I am 5 months pregnant...is it to late to quit smoking?

Question

I have been unsuccessful at quitting. I have cut back but I havent quit. Is to much damage already done?

Answer 1

Well I'm a smoker, and if you think you can quit without having bad withdrawls (like stressing out) then go for it. But some doctors (including mine) say if you're a smoker who thinks it would take medications to help you quit, then your best bet would be not to until after the baby is born. This is because smokers get addicted and have bad withdrawl symptoms and it can be a huge shock to the baby (too much stress for them to handle), so they say cut back as much as you can but don't completely quit if you don't think you can do it smoothly. I am taking classes to help me, but i do still smoke very little.

Answer 2

Well it depends on the baby really. There may or may not be any health issues regarding smoking. I think its great you want to quit. Everyone always says the risks that comes with smoking but my last 2 babies went to full term. My son was 10.3lbs when he was born at 40.5 weeks. My daughter was 8.10lbs when they induced me at 38.4 weeks. They induced me because of the fact that I already had a 10 pound baby. My daughter would of been 10 plus pounds if she went to 40+ weeks. My daughter is now 3.5 months old and is the spitting image of the perfect baby. She sleeps 9 hours a night. She is very happy and healthy. My son was also the perfect baby. He slept through the night since he was 2 days old. He was a very contented little guy. I also drank tons of water. Took my vitamins. And I ate. All the time. I took really good care of myself, despite the fact that I smoked while pregnant. And no it doesn't make me a terrible person. It just means that I am an addicted person. Which is sad because I wish I could of quit during pregnancy. I wish that more then anything else in this world. And I am glad that I am not having anymore babies. Maybe I was just lucky but my kids in no way are the product of a mom whom smoked while pregnant.

Answer 3

I started quitting when I found out I was pregnant and now four months later I am successful. It's hard enough being pregnant but quitting smoking at the same time is downright painful! The further along in your pregnancy the more you'll acknowledge there is a human being in your belly growing and the guilt will help you quit. Just visualize your baby when he/she is born and ask yourself if you would put a smoke in their mouth or blow cigarette smoke in their face all day. Chances are you wouldn't, so being pregnant why would you want to do the same thing? This thought process helps me daily not grab a smoke especially when I'm at my wits end and my BF lights up right beside me. You are not a criminal for smoking, just remember how much of an advantage you child will have if you don't smoke and they are born healthy. Also, women who smoke are more likely to have babies with SIDS. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Another reason to quit.

Answer 4

No of course not! Talk to your OB or midwife and ask for suggestions on how to quit, or any concerns you may have about quitting now. I stopped when I was pregnant the moment the test turned positive, but I know it's extremely hard. I struggled the whole time with not smoking. Just talk to a medical professional...
I also found it was way easier to stay off the ciggies once I started to show and once I felt the baby moving around. It just reinforced that I had this little person inside me, and wanted to keep only healthy things going into my body. And don't worry about getting fat! You'll gain weight any way, so that's a moot point. Hang in there and seek some help.

Answer 5

If you quit now, you will avoid most of the damage done by cigarettes.
Cigarettes can cause growth retardation, including the growth of the brain. Most growth occurs from 26 weeks on, so you will avoid most, if not all, of the damage if you quit now.
Also, SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) is more common in babies who's mothers smoked in pregnancy, and in babies who live with current smokers. The same is true of asthma. Mothers who quit in pregnancy can greatly reduce this risk, too.
So -- I'm not trying to make you feel guilty. You should feel good that you have cut down, because every puff you DON'T take is for your baby.
Some women I know who have found it too hard to go "cold turkey" have done well smoking just half a cigarette, then gradually cutting down to a third, then eventually just a few puffs to get rid of the craving.
Good luck!

Answer 6

First, it depends on how much you WANT to quit. If you're quitting because you feel like you have to, your success rate is going to be lower than if you really WANT to.

I'm five months pregnant, and I quit a month ago, cold turkey. Yes, it was for the baby, too, but truthfully, I had wanted to quit for a year. It wasn't exactly EASY, but it was easier than my previous attempts had been. I chewed the gum for three days, and then I felt better.

It's never too late to quit smoking, even if you're pregnant. Hell, ESPECIALLY if you're pregnant.

First, pick a date. Put them down on that date. Throw away any ashtrays, lighters, and empty cigarette packages. Clean out your car and get it washed, inside and out, professionally. Within two days, you'll be able to smell how bad YOU have been smelling for the duration of the time that you smoked.

On top of it being better for you and your baby, you'll be SOOO proud of yourself for quitting. I know that I was.

Answer 7

well you should have stopped ASAP but it is never to late to quit, if you quit now then it will help the baby's lungs...growth....immune system so much. Do what you know is right and quit now!!

PS. Some people say it is too much stress on baby to quit and a lot of people use it as an excuse to not quit. The doc say that it is best to start by cutting back and then completely quit...not just cut back and leave it at that. Smoking is a hard habit to quit but think of the baby and how much you will help it if you stop. You can talk to your doc about med's you can take to stop.

Answer 8

No, not at all. Even continuing to cut back will help.

"The more a pregnant woman smokes, the greater the risk to her baby. However, if a woman stops smoking by the end of her first trimester of pregnancy, she is no more likely to have a low-birthweight baby than a woman who never smoked. Even if a woman has not been able to stop smoking in her first or second trimester, stopping during the third trimester can still improve her baby’s growth."

from http://www.marchofdimes.com/

Good luck. Can't believe the nasty answers; ignore them...

Answer 9

It's never too late to quit smoking. I will do it one of these days myself. I have been smoking since I was 13 and I think everyday how much money and my life i have and am wasting by smoking. Quit again. If you try you can do anything you want.

Answer 10

Its never too late, keep trying. Its the best thing you can do for yourself and your baby now and in the future.

Its taken me 3 tries over the last 10 years. This last time I quit, 3 weeks later I found out I was PG. So I use the thought of my poor, helpless, sweet little baby hacking up brown phlem to help me stay motivated to stay quit.