hello to all
10-21-2004, 06:57 AM
:wave:
hello everyone. i have just found out i am pregnant and i desperately want to quit smoking for the health of my baby. i have been a smoker for over 10 years now and see this as the perfect opportunity to quit. trouble is i can't use any of the patches or other products as there are warnings on them all not to use in pregnancy. will power alone is useless. i have tried to stop, but it's so dificult, any tips??? i feel so guilty for smoking with my baby inside me, but the feeling of guilt just seems to stress me out ... then i smoke even more. any ideas on how to quit?
please advise x
hello everyone. i have just found out i am pregnant and i desperately want to quit smoking for the health of my baby. i have been a smoker for over 10 years now and see this as the perfect opportunity to quit. trouble is i can't use any of the patches or other products as there are warnings on them all not to use in pregnancy. will power alone is useless. i have tried to stop, but it's so dificult, any tips??? i feel so guilty for smoking with my baby inside me, but the feeling of guilt just seems to stress me out ... then i smoke even more. any ideas on how to quit?
please advise x
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elatedgiraffe
10-21-2004, 12:16 PM
Hey-
Congrats on your pregnancy! You're right, now is the perfect time to quit. I quit cold turkey over a year ago so it is possible to quit without all those aids. You know how awful smoking is while you are pregnant.
So throw those cigarettes in the trash! Find an empty jar and label it "Baby Fund" and everyday put the amount of money you spend on cigarettes in that jar. At the end of every 2 weeks go out and buy you something for you and your unborn baby. Get you several packs of gum to chew when you get cravings. Go for a walk and get some fresh air when you have a really bad craving. Tell your family and friends that this is important to you and that you need their support. You maybe quite moody from nicotine withdrawl and pregnancy hormones and they need to be understanding.
Pretty soon you'll feel better, you'll smell better, and you'll wonder why you ever starting smoking in the first place.
Good luck and once again, congrats!
Congrats on your pregnancy! You're right, now is the perfect time to quit. I quit cold turkey over a year ago so it is possible to quit without all those aids. You know how awful smoking is while you are pregnant.
So throw those cigarettes in the trash! Find an empty jar and label it "Baby Fund" and everyday put the amount of money you spend on cigarettes in that jar. At the end of every 2 weeks go out and buy you something for you and your unborn baby. Get you several packs of gum to chew when you get cravings. Go for a walk and get some fresh air when you have a really bad craving. Tell your family and friends that this is important to you and that you need their support. You maybe quite moody from nicotine withdrawl and pregnancy hormones and they need to be understanding.
Pretty soon you'll feel better, you'll smell better, and you'll wonder why you ever starting smoking in the first place.
Good luck and once again, congrats!
Tobias
10-21-2004, 03:04 PM
Do I understand from your post that, although you are pregnant, you are still smoking as we speak?
Have you consulted your doctor about advisability of using patch or gum INSTEAD of smoking and would this be any more harmful to your baby than smoking is now or would it be less harmful just as it is less harmful to a non-pregnant person to use nic replacement than to smoke cigarettes?
just a thought. Ask your doctor for sure to see if, given those 2 options, s/he would opt for nic replacement over smoking. Interesting to hear what they say.
Have you consulted your doctor about advisability of using patch or gum INSTEAD of smoking and would this be any more harmful to your baby than smoking is now or would it be less harmful just as it is less harmful to a non-pregnant person to use nic replacement than to smoke cigarettes?
just a thought. Ask your doctor for sure to see if, given those 2 options, s/he would opt for nic replacement over smoking. Interesting to hear what they say.
Terri43
10-21-2004, 03:39 PM
I also quit smoking cold turkey the day I found out I was pregnant. Have you thought about laser concepts. I heard that it works to quit smoking. congrats and good luck
hello to all
10-21-2004, 04:37 PM
thank you all for your advise, with reguards to what tobias was saying, i did speak to the doc and he said that nicotine replacement of any description while pregnant was a big no-no...i have decided to give it a try cold turkey...if you guys can do it i guess i have no excuse. i know it's gonna be hard but i guess if i take each day as it comes i will be able to get through this bit by bit, thank you all.
Nermal1975
10-23-2004, 05:57 AM
I feel like I'm talking to myself. I was a smoker for 10 years and then bam! I got pregnant. It was an unexpected surprise so I had no time to wean myself or quit before I got pregnant. It's not easy; quitting smoking is never easy but you HAVE to think about the health of that baby. My husband was the source of my support (he never smoked) and I couldn't live with myself if I was jeopardized the life WE created.
There's no easy way to say this but cold turkey is the only way to do it while you're pregnant. Chew a lot of gum and eat a lot of carrots. I gained a lot of weight (I attribute it to the quitting of smoking) while I was pregnant because I felt like I was saying goodbye to an old friend (smoking) and introducing myself to a new one (food.) Each day will get easier than the last, plus if you tell yourself you're "not quitting, I'll smoke again after I have the baby" it might make it a little easier.
