Alcohol, coffee, sushi, brie – the list of pregnancy “don’ts” is pretty long. Tops on the list: Don’t smoke.

Yet despite the risks, 34% of moms-to-be who are smokers don’t kick the habit during pregnancy, according to a Wiser Pregnancy survey.  And that can be extremely dangerous for their babies.

Puffing while pregnant continues to be a major cause of newborn deaths, early births and low birth weight babies.

According to a new study from the CDC, if more women stopped smoking before they conceived, more infant lives would be saved.

The good news is that there has been an overall drop in the number of women who smoke during pregnancy. The Wiser Pregnancy survey found that only 17% of women smokers did so in the three months before they got pregnant. And of those, 63% quit the habit during pregnancy.

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Did you ditch the coffee and sushi when you became pregnant? Those probably weren’t the only lifestyle changes … and it turns out, you’re healthier now than before.

Having a baby is the ultimate motivator to adopt a healthy lifestyle. In fact, pregnant women are champs compared to the rest of the population.

Expecting moms have much lower rates of drug, alcohol and cigarette use, particularly in the second and third trimesters.  They exercise and sleep more.  They get regular check-ups that include discussions about weight, diet and nutrition. They eating a balanced diet and boost vitamin intake.

So how do pregnant women stack up health-wise against non-pregnant women in the U.S.?
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Tomorrow is the Great American Smokeout – an occasion for smokers to kick the habit once and for all. But as many smokers know, it’s not that easy.

While smoking is one the hardest habits to break, for many women pregnancy is a powerful motivator, according to a recent WiserPregnancy survey.

The survey found that 41% of women who smoked quit the habit once they became pregnant. In comparison, only 3% quit before getting pregnant.

So how to quit?

With their baby’s health at risk, most women don’t opt for slow-moving remedies. The large majority of women (88%) quit cold turkey – and it works for most. In fact, two-thirds (66%) of women found it a highly effective way to quit.

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