smoking while pregnate?

Well I am about 11 weeks and It i so hard to quit and I have cut down alot but I am wanting to quit any advice? I just really hope I can quite before any thing bad happens. I am desperate for some advice. Thank you

[tnjcornwall]

I know how tuff it is to quit. I used to smoke. the thought of hurting a life besides my own was more than I could bare. It is weird how if I was not pregnant or breastfeeding and it was just me I was hurting, I did not care so much. There are so many thing out of your control in prgnancy but this is in your  control. There are a lot of woman on this site that would love nothing more than to be in your shoes and pregnant. You don't want to risk any kind of complications from smoking. It took alot for you to admit to doing it and that you want to stop. That is the most important thing you sound like you really want to quit. Try sucking on a piece of candy or gum everytime you have the urge. It helped me a little, just to take my mind of of it. I will pray for you and the strength you need to stop. Good luck. It is possible. And do not ever start back after you have the baby. I was an idiot and did and have had to stop repeatedly. It is rediculous, I will not ever pick one up again. The things they put in cigaretts is unbeleivable, just to get you addicted. It is very hard, but I know you will succeed.

[ally76]

All I can really say is just think of that beautiful little baby in your tummy.  You want to give it the best start and best life right?  Why not start now.  I am ttc and I also have the ocassional smoke but Im not addicted so when I do find out Im pregnant I quit cold turkey...I have been preggers 2x but m/c.  I know its a very hard thing to give up but just take it one day at a time.  Good luck!!

[mgi]

let me start by saying don't get me wrong I don;t think preg women should smoke

But let me tell you a story
I have a friend who has five kids.  (age 21-9)  you know what her doc told her when she got pregnant?  "try to cut down"  can you believe it?  she smoked with all of the first four.  not the last.  funny the last one is teh least bright!  I don't think there is a conenction but it is odd.  she smoked with the others,

I hope you can quit - but good luck and do the best you can!

[Momoftwogirls]

my dr. said the same thing - cut back - more than a 1/2 pack a day is most worrisome to him as a dr.....but we all know we shouldn't and try, try TRY not to....

[AnnieBrooke]

It might help with motivation to google the issue, fetal health and maternal smoking or something like that.  I have been amazed how many things besides low birth weight are linked to it.  I think in the past month they even came out on the news with a link to ... was it autism?  or maybe Downs.  So if you want to help yourself by scaring yourself, look it up online.  Good luck!  

ps -- A friend of mine quit through hypnosis, and said it was easy.

[aceisluved5]

Well thank you everybody the funny thing is with my daughter I quit when I was 8 weeks pregnate it was hard but I did it but then me being pregnate now its so hard. I ask my self why but I know I can do it especially people motivating me to quit thanks you guys wish me luck because I am going to for my beautiful baby. I am not going to lie and say its going to be easy or I am not going to promise you I will quite cold turkey because then I would be lying but I am going to pray and make sure I quite for my baby. Thanks again

[lovefamily]

Smoking while pregnant is so bad.  My father died the day before turning 51 because of Cig. Smoking.  I get so angry at the tobacco companies for putting so much in the cigs to cause them to be so addicting.  I suffer with asthma and allergies that the doctors said was caused from second hand smoke as a child.  Babies born to smokers have more ear infections, bronchial problems, asthma, and such.  If you can't do it for yourself than do it for your baby.  I have been trying to conceive.  I just had a M/C last month.  I do everything healthy and right.  No caffiene, no processed meats, lots of fruits and vegies.  When I am out and I see a pregnant women smoking, I actually get angry.  It is like I can feel my blood pressure rise.  This is awful to admit, but I want to go up and smack the cig out of her hand and smash it.  Please quit and once you do, do not pick them back up.  

I have been around people who say, we smoke outside not around our kids.  But when I am around their kids they still smell like smoke.  I feel so sorry for those children that they have to live like that.  Also, you have to set the example for your children in how you want them to act.  Do you want your baby to be a smoker later on?  I will pray that God helps you to break this addiction.  Get lots of carrot sticks to munch on and things like that when you want a cigarette.  Say to yourself, that you have the power over your body and do not allow anything to have such control over you.  It will be hard, but you are making the right step now by asking for help.  I am proud of you for that.  I hope you are succesful.  Good luck.

Blessings to you and your baby!

[kamiyama]

Hi there, yea I can only support the last poster, I am one child of six in my family, my mother smoked through the entire pg with all six of us, and we all had a learning disibility at school, we were therefor tormented by other school students and school was a living nightmare the whole 13 years......... That might give you something to think about. I go nuts when I see parents smoking around children and unlike the previous poster I get very loud and confromt the parents. I very rarely visit my parents as booth of them smoke and I do not want to put myself or my daughter in danger. I have also advised my parents that this is the reason I do not go home but they are so so hooked on them that they do not care....So selfish.

I do not mean to be cruel, but every time you pull on a cig. you cut off your unborn childs circulation, thus leading to brain defitsits. I know as I was one of those unborn children.

