I'm pregnant and I need some advice to quit smoking.?

Question

Hi everyone,

I'm nearly 10 weeks pregnant and I only found out last week. I'm looking for advise on how I can quit smoking, I'm finding it really hard I've been addicted now for nearly 10 years. I really want to quit for the sake of my unborn baby's health. Anyone got any tips?

Answer 1

I smoked for 18 years.
I found out that peppermint was a natural suppressant. Instead of a smoke I popped in a mint.
It's been almost 15 years now and I I haven't started up again.
Good luck.

Answer 2

Gosh some people are rude. Hasn't anyone ever told them if they don't have anything constructive to say just shut up? When you are ADDICTED to a substance...oh, just quit doesn't help!

Now as for the ADVICE you asked for...I used the patches. While the baby is still getting nicotine during the patch phase of quitting...it isn't getting the "over 500" other carcinogenics that are in the actual cigarette smoke. (That is the number my doc told me.) Other people find the gum more effective because they are doing something with their mouth at the moment they feel the need for oral fixation. I found when I tried to quit in the past that the citrus flavor isn't bad. You can still taste the nicotine and it can taste like you are chewing on something that has been in an ashtray but I know some people that swear by it. The big thing is stay active. I would often play little hand held video games while watching TV to get through the cravings. I have heard of others that have taken up knitting, sewing, scrap booking etc to keep themselves occupied and distracted from the need.

I wish you luck!!

Answer 3

I TOTALLY understand where you are coming from! I found out I was prego at 4 wks. I am now 3 months. I have smoked for over 13 years non stop. I just had to quit. My last pregnancy ended in miscarriage, and I didn't quit then. I just couldn't go through with this pregnancy knowing that I could harm my child. It has been a struggle. I just quit cold turkey. I still think about them, and crave um all the time but I have not slipped up. If I can do it anyone can do it. It is easier said than done, but you just have to think about the baby!!!

Answer 4

That's really hard - i feel for you. When i found out i was preg both times i was a "social smoker" so didn't find it too hard to give up as i was probably just 1 a day. I did quit smoking a few years ago when i was smoking 10 - 15 a day and i just didn't beat myself up. I found it pretty easy when i just said "i'm not going to smoke anymore but if i struggle and have one then i'll just forgive myself and carry on". This meant that there was no "i've given up smoking pressure", i didn't have the stress of thinking that i was going cold turkey and it worked. As i wasn't pressuring myself i was able to give up the fags that i had during the day when it was just habit and when it came to stressful situation fags i did not pressure but approved of myself and got through that way. I know it's a bit different as you are pregnant but the more you stress about it the more you will smoke so try and relax and give yourself reasonable goals. Even if it means cutting down gradually and then stopping. Obviously it's not great for the baby but neither is feeling such worry. Alternatively, i know that the book by Alan Carr is amazing and lots of my friends gave up this way! Best of luck, xx

Answer 5

I know where you are coming from, i found out i was pregnant two days ago, i will be 5 weeks tomorrow, but i am still smoking the occasional cigarrette, i so so want to quit aswell have been smoking for 9yrs, i am going to go to the dr's and see what they can advise me on doing, in rare cases they may put you on some sort of nicotine replacement but only on a dr's advice, don't take advice from here go straight to your dr's about it they are the only ones that can really help and advise you.

x x x x

Answer 6

My friend smoked too. Her midwife told her to cut back and try to quit but dont do it cold turkey because it would place unneeded stress on her and the baby. A doctor said that if you smoke less than 5 a day it has little to no effect on the baby. Just cut back little by little and then just quit. I know its hard. Ive been there. Also, start in the day when you wake up. If you dont start out the day with a cigarette, you're less likely to experience cravings later in the day. I could go almost the whole day without a cigarette when I stopped smoking in the morning. If you dont quit, dont feel too bad. There are tons of perfectly healthy babies that are born to smoking mothers everyday. Babies that dont have asthma and breathing problems and such. My friends kid is now a healthy 4 year old. Hes only been sick once or twice with the common cold. If you dont quit though and you decide to breastfeed, wait at least one hour after smoking to feed or pump so the level of nicotine thats going into the milk is reduced. They say after one hour the nicotine should have made its way out of your body so its safe to give your baby the milk then. Good luck.

Answer 7

I found cutting down helped me, i was smoking about 15 a day, so i had to decide what was more important to me and of course my baby was my main concern.
I cut down and down till i was having 1 a day, afew drags in a morning, afew after lunch and then the same after dinner,willpower is the only thing i used,but i found it helped to look at my scan picture and think what smoke would be doing to my baby.
I haven't had a cig now since i was 12 weeks and my beautiful little girl is 16 months.
Good luck.

Answer 8

speak to your midwife there are programmes to help you quit and they can look at the best way for oyu. While i don't condone smoking when pregnant it is still incredibly hard to give up and withdrawl can affect your baby too. As I said speak to your midwife, good luck you have the best reason to quit now and support is out there

Answer 9

Congratulations on your pregnancy and good on you for wanting to do the right thing for your baby. Giving up smoking is the best thing you could do for your unborn child for so many reasons.
Here's an article that may help you:
http://health.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=58689

Answer 10

Vitally important to stop smoking especially in the early weeks when the baby is forming. I used patches throughout my two pregnancies, but I felt so sick in the early days that it was easy. I'm back smoking now though unfortunately.