The dangers of second-hand smoke

We may be well aware of the impact smoking has on fertility, but now new evidence shows quite how damaging someone else's cigarette smoking can be.

According to research carried out at the University of Rochester Medical Centre, women who have been exposed to cigarette smoke for six or more hours a day have a 68% higher chance of experiencing fertility problems or suffering miscarriage. What's most alarming is the fact that this doesn't have to be smoke a woman is exposed to as an adult - those who grew up with parents who smoked have exactly the same risK. So, parents who smoke may be putting their children's future fertility at risk.

The research is published online, and you can find out more at the University website at www.urmc.rochester.edu

National No Smoking Day

I know there's nothing worse than a reformed smoker, but just in case it has escaped your notice, today is National No Smoking Day and anyone trying to have a baby, or even thinking about trying, ought to be thinking about trying to stop smoking, too.

It's not easy when it may seem you're being told to give up everything you enjoy in order to achieve something you don't seem to be able to get, but smoking really does make a huge difference to your fertility. It can affect both male and female fertility, and even the partner of a smoker is at risk.

I always used to say I'd give up the moment I got pregnant, but what I didn't realise was how much harder I was going to find it to get pregnant if I carried on smoking. In fact, I finally managed to give up six months before my second IVF cycle, and it may not be entirely unconnected that I got pregnant. Women who smoke are twice as likely to have fertility problems as non-smokers, and one study has suggested smoking could reduce your reproductive life by ten years.

Giving up can be tough, but there is help at hand on the National No Smoking Day website