Vaping can help you step away from smoking cigarettes, but many providers will tell you to steer clear if you’re pregnant.
E-cigarettes, or vaping devices 1 , are battery-powered and come in different styles. You use them much like a cigarette, by putting your mouth on one end and pulling an aerosol into your lungs. Sometimes that aerosol has nicotine, sometimes not. All vaping aerosols contain chemicals, and some add flavorings. These chemicals and flavorings can contain cancer-causing substances and aren’t always safe during pregnancy. Of course, if the vaping solution contains nicotine, the baby can experience all the side effects that they would from traditional smoking.
Studies on vaping in pregnancy 2 are few and far between, so future research might still show that vaping is better than smoking in pregnancy. For now, talk over the options with your healthcare provider, and they can help you decide which way to go.
