Quitting smoking while pregnant

[MommyAbi]

I'm looking for support so please only leave constructive comments or ignore my post. I am nearing the end of first tri and want to quit but its much harder and taking longer than I thought it would. People tell me to just quit cold turkey but it is so much harder than just quitting and I feel like no one understands or commends my efforts :( I was a heavy smoker before becoming pregnant(a pack a day for many years) but have cut down drastically to only 5 a day, I know that it's not enough though and I want to quit completely. My question is, is there any non smoking aids that are safe during pregnancy? Or any tips from personal experience quitting? Thanks in advance.

[Lyrasmommy]

Quitting smoking cold turkey can be worse for the baby, especially 1st trimester. Whatever withdrawals you go through so does the baby. The lungs aren't working yet in the first few weeks of pregnancy as well. When I quit it helped to put all of the cigarettes in a coffee cup that I would smoke in a week and every week take 1 or 2 away. Once it gets easier you can just stop. Get support from other people who are either currently going through quitting or have already quit. Non judgemental people that realize that you are stopping an extremely hard addiction. More people quit hard drugs than cigarettes. You are on the right path. It will take time, but you can do it :)

[Annabi]

First of all well done you for cutting down that much! I was a smoker before I fell pregnant with my first and I know how hard it is to stop, although for me, the baby inside me was much more important to me than smoking so I quit cold turkey and it was only difficult for the first couple of days. Keep yourself busy. Also I had an information leaflet that told me how not smoking for whatever amount of hours /days /weeks etc affected mine and my babys health. I also watched the effects of smoking had on an unborn baby on YouTube and that was really eye opening. And people saying that it is more harm to the baby quitting cold turkey is absolute rubbish!! Baby will benefit hugely from mum stopping smoking, every time you smoke a cigarette the poor baby's heartbeat beats so fast, it already beats faster than mums as it is so small. I wish people would do their research before commenting on things like this! And just because your baby is fine from you smoking does not mean that every baby will be fine. I really hope you manage to find a way to quit lovely, your heading in the right direction so well done to you!! All the best hun x

[miakent1998]

Quitting cold turkey is worse for the baby because the baby will go through nicotine withdrawals just as u would but worse off my obgyn told me that cutting back on them is a lot better if I would like to quit keep cutting back until I'm at 1 or 2 then stop cold turkey.it works a lot better than u'd think

[remy75]

A pack a day down to 5 a day...good for you! Keep going. Talk to your doctor for options. It will help to remember you want the best for your baby. Good luck!

[sweetbee3]

I currently smoke,  I'm 35 weeks i smoked with my other two childern & they are healthy with no health problems, as my mother smoked with all 5 of her childern. & we are fine.


I did try to stop when i was about 18 weeks  . Lasted 1 week. But if you have some extra money laying around there is rhis gum at CVS that cost 36 $. And its amazing! My aunt used it. That was 5 ywars ago and she no longer smokes.

Best of luck!!!


P s your dr can give you a orescription for patches. they did help me, i just desided i wasnt actually rwady and started smoking again

[lucie27]

When I was in school our teacher was trying to quit smoking she rubbed some of the ash on her wrist and every time she wanted one she said she would smell it and it was so nasty that it put her off. I can't stomach the smell of cigarettes and my partner smokes which makes me gag every time I get close to him when smoking so I can understand how this may work but I'm not a smoker so I can't say for definite. Also try talking to your doctor they may prescribe gum or a spray or something with out harsh chemicals in and a safe amount of nicotine. good luck to you it will be worth it in the long time it's just breaking the habit that's the hard part x