can you vape when pregnant

July 7, 2026

Can You Vape When Pregnant?

What UK health guidance says about vaping during pregnancy and what the safer alternatives are.

Quick answer: Vaping during pregnancy is not recommended. While it is considered less harmful than smoking, nicotine is harmful to fetal development and the long-term safety of vaping in pregnancy has not been established. If you smoke and are pregnant, stopping both smoking and vaping is the goal, but switching from smoking to vaping is preferable to continuing to smoke.

This is one of the most important questions in vaping, and it deserves a careful, honest answer. Pregnancy creates specific vulnerabilities that make the risk calculus different from vaping as a general adult population.

Why Nicotine Is Harmful During Pregnancy

Nicotine crosses the placenta and is present in fetal blood and amniotic fluid at concentrations comparable to maternal blood levels. The developing fetus is particularly vulnerable to nicotine because it affects the development of the brain, lungs and cardiovascular system. Research links nicotine exposure during pregnancy to increased risks of:

Preterm birth and low birth weight
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
Impaired lung and brain development
Increased risk of nicotine dependence in the child later in life
Placental complications

Vaping vs Smoking During Pregnancy: The Risk Comparison

Factor	Cigarette smoking	Vaping
Nicotine exposure to fetus	Yes: significant	Yes: if nicotine-containing liquid used
Carbon monoxide	Yes: impairs oxygen delivery to fetus	No
Tar and combustion carcinogens	Yes	No
Overall fetal risk	High: well-established harms	Lower than smoking but not risk-free
NHS recommendation	Stop immediately	Not recommended; if unable to quit nicotine, vaping preferred over smoking

What NHS Guidance Says

The NHS advises that the safest course during pregnancy is to stop both smoking and vaping. For pregnant women who smoke and cannot quit with other methods, switching to vaping is considered preferable to continuing to smoke: because removing combustion products (particularly carbon monoxide) has significant benefits for the fetus. But vaping is not presented as safe in pregnancy; it is the lesser of two harms for women who cannot otherwise stop smoking.

NHS Stop Smoking Services offer free, specialist support for pregnant women and should be the first port of call for any pregnant person who smokes or vapes and wants to quit.

Relative risk to the fetus during pregnancy (approximate)

Longer bar = higher overall risk to fetal development and pregnancy outcomes.

Smoking

Highest risk

Vaping with nicotine

Lower but present

Nicotine-free vaping

Low: not zero

No nicotine / no vaping

Lowest risk

If you are pregnant and smoke or vape: Contact your midwife or NHS Stop Smoking Service as soon as possible. Specialist support in pregnancy is free, effective and non-judgmental. Every week of reduced exposure matters for your baby's development.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nicotine-free vaping removes the primary known fetal risk from nicotine, but the long-term safety of inhaling PG, VG and flavouring compounds during pregnancy has not been established through clinical studies. Until evidence shows it is safe, the NHS position is that stopping all vaping is preferable to any form of vaping in pregnancy.

Yes. Nicotine patches are recommended by the NHS for use during pregnancy as part of a supported quit attempt. They deliver a controlled, steady dose of nicotine without the other risks associated with smoking or inhalation. They are used under healthcare supervision and are considered safer than continued smoking. Discuss options with your midwife or GP.

Early vaping before a confirmed pregnancy is a concern many women raise. While nicotine is harmful, early pregnancy is also a period when many women are vaping at lower levels than heavy smokers. Speak with your midwife at your booking appointment and be honest about your nicotine history: they are there to support you, not judge you, and can advise on any specific concerns for your situation.

NHS Stop Smoking Services offer free, specialist support for pregnant women, including one-to-one sessions, group programmes and access to NRT on prescription. Your midwife can refer you, or you can self-refer through the NHS website. This support significantly improves quit rates compared to going it alone.

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