How to quit vaping while pregnant: what the guidance says
Tell your midwife or doctor first, then stop, with support. The CDC says e-cigarettes are not safe during pregnancy. The NHS says vaping is likely less harmful than smoking, but non-smokers should never vape. Counseling and quitlines are free: 1-800-QUIT-NOW in the US, 0300 123 1044 in the UK. Nicotine replacement only if prescribed and supervised.
What do health authorities say about vaping in pregnancy?
They agree on the goal, and differ in wording because their guidance is written for smokers. The CDC: “The use of any tobacco product, including e-cigarettes, is not safe during pregnancy”, and nicotine “is toxic to developing fetuses”.
The NHS starts from the smoker’s side: “There is little research on the safety of vaping in pregnancy, but it’s likely to be less harmful for you and your baby than smoking.” If vaping keeps you off cigarettes and you are over 18, “it’s safer for you and your baby than continuing to smoke cigarettes”, though licensed nicotine replacement products “are the recommended option” in pregnancy. The NHS is blunt about everyone else: “Non-smokers and people aged 17 and under should never vape.” RCOG says “E-cigarettes are currently not recommended for use in pregnancy”.
So if you vape and do not smoke, all of them say stop. If vaping keeps you off cigarettes, ask a stop smoking adviser first.
Why does quitting nicotine matter for the baby?
Nicotine reaches the baby. ACOG says “Nicotine crosses the placenta” and “Nicotine damages a fetus’s brain and lungs. This damage is permanent.” The WHO says nicotine exposure in pregnancy “can adversely affect the development of the fetus.” The NHS, comparing nicotine with the tar and carbon monoxide in smoke, says “By itself, nicotine is relatively harmless.” They differ on nicotine alone; none of them recommends vaping in pregnancy.
On vaping itself, the measured signal is birth weight. The CDC says e-cigarette use in pregnancy “has been associated with low birth weight and pre-term birth”, citing a survey of 79,176 US women: among those who only vaped, daily vaping late in pregnancy went with about twice the prevalence of low birth weight (adjusted prevalence ratio 2.00) and about 1.9 times the prevalence of pre-term birth. Smokefree.gov says quitting at any stage helps.
How do you quit vaping safely while pregnant?
Start with your midwife or doctor. ACOG asks clinicians to ask about all nicotine use, including vaping, because patients may not equate it with tobacco. Say it plainly and ask for a referral: NICE says pregnant women need “intensive and ongoing support”.
That support is the best-measured help: across 127 Cochrane studies in 47,361 pregnant women, counseling and rewards for staying smoke-free “probably increase” the number who stop late in pregnancy, and the NHS says a trained adviser doubles your chances.
Nicotine replacement is a prescribed, supervised step, not a shop decision. The NHS: “You can use nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) during pregnancy if it will help you stop smoking and you’re unable to stop without it”, and before using any of it, “speak to a midwife, GP, a pharmacist or a specialist stop smoking adviser.” ACOG says it needs a detailed discussion of the risks and close supervision; Cochrane rates the evidence that it helps in pregnancy as low quality. Tablets are a doctor’s call: the NHS says varenicline and bupropion “are not recommended during pregnancy”.
The rest is the usual quit plan: a date, vapes and liquids out of the house, a plan for each craving. The cold turkey page has the steps.
Should you cut down or stop completely?
Stop. Smokefree.gov lists “switching to e-cigarettes during pregnancy is OK” among its myths, and Australia’s health department does not recommend “any amount of vaping” as safe in pregnancy, and tells anyone pregnant to “try to cut down, or quit completely”; if you are vaping to stay off cigarettes, it says to quit vaping too “as soon as you can”. If you cannot stop today, a falling count beats a flat one, but treat it as the run-up to a quit date set with your midwife, not a place to settle.
What is withdrawal like in pregnancy?
The same as for anyone: cravings, irritability, trouble concentrating, hunger and poor sleep, strongest in the first 3 days and fading over 3 to 4 weeks on average (NHS figures for smokers). The vaping withdrawal symptoms page covers each one. It does not harm the baby: smokefree.gov says quitting “doesn’t put extra stress on your baby”, and the CDC says nicotine withdrawal cannot hurt you. Tell your midwife if low mood or anxiety is intense or has not eased after 2 weeks, and get help now if you have thoughts of harming yourself (in the US, call or text 988). Bleeding, pain or a change in your baby’s movements are not withdrawal: call your maternity unit.
