal illnesses

Why Stopping Smoking While Breastfeeding Matters

Nicotine and other chemicals from cigarette smoke can pass into your breast milk. Smoking while breastfeeding can:

  • Reduce your milk production
  • Lower the quality of your breast milk
  • Increase your baby’s risk of:
    • Colic
    • Disrupted sleep patterns
    • Respiratory problems

Women who smoke are less likely to start breastfeeding and more likely to stop earlier than non-smoking mothers.

If You’re Struggling to Quit While Breastfeeding

If you cannot stop smoking immediately:

  • Do not smoke before or during feeds
  • Breastfeed first, then smoke soon after to give your body more time to clear nicotine from your breast milk before the next feeding
  • If you are using nicotine lozenges, gum, mouth spray, or an inhaler to quit, use them right after feeding, not before
  • Never smoke near your baby—smoke outdoors and change your outer clothing if possible

Even if you smoke, breastfeeding is still healthier for your baby than formula alone, but quitting smoking provides the greatest benefit.

Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) in Pregnancy

Try to Quit Without Medication First

It is recommended that you first try to stop smoking without medication, using:

  • Counseling and support programs
  • Behavioral strategies and coping skills
  • Support from your healthcare team and family

When NRT May Be Used

If you’re unable to quit with support alone, your doctor may consider nicotine replacement therapy, such as:

  • Nicotine gum
  • Lozenges
  • Mouth spray
  • Inhaler
  • 16-hour nicotine patches

Using NRT is generally considered safer than continuing to smoke because it avoids many of the toxic chemicals in cigarettes. However, nicotine itself is not completely risk-free for your baby.

Important:
If you are pregnant, talk with your Grand Rapids OB-GYN, midwife, or family doctor before using any nicotine replacement product. They can:

  • Help you weigh the risks and benefits
  • Recommend the safest form and dose for pregnancy
  • Coordinate with local support services

Local Help for Quitting Smoking in Grand Rapids, MI

You don’t have to quit alone. There are many resources in Grand Rapids and across Michigan to help you stop smoking during pregnancy.

Talk to Your Maternity Care Team

Speak with your:

  • OB-GYN at Spectrum Health, Trinity Health Grand Rapids, Metro Health, or Mercy Health
  • Midwife or family doctor
  • Prenatal care team at local clinics or community health centers

They can:

  • Assess your smoking habits
  • Help you make a personalized quitting plan
  • Connect you with counseling, classes, and support groups

Michigan Quitline

The Michigan Tobacco Quitline offers free, confidential support:

  • Phone counseling with trained Quit Coaches
  • Special programs for pregnant women
  • Ongoing support after you quit to help you stay smoke-free

Visit the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services website or search “Michigan Quitline” for the current phone number and online enrollment.

Local Public Health Resources

In Grand Rapids, you can also contact:

  • Kent County Health Department – tobacco cessation programs, pregnancy support, and referrals
  • Grand Rapids Public Health and community clinics – education, counseling, and maternal health services

Many programs offer:

  • Free or low-cost counseling
  • Text or app-based support
  • Help with transportation or scheduling if needed

Making a Quit Plan in Grand Rapids

When you’re ready to quit, consider:

  1. Set a quit date

    • Choose a day in the next 2–3 weeks
    • Avoid high-stress dates if possible

  2. Identify your triggers

    • Cold weather and staying indoors
    • Driving, coffee breaks, after meals, or social gatherings
    • Stress, especially during pregnancy

  3. Plan alternatives

    • Deep breathing, short walks (indoors at malls or hospitals during winter)
    • Sugar-free gum or healthy snacks
    • Calling a friend or support person

  4. Use your support network

    • Ask your partner, family, and friends not to smoke around you
    • Request smoke-free rules in your home and car
    • Use local support groups or online communities

  5. Follow up regularly

    • Schedule check-ins with your doctor or midwife
    • Adjust your plan as needed

Key Points to Remember

  • Smoking while pregnant greatly increases the risk of serious health problems for you and your baby
  • Cutting down the number of cigarettes does not remove most of the risks—quitting completely is best
  • Smoking during pregnancy is linked to low birth weight, premature birth, birth defects, SUDI, and higher risk of ADHD
  • Stopping smoking by the fourth month of pregnancy can reduce some risks, but quitting at any time in pregnancy improves oxygen delivery to your baby
  • Nicotine replacement therapy may be safer than smoking but should only be used in pregnancy under medical guidance
  • Grand Rapids resources—including your OB-GYN, local hospitals, Kent County Health Department, and the Michigan Quitline—can provide free or low-cost support to help you quit and stay smoke-free

If you are pregnant and smoke, it is never too late to stop. Every cigarette you don’t smoke is a positive step for your health and your baby’s future.