cigarettes and pregnancy

ok im around 15 weeks and 4 days pregnant, and im having a very hard time quitting   smoking... i only smoke like 2 or 3 a day. i have cut down from a pack a day... and i asked my doctor about the patch or the nicotine gum and she said itll probably do more harm than good and to just cut down and quit... i read that smoking can give you a premature baby and thats about the only thing. i understand the reasoning because smoking cuts your appetite and you dont gain alot of weight  therefore having a premature baby but i dont have a problem with eating and i am gaining weight... so 1. i want to find a way to quit and 2. how bad is smoking 2 or 3 cigarettes a day on the baby.

[RuthiePee]

I had the same thing when I was p/g with my dd 3 1/2 years ago. I am now a non-smoker :)  It was really tough but knowing you'll have a healthy baby is a great incentive. Nicotine passes directly through the placenta (like alcohol) and causes the umbilical cord to contract so the baby doesn't get as much blood through it. Hence smaller babies are more common - I don't think it's related to reduction in appetite- although that probably doesn't help either (That was my understanding- I may be wrong). Congrats on reducing down to so few cigarettes. You are doing great. Soon you'll have quit completely.Your goal is only 3 cigarettes away! Good Luck!

Ruth xx

[cyndy_07]

Visit this page: http://www.chem-tox.com/pregnancy/smoking.htm. you can also do some research on the internet. i quit smoking the day i found out i was pregnant, and belive me i still crave one one in a while but my baby's health is more important. congrats on cutting down. keep it up. just remember how you can say you love your baby and still unintentionally harm him. not trying to judge or make you feel bad, but this is something that really helped me. also, even when the father smokes it harms the baby. take care and best of luck. i believe you'll get over it.

[lovefamily]

Remember, everytime you smoke your baby does too.  I recently had two people in my family who could not kick the habit during pregnancy.  One had a low birth weight baby and the baby was born with breathing problems.  The other was born not big but an okay size.  But he had some breathing problems too and now continues to suffer with respitory problems and infections.  It is thought that the problems are because they smoked.  I'm real proud of you for cutting back to 3 a day.  You are so close to being off of them.  Set a time for yourself that you want to be totally nicotene free.  You don't want several months to go by and you are still saying the samething.  Decide when you are going to two then one, and then none.  Sometimes if we get to comfortable with where we are, we never acheive what we want.  That's the key, what do you want.  Set the timetable for you and do it.  I know the addiction is hard, but I know you can do it.  Try doing other things like eating mints, carrott sticks, busy yourself, and such.  I wish you and your little bundle of joy much success as you strive to achieve your goal.  

There are many sites on the internet that you can look up more info on the effects of smoking druing pregnancy, and second hand smoke to baby in the womb once he or she arrives.  

[shelzyx]

First of all I take my hat off to anyone who can quit smoking WELL DONE!!! I must say I have smoked during all of my 5 pregnancies (I cut down of cause from a pack to around 5-10 per day) I have 5 healthy children no problems 1st birth weight 9p 31/2 oz 2nd 6p 4oz 3rd 6p 5oz 4th 6p 12oz, our 5th baby did come early though 28wks 5 days at 3p 6oz but I was told directly by the Dr it had nothing what so ever to do with my smoking, I had an infection in my uterus, a urine infection and blood in my urine. They were all of the causes to my premature son. It was a tough road but he was a very healthy weight for his gestation he was in hospital for only 2 months and he came home. I am now pg with our 6th baby and I have cut down again. I have tried to quit don't get me wrong I know everyone may think "didn't try hard enough" but when I quit the 1st time my Great Nana past away then the 2nd I lost my Grandfather so I figured no more quitting just cut down. Sorry if I  went on I just wanted to tell my story about smoking and I'm not saying at all keep smoking QUIT if you can but don't stress about it too much. Any way good luck!!!

[mslkpage]

It's hard, but you can do it. I found out I was pg on a Friday and smoked my last ciggy the Sunday after I found out. I was a total B for 2-3 days afterwards (poor dh!), but then the cravings subsided A LOT.  If you're down to 2-3 cigs per day, I would just quit them all together. It will be hard for a few days, but then you'll be surprised how easy it is.

[pixijal]

Your doing well.  The dr. is right, feeding all of those chemicals into your bloodstream could do more harm than good.  Especially if your only smoking a few a day.   This is my fourth pregnancy, and I quit every time.  I just wean myself like you have, and then give it up altogether.  I always go back to it after delivery, but this time I am not.  I'm almost 35, and it is just time to knock it off.  Besides, I don't want to look old and smoked out when I hit my 40's.  

It isn't ok to smoke during pregnacy for several reasons.  Do your research, and educate yourself.  Sometimes this alone will deter you.  Good luck.  I have smoked for 15 years, I understand how difficult it is.  

[hungry]

I quit when I was around 5 weeks.  So I smoked for about 2 weeks after I found out i was pregnant.  It is hard, but I was online one day and saw what was developing during which weeks and the first few weeks are crucial for your baby's development.  When I realized that the liver and kidneys and brain were forming that early, I quit.  I still had cravings, but pictured me caring for a handicapped or retarded child because of my selfishness.  Now I cant stand the smell of cigarettes.  Which is how i was when i had my sons.  They make me want to throw up, so I have no cravings anymore and cant even be around people that smoke.  Its a good thing.  Im praying that once december comes, I will not start back up.  Its such a nasty habit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[shelzyx]

Your so right I'm certainly not saying that smoking is a good thing at all especially while pregnant. I just get so enoyed when anything goes wrong the 1st thing ever asked is "do you smoke" I didn't mean to come across bitchy either, I reread my post and I do apologise to anyone I offended. It is hard to QUIT and people say "just quit" it's not that easy. It can be done yes for sure.. I just haven't found the right time I guess I know it will happend..

