Smoking, and trying to quit.

Hey girls, as most of you know im 6w preggers with twins, and I am currently a smoker and have been for 14 years. Im wanting to quit smoking, and it is incerdibly(sp) hard. A lot of the quit smoking products are not safe for the babies, doc said smoking is safer than the patch, gum, or lozenges.

It looks like Im stuck trying to quit cold turkey. It doesnt bother me not to smoke, as it tends to make me a bit sicker than usual. I was just wondering if any of you were smokers, and what you did to quit smoking.

BTW. my hubby smokes as well, and I think if I quit first, it will help him, as he will have to go outside to do it lol.

Thanks in advanced.

[beautifullychaotic]

Well the doctor told my sister to not go cold turkey as it can put the fetus in withdrawl (withdrawal).  But being that you are 6 weeks..I dont know if it would bother anything.  Just limit your self.  I smoked with my son for the middle 3 months. Dont ask me why I stopped and then started and then stopped again. But the doctor told me that as long as I keep it under 5 a day. Which I didnt go over 2 at the time. I think I was going through alot of stress and I was only 18 and was dumb. But either way..my son was 8lbs 7 oz and 21 inches. The only thing he had problems with was ear infections. Which his dad used to get bad when he was little and it happend to my son. If that had anything with me smoking or not I dont know.. But I know that I wont go there again!

[BTS1022]

Well my other 2 kids both boys weighed in at over 9 pounds and I smoked with both of them. I havent had any breathing issues as of yet and they are 4 and 2, still isnt an exscuse to smoke. Im hoping I can quit really soon, as I tend to smoke more than a pack a day, and I need to quit not only for the babies but for myself aswell. Thanks for the info! I think I will just slowly try and cut back.

[Jame0223]

Im a smoker and I may be pregnant too. Im testing this friday. Period should be here tomorrow but who knows because I miscarried and then went of bc then went off within 6 months so my cycle may be screwed up. I smoke a half a pack a day..and when I was pregnant last time, I didnt quit. I never felt more sick with smoking, never felt sick at all actually. I'm wondering how I'll quit too. I also heard to not quit cold turkey..I think Im going to cut it down a cig a day. Then when I get to the last one Ill probably smoke it all day long lol, couple drags here and there. Then Im just going to have to not smoke! Just try not to think about it. I dont know haha Im afraid of quitting too. Its not going to be fun but hey if its for the baby then hey were doing it for the better! I know this probably doesnt help but youre not alone! Good luck!

[JoyRenee]

I just watched Oprah and Dr. Oz was on there talking about this (not with pregnancy, just smoking in general). He said the best thing to do is set a Quit Date and gradually lessen how much you smoke and by that date stop smoking. You will go through withdrawal so you need to make sure someone is going to help keep you accountable for a few days (hubby, friend, parent, etc.). I'm sure you can find this on Oprah's website too!

[onlyme27]

With my first, I did quit cold turkey. Don't know how!  I started back the day I brought him home from the hospital though.  This time, I was smoking 2 packs a day.  Right now I am down to about 2-4 cigs a day.  I find that if I tell myself I can't smoke and I don't have any with me I want them more.  I just have some on me at all times and chew a lot of gum. I was buying them by the carton. Now I only buy a pack every 2-3 days. My husband smoke too, like a freight train.  I have noticed that he has started cutting back since I have.  When he lights one up, I go to the other run or turn on the fan.  He seems to notice this and tries to keep the smoke out of my face.  That helps some.  

[budjaz]

Hey.. been there.. but I was a loser and didnt' quit with any of mine cuz I was told the same thing about quitting cold turkey was just as bad for the baby as smoking a lot... so I just tapered down to like 5 cigarettes or less a day and pretty much used that as my exucse to not quit.. but luckily I have 3 babies and they all weighed over 7 pounds and they are all compeltely healthy.. no problems whatsoever...  good luck to ya!  

[BTS1022]

Thanks guys for all the advice and input. Im going to talk to hubby on setting a quit date. Im going to try and quit completely, but if I can't, I will atleast cut myself way down. Im not sure why I really want to quit with this pregnancy, as I have smoked with the others. I think im just paranoid about a m/c. This is the very last pregnancy I will have, as hubby is fixed. Although if I can get knocked up once while him being fixed, I can prolly get pinned again lol.

Anyways thank you all so much, and I will let you know the quit date AFTER I take hubby to get an xbox 360 game lol.

[natashalo8]

check out this new pill called chantix. it's a 3 month pill program. it's pretty expensive and insurance won't cover it. I don't know if you can take it while pregnant so definitely look into that part of it. i have heard many success stories from others who have used it. the hospital i work at just recently became a non smoking facility. the dr.'s on staff were more than happy to write prescriptions for the staff here. good luck!

