Do I need to change my habits?

Using tobacco, alcohol or drugs can seriously harm your baby and can even cause a miscarriage. If you use tobacco, alcohol or drugs, get help from your doctor to quit.

Smoking: Smoking can cause miscarriage, bleeding, premature birth and low birth weight. It's also linked to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), in which infants suddenly die of no obvious cause. Children of smokers may also do less well on IQ tests and their physical growth may be slower.

Alcohol: Drinking during pregnancy can cause fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). FAS can lead to many birth defects, including mental problems, slow growth, defects of the face and a head that is too small. Doctors do not know how much alcohol it takes to cause FAS, so it is important to avoid alcohol completely during your pregnancy.

Illegal drugs: Using marijuana, cocaine and other illegal drugs increases the risk of miscarriage, premature birth and birth defects. With some drugs, the child will be born addicted to the drug that the mother abused and will go through withdrawal.