Where can you get free support?
| Option | What the guidance says | Who to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Counseling or stop smoking service | NICE: intensive, ongoing support. Cochrane: probably helps | Midwife, GP or doctor |
| Quitline | US: 1-800-QUIT-NOW (CDC). UK: 0300 123 1044 (NHS) | Call, or ask for a referral |
| Text program | SmokefreeMOM: text MOM to 47848, daily texts for 6 to 8 weeks, US only | Sign up yourself |
| Nicotine replacement | NHS: prescribed if you cannot stop without it. ACOG: supervised | Midwife, GP or pharmacist |
| Varenicline, bupropion, cytisine | NHS: not recommended in pregnancy. NICE: nor when breastfeeding | A doctor, first |
| Vaping to stay off cigarettes | NHS and RCOG: safer than smoking, but NRT is recommended | Midwife or stop smoking adviser |
Where does a puff counter fit?
Puff Counter counts each puff with one tap and shows the trend by day and hour, so you and your midwife have a real number instead of a guess. It is not medical care in pregnancy: use it alongside the plan you make with them. If they agree a step-down to a quit date, the quit plan (Premium) lowers a daily limit step by step.
Count your own puffs
Puff Counter logs each puff in one tap and shows your daily pattern. See the quit plan. Free on iPhone and Android.
Questions people also ask
Is it safe to vape while pregnant?
No health authority says it is. The CDC says the use of any tobacco product, including e-cigarettes, is not safe during pregnancy, and RCOG says e-cigarettes are not recommended for use in pregnancy. The NHS says vaping is likely to be less harmful than smoking and is safer than continuing to smoke, but that non-smokers should never vape.
Is nicotine-free vaping safe in pregnancy?
No source says so. ACOG notes that even without nicotine in the liquid you inhale flavorings and products of the heating element, the WHO says some products sold as nicotine-free have been found to contain nicotine, and Australia's health department says nicotine is in most e-cigarettes even when it is not on the label.
Can I use nicotine patches while pregnant?
Only with your midwife, doctor or stop smoking adviser. The NHS says nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) can be used in pregnancy if it will help you stop smoking and you cannot stop without it, NICE says to consider it alongside behavioral support, and ACOG says it needs a detailed discussion of the risks and close supervision. Cochrane rates the evidence as low quality (9 NRT trials, 2,336 women, in a review of 11 trials and 2,412 women).
Will quitting cold turkey harm the baby?
No. Smokefree.gov says quitting smoking does not put extra stress on your baby, and the CDC says nicotine withdrawal cannot hurt you. Withdrawal is uncomfortable, strongest in the first 3 days and fading over 3 to 4 weeks on average in the NHS figures, so tell your midwife and get support through it.
When should I tell my midwife that I vape?
At your first appointment, or the next one. ACOG asks clinicians to ask about all nicotine use, including vaping, because patients may not equate it with tobacco; NICE says pregnant women need intensive, ongoing support, and the NHS says a midwife can refer you to a stop smoking adviser or the National Smokefree helpline on 0300 123 1044.
Sources
- CDC: Health effects of vaping (health effects of vaping for pregnant women)
- CDC Tips From Former Smokers: Smoking, pregnancy and babies
- CDC: 7 common withdrawal symptoms and what you can do about them
- NHS: Stop smoking in pregnancy
- NHS Better Health: Vaping to quit smoking (are vapes safe to use in pregnancy?)
- NHS Better Health: Vaping myths and the facts
- NHS Better Health: Managing nicotine withdrawal symptoms
- RCOG: Smoking and pregnancy (patient information)
- NICE NG209: Treating tobacco dependence during pregnancy and in the first year after childbirth
- ACOG Committee Opinion 807: Tobacco and nicotine cessation during pregnancy
- ACOG: Tobacco, alcohol, drugs, and pregnancy (patient FAQ)
- Smokefree.gov (National Cancer Institute): How to quit smoking while pregnant
- Smokefree.gov (National Cancer Institute): Myths about smoking during pregnancy
- Smokefree.gov (National Cancer Institute): SmokefreeMOM text program
- WHO: Tobacco: e-cigarettes (questions and answers)
- Australian Government Department of Health: Pregnancy and smoking, vaping and tobacco
- Cochrane (2020): Drug treatments and electronic cigarettes for stopping smoking in pregnancy
- Cochrane (2025): Psychosocial interventions for supporting women to stop smoking in pregnancy
- Regan AK et al. (2021), Adverse birth outcomes associated with prepregnancy and prenatal electronic cigarette use, Obstetrics and Gynecology (PMC10896115)
Related
This page is general information about vaping and nicotine, not medical advice. If you are worried about your health or want help quitting, talk to a doctor or a stop-smoking service.