*************QUIT SMOKING******************************
The best of luck to you and may you have the strength to stop!

[emma10]

They have this great "homeopathic" stuff at Walmart, it is in a white, blue & red package (can't remember the name) right near the nicorette stuff / patches.  It has little tiny pills you take when you get a craving and a little spray bottle to squirt in your mouth.  Now, listen, I smoked for a LONG LONG time since like 19, til at least 35, then off for kids, then started again. I wore patches (for like years, whoops) chewed gum etc. Nothing worked. But this stuff which is totally nontoxic, drug-free, safe, made the craving go away. I was able to quit.  Haven't smoked in I don't know how long and I didn't have to keep taking it.  I had a very strong motivation to quit and you do too so you just need help with the physical part.  Go look and see. I found the "detox tea" too which clears the nicotine out of your system (and other toxins) helped too but ask your doctor as that IS herbal and can maybe be harmful when pregnant--at any health food store.

[marieamy]

I too am a smoker.  I've gotten pregnant 2x and quit cold turkey the day I found out.  We ttc for over 2 years, had fertility problems and when we're were finally blessed, I quit right away.  Unfortunately, we lost both pregnancies and I started back up immediately following the ending of the pregnancies however, I know if and when we conceive again, I will quit immediately.  It's taken me so long and we've been through so much emotional pain, I'm not gonna continue smoking once we've coneived.  I think it's unfair to your baby, and your family.  It drives me nuts hearing that people smoke and go on to have healthy pregnancies and I've lost 2 pregnancies, had fertility problems, and stop smoking immediately once I've tested.  In my head, and many others on this site i'm sure, feel we keep sacrificing things and losing our babies while others go on to make no sacrificies and have healthy babies.  It doesn't make sense.  I'm sorry if this sounds mean and it's great you can admit your struggle with cig's, just think of all of us who wish we could be 11wks but are not and maybe that can help you cut back at the very least.

[lovefamily]

Do you think if you would quit smoking it would make you healthier before conception and possibly help with fertility and those early months of pregnancy?  I know how we treat our body's before pregnancy is important too.

Hope you get blessed quick with sticky baby dust!

[lovefamily]

I had a aunt who also smoked throughout her entire pregnancies.  She would bost about the fact that her babies would be born with low birth weights.  She thought they were easier to have.  She would go past her due date and have babies that were born around 5 or 6 lbs.  I thought how sad.  Her kids did suffer health problems because of it.  She would never admit to it though.  Her kids seem to have ADD and a lot of allergie problems.  Soooo sad.  She still smokes to this day.  Many of us in the family cannot even visit because it is so bad.  Out of her 5 children only one seem to do well at school.  But what is sad is she had grown up now with many additions herself and has made nothing of her life.  The examples we set are sometimes hard for our children not to follow them.  I am proud of you that you did not follow in your parents footsteps.  I likewise would not allow myself to follow in my Dad's footsteps.  I wanted more for my kids than I had.  The maternal extinct in some is stronger than in others.

[babyLevi]

I was a heavy smoker when I found out I was pregnant and my doctor told me to not quit cold turkey but to cut back by one cig a day until I was down to one a day then quit. I tried but it was very hard and until I was about 18 weeks I smoked about 7 cigs a day. Then one night I had a horrible dream that my baby boy didn't make it after delivery because of all my smoking. I have not touched a cig since. Just picture your child with a cig hanging out its mouth every time you want to smoke. Hope this helps. I know that it is hard
GOod luck

[myproblem]

Can I just ask (not trying to start a fight):
Why start again? I've known of so many who quit for the whole pregnancy, and the day they check out of the hospital, they right right back up. You protect your baby in the womb, but the day they're born, you don't need to protect them anymore? I just don't get it. It's so hard to quit, and you know smoking is dangerous. Why go back to it? Is the mental part of the addiction that strong?

[Hope2OneDay]

Check for a hypnotist in your area. My MIL was hypnotized for her smoking, and it worked...she stopped smoking!
However, after a couple of months, she still could not understand why she wouldn't smoke just because of being hypnotized. So she wanted to "see if she could still smoke".
Well, of COURSE she could! If she had left well enough alone, she'd be cig free today. But she started back, and has been smoking ever since. She swears that she'll quit for good if we take her to another hypnotist to have it done again. She promises she won't force herself back into it.

Anyway, just an idea!

[babyLevi]

To anwser your question yeah the mental addiction is THAT strong sometime. Are you a smoker or ever been????? This is my first pregnancy and I have quit and don't smoke anymore. The smell of it actually makes me sick now, i know that I don't want to start again after I have my son but i guess you never know. I am gonna try my best to stay away. But if you have never been a smoker then you will NEVER understand how hard it can be. If that makes any since.

[jewel451]

I am 11 weeks pregnant, i am having such a hard time quitting.... i'm terrified that i am killing my lil one in there.  i've had two other children both healthy my first 6 pounds 7 ounces... my second 7 pounds 6 ounces... now i smoked thro out both... (naughty me!)  before when i was pregnant there was not the education there is today on smoking and baby!  (there is almost 10yrs between this child and my last)

Now, i am not using this as a excuse to continue to smoke... but, i am wondering, why are there not rehabs for mothers wanting to quit... or other social programs. accessible for mom's to be!  

as i've seen on this site, there are many women such as myself that want to quit... but as any ADDICTION are having great difficulty.

I am an addicted mother who really needs help.