[Jenny33]

Smoking DOES NOT cause premature birth because you don;t gain a lot of weight!  It causes premature birth because it starves the baby of oxygen!  I quit 3 months b4 trying to concieve (conceive).  There are so many things that can go wrong with a pregnancy, why add to it? I would be completely overcome with guilt if something that I had control over had negatively affected my baby! It's hard, but people quit everyday...it's certainly not impossible!

[pertykitty]

you can do it!! you can give birth to healthy chubby babies, the effects of smoking might not show till they are older kids. asthma , possible intelligence definiencies, possibly add.  i researched this and its pretty frightning. i gave it up when i saw my bfp as well as the other ladies here. if you feel you cant go cold turkey, since you are so close already, how about 2 on one day, then one a day for a few, then none! in a week you can be smoke free. i think the hardest thing is what to do with your usual smoking habits. create new ones. we are all here to help support you~

[shelzyx]

I just wanted to add my parents are non smokers and myself, my 2 brothers and my Dad have asthma, heart and lung troubles so it DOES NOT mean that smoking is the cause of all of this I don't understand why people blame smoking all of the time... NOT RIGHT AT ALL!!!!!! It is called LIFE.....

[pertykitty]

your right, life sucks and some people get sick. the kind of sickness that normally goes along with smoking. it goes without saying though, a person who smokes gives the odds that much more help. im sorry your family has health issues. if you look at the research you will see what smoking can do to an unborn baby. that is what we are discussing, not necessarily the after its born and grown, but in the womb. that baby gets all the chemicals that are stuffed into one cig.   after they are born they go through withdrawls.  its a preventative measure to quit while pg.  its like playing russian roullette. sure you can chance it and maybe you will win.  but maybe you wont.  

[anxiousmomtobe?]

You are almost there, you can do it, give those nasty things up.

Personally I think cigarettes are nasty, they make your skin old, your teeth yellow and your environment smelly.  I am allergic to nicotine and tar so I can't even visit relatives who are smokers as I get sick as soon as I enter their house.

Hats off to everyone who kicks this habit.  I have watched my step-father struggle and it sure doesn't look easy.

By the way, I had a friend who smoked during her pregnancy, baby was low birth weight, was missing a vessel in the umbilical cord and had respiratory problems for many years after birth.

[pertykitty]

i started smoking very young. before i could drive. i quit when i was pg with my almost 9 year old. it was easier for me than some i suppose. i started again after i finished breastfeeding. bad choice!  i quit again after getting my bfp.  it was a difficult time to quit. you figure not counting the time i quite for my son i smoked for 20 years!! at 35 i had been seeing the smallest of lines around my lips. ICK!! my skin wasnt as "bright" as other women my age that didnt smoke. i smelled. my son hated it, which is bs that i couldnt have just quit when he asked me to. its hard no doubt!! and the money i have now!! lol. like i said the hardest was the habit of what i did when i smoked. my best friend till a few days ago smoked too. we would talk for an hour and chain smoke while we did. now when i talk to her i clean or fold laundry or do something to fill that void, but its easy now. my girlfriend started crosswords, i did that too, she walked. it wasnt like i just put down the last cig and said no more and whammo i was done. i really enjoyed smoking! my dh smokes, he will quit before he comes home so it will be great. i also realize i dont want my son to start. he knows better and says he will never, but he is young. i hope he follows his advice he gave me all the time!!

[Nicki1433]

My mom smoked while pregnant with my brother and he suffers from asthma.  My cousin smoked with her twins and although they were full term, they were low birth weight and now have significant respiratory infections, require a nebulizer, have severe allergies, eczema, and asthma.  

Just put your mind to it!  You have to do this for your baby (and all future ones) and yourself...your baby is going to need his/her mommy for a long time to come and smoking puts that at risk!

I will pray for you!

Nicki

[wisconsingoofball]

Low birth weight, still birth, asthma, emphysema, RSV, prematurity and all the problems associated with that. You can't say you love your baby and continue to smoke while pregnant. I know that sounds harsh, but it's the truth. If you can't make this one sacrifice for your child, you'll never be able to live up to all the other sacrifices that come with motherhood. I quit the day I found out I was pregnant with my son, and again the day I found out I was pregnant this time around. Wish I loved myself as much as I love my babies - maybe I'd be able to quite for myself for good, but at least I did it for them. I've never once regretted quitting for them, but would have a ton of regrets if they were born with any problems that I may have been able to prevent. Now isn't the time for selfishness and weakness. You'll have to be selfless and strong in the years to come, so start now. This is actually easy compared to all the other things you'll do as a mother. Studies show that when a mother inhales cigarette smoke, her baby's heart rate races, many times up to 190 beats per minute. That's dangerous! Tell yourself every day you love your baby more than you love your cigarettes. If you can't say that, you have some serious soul searching to do. Every time you think about lighting up, say that out loud over and over, and picture your baby. You'll be able to quit. Best of luck to you and your unborn child.