[chitten]

I am 13 weeks and ive cut down from 15-20 a day to no more that 3-5 a day. My midwife also says weaning yourself off is better that to stress yourself out and go cold turkey

[kazwel]

Hi,  I am in the same boat as you.  I smoked through my first pregnancy (9yrs ago). But this time i really want to quit.  I set a quit date and i am down to about 8 a day (which is great for me)  I usually smoke 2 pks day,  I have been smoking for 21 yrs, My df is going to quit with me.  
Good luck to both of us.  :)
Kazwel

[BabyHardiman]

I have known MANY cases of smokers who give birth to babies who have constant ear and eye infections.  I would quit now!  Actually, I would have quit the day I found out.  I am not a smoker, and I don't claim to know what it's like to have that habit, but I wouldn't be thinking of myself in a time in my pregnancy where the risk of miscarriage is high.

[BabyHardiman]

Girl, you are way to pretty to be smoking!!  Do you know what that stuff does to your skin, teeth, hair, fingernails.... YUCK!!  Not to mention your LUNGS.  That was a shocker to me to read that you are a smoker.

[suslang]

I smoked almost a pack a day till we got our first positive and then I stopped.  I am now 12 weeks, and every few days or so I'll have one or two.  Sometimes it's easier to smoke a cigarette then risk the stress to the baby.  My husband and I have been working on it, and I just cut down, it's what my cousin did.  Slowly take them out of your day-to-day living.  She wasn't finally free until 6 months, but she didn't go back after the fact either.  Just keep trying and anytime you need support we can bounce back and forth, cause some days I definitely need it to.

It is really nice to see that people are supportive and not judgemental.  I started smoking 9 years ago when I was a stupid kid, I definitely wouldn't start now!

[waitn838]

i was a smoker for 10+ years as well....when i was preg with my son it took me 3 months to quit cold turkey and i regretted him when he was so little and had lung problems

as soon as i had the thought i might be preg i decided to slim down on how many i smoke a day...2 days after my BFP when it was confirmed at the doc i quit cold turkey...just done

ive been smoke free a little over 2 months now and am hoping to be done for good...my bf is a heavy smoker and his cigs smell yucky and yes they do make me sicker too but i dont let him smoke in the house

good luck to you and congrats on the bundles

[lidalbit]

I've only been smoking two year so I couldn't imagine how hard it would be to quit after 14 years.  My husband also smokes along with just about all my friends....Especially if they start drinking. It's so hard for me to quit but I've only been smoking 2 a day because they've been making me sick....but I still crave them.....I purposely didn't buy anymore last night to try and make it through today...but when the hubby gets home is when it's going to be hard...he said he would try to quit with me...so ask your hubby bout that....goodluck....goodluck to ALL trying to quit!

[evthing4reason]

as a non-smoker I'm not really in a place to say you should quit smoking- i know it's not easy but here are my thoughts-
cutting back is a lot healthier on the baby then quitting cold turkey, although not smoking is the best for babe and you
living with a heavy smoker can be just as bad for the baby as you smoking
i live in nova scotia, canada- and parts of the province have introduced a new by-law that you cannot even smoke in your car if there is a child in it (can't remember age of child either 9 or 12), and our whole province is considering the law as well.
my aunt had a baby die of sids after having a house full of chain smokers for the night
i hope that you can all quit and i hope that your partners will support you and quit themselves
GOOD LUCK

[guatmommy]

I quit as soon as the dr confirmed I was preg.  I quit cold turkey!!  The baby's dad smokes and actually it drives me nuts to be around it- i can't stand thesmell- and then I smell of it afterwards...ughhh....  You can have pre-term labor from being around 2nd hand smoke!

[natashalo8]

i also wanted to state that I read in a magazine (Pregnancy Health I think but don't quote me on that) that if a mother smokes while pregnant it increases her babies chances of dying from SIDS. I can't remember the exact % but it was alarming to me. It was in a February issue so it's recent. Good luck on trying to quit! I know how difficult it can be.

[BTS1022]

So far so good, I have set a date for March 15th, to give me time to wean myself and my beans off the nicotine. So far so good. I have cut back to about 4 a day. I didnt have any today as the morning sickness is getting worse. Hubby has cut back as well, and when we do smoke we go outside, so the smell in the house doesnt tempt us to much.

It will be a hard battle but Im sure all will be well, especially if this morning sickness keeps getting worse lol.

Thank you to everyone, you all have been very supportive and your advise has helped tons. I knew the risks of smoking while pregnant, just wasnt sure how to quit and be successful. Once again thank you all very much.

[evthing4reason]

congrats and good luck. i know you will probably get lots of advice on quitting so here's mine take it or leave it- try sucking on the old fashion pink peppermints. the peppermint is supose to help with morning sickness (so is ginger-but candied ginger is quite bitter but it really worked for me) also the peppermint will give you something else to absently minded do instead of smoking

[beautifullychaotic]

CHEW LOTS OF GUM!!! And Good luck!

[chitten]

I too have one or two when i need them, although havent had one today yet so am getting stronger everyday!

I believe cutting down is better than cold turkey, otherwise after a stressful day at work or after getting sh*t from the ex id be climbing the walls and gouging my eyes out lol