Nicotine replacement therapy 

You can use nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) during pregnancy if it will help you stop smoking and you're unable to stop without it. However, it is not recommended that you take stop smoking tablets such as Champix or Zyban during pregnancy.

NRT contains only nicotine and none of the damaging chemicals found in cigarettes, so it is a much better option than continuing to smoke. It helps you by giving you the nicotine you would have had from a cigarette.

You can be prescribed NRT during pregnancy by a GP or your local stop smoking service. You can also buy it over the counter without a prescription from a pharmacy.

NRT is available as patches, gum, inhalator, nasal spray, mouth spray, oral strips, lozenges and microtabs. 

If you have pregnancy-related nausea and vomiting, patches may be a better solution. NRT patches should be used for no more than 16 hours in any 24-hour period. The best way to remember this is to remove the patch at bedtime.

Before using any of these products, speak to a midwife, GP, a pharmacist or your local specialist stop smoking service.  

By getting this specialist advice you can be sure that you're doing the best for your baby and for you.