Michelle
There's no easy way to say this but cold turkey is the only way to do it while you're pregnant. Chew a lot of gum and eat a lot of carrots. I gained a lot of weight (I attribute it to the quitting of smoking) while I was pregnant because I felt like I was saying goodbye to an old friend (smoking) and introducing myself to a new one (food.) Each day will get easier than the last, plus if you tell yourself you're "not quitting, I'll smoke again after I have the baby" it might make it a little easier.
Michelle
siren1024
11-01-2004, 12:16 AM
I too am pregnant and have quit smoking. I was told just the opposite by my doctor. If you think about it, how could pure nicotene be any worse than the cigarettes with all the carbon monoxide, nicotene and other chemicals for your baby? I wouldn't recommend a patch, but I began chewing 3 peices of gum a day, 2 the next day, 1 the next day, and quit on the 4th day with very little withdrawal. The key is not to use too much of anything, or anything extended release. I don't think a quick nic fix from the gum is going to hurt your baby at all, especially not compared to you smoking instead??? Some docs say that because they want you to quit cold turkey, which is definitely the best way. But I had alot of difficulty with it and was terribly short tempered with my 15 month old DS. I decided to take the gum rather that lash out at him in my w/d's.
I also quit smoking when I was PG with him and used the gum, and he is absolutely fine. My doc actually said "as a professional I can't recommend to you that you use nic. replacement. CT is best. But from me to you, pure nic. is better than smoking when used in moderation, when your baby is getting all the other junk from the cigarette." So I did the same thing with my DS and he is absolutely fine. I don't at all think an occasional piece of gum will harm your baby!!!!
I also quit smoking when I was PG with him and used the gum, and he is absolutely fine. My doc actually said "as a professional I can't recommend to you that you use nic. replacement. CT is best. But from me to you, pure nic. is better than smoking when used in moderation, when your baby is getting all the other junk from the cigarette." So I did the same thing with my DS and he is absolutely fine. I don't at all think an occasional piece of gum will harm your baby!!!!
JodyC
12-06-2004, 02:16 PM
OK, I found out I was pregnant 7 weeks ago, and I haven't been able to totally quit. I know this is terrible, I need help!!! I'll quit for a day, then the next day, I'll have one or two. I've cut down to one or two / day, but I want to quit totally. So far today, its 1:15 p.m. in the afternoon and I haven't had a cig. The problem is that I like to smoke. And there are so many triggers, morning coffee, driving home from work, etc. Plus, my husband still smokes, and I haven't had any luck getting him to not smoke around me. And, my sisters and a lot of my friends. It makes me mad b/c I would NEVER smoke around a pregnant woman. I feel like I have to remove myself from social situations b/c I don't want to be around the smoke anymore. Like last night, we had some friends over watching football in the basement and they were all smoking (at my house). I felt like I couldn't be around them anymore and went to bed early. I'm venting now. Somebody please help. I need support.
Kay33
12-06-2004, 03:14 PM
Hi Jody
Keep doing what you're doing. When I became pregnant, I quit that very day. I replaced it w/food, but at least I knew my son was healthy and he WAS! (even though I gained alot of weight).. I did lose it...but I sure enjoyed my 'license to eat' :cool: ....remember, pregnancy is TEMPORARY...try and keep that in mind...if you truly want to go back to smoking, you can, after 9 months, but, you'll have to go outside ;) ....but you want to give your baby the best start you can...they have no say, it's up to you to look out for him/her starting NOW....so do what you have to do...otherwise, the guilt would eat you up!
I know this sounds like a lecture, but being a parent means more sacrifice than you ever dreamed, and this is the first one. You can do it, and you'll be so glad you did...good luck.
Keep doing what you're doing. When I became pregnant, I quit that very day. I replaced it w/food, but at least I knew my son was healthy and he WAS! (even though I gained alot of weight).. I did lose it...but I sure enjoyed my 'license to eat' :cool: ....remember, pregnancy is TEMPORARY...try and keep that in mind...if you truly want to go back to smoking, you can, after 9 months, but, you'll have to go outside ;) ....but you want to give your baby the best start you can...they have no say, it's up to you to look out for him/her starting NOW....so do what you have to do...otherwise, the guilt would eat you up!
I know this sounds like a lecture, but being a parent means more sacrifice than you ever dreamed, and this is the first one. You can do it, and you'll be so glad you did...good luck.
redstarr987
12-06-2004, 10:40 PM
Good luck. I'm 20 weeks pregnant and struggled like crazy until yesterday. I know the guilt you're feeling. It stacks up but never seems to be enough. And it just makes you so mad because you know you would do anything in the world for your child. So you ask yourself why it isn't an easier task to drop the smoking. I'm only 2 days smokefree and already am feeling a lot better about myself. All that struggling and guilt starts to take a toll on your self esteem. It really makes you feel weak. It's going to be hard but trust me your pregnancy will be so much more full and exciting when you're not weighed down by guilt. You just have to tell yourself EVERYDAY that you and your baby are worth it.
TarahZ
12-07-2004, 09:56 PM
Read the book "Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking".
It's a blessing to pregnant. I hope you are able to quit. Good Luck!
It's a blessing to pregnant. I hope you are able to quit. Good Luck!