Plz dont judge (smoking)

[Lilpreciouse]

so recently ive found out im pregnant and im a smoker

once i found i cut down to one a day but i am trying to stop all together but it can be quite streful has anyone got any useful tip to try and stop completely??

x

 

[HBGirl]

Yes. Think of your baby and stop. As someone who has a high risk baby I can't imagine endangering my little girl.

 

[Balloo]

It is very hard to stop once you've become a smoker. I was before I had my LO. I found out and stopped completely but it was really hard work! I recommend going to your doctors for help/advice if your struggling to do it; but cutting down to one a day is actually a very good start to giving up completely. Just keep thinking of your LO whenever you want to smoke. Just remember you've already cut down to just one a day! Have you tried doing something else when u feel the cravings? I was always suggested a lollipop but as someone with a weight problem I didn't feel this was helpful! I used carrot or celery sticks and would wash my hands or dot he washing up-anything to keep my hands busy!! Lol. A friend gave up by learning to knit-every craving shed knit something! Good luck Hun xx

 

[Lilpreciouse]

Yes. Think of your baby and stop. As someone who has a high risk baby I can't imagine endangering my little girl.

Im not doing it on purpose if i had found out sooner i would have given up by now but i only found out last weds, this pregnancy was a shock to me i thought i was ust feeling unwell.

I feel guilty enough as it is if i didnt care about my lil baby i wouldn be trying to stop, im not trying to endanger he/she.

 

[LiEfti]

Hii...
I can totally relate, was a smoker, found out I was pregnant recently (right after conception) and I just quit. It wasn't the easiest thing to do, but eventually the craving will subside and be less frequent. The first 3 days are always the hardest, but once that 72 hours passed, it is easier not to give in and light up. Try candy or tic-tac or raw cucumber/celeries if you suddenly have the urge. Also be careful not to always reach out for food to curb the craving, don't want to pile unnecessary pounds, because we will all pile on the pounds during pregnancy, but you want it to happen gradually. Anyway, good luck, and HTH. Nobody can tell you what to do or force you to quit, it is all up to you. Stay strong.

 

[HBGirl]

I am an ex smoker. I am not speaking out of turn. Cravings last 20 minutes, fact. Tough it out. Your child deserves it.

 

[want2bemommy]

I was a smoker when I found out and it still took me a while to fully quit. By first trimester I was done. Under drs guidance you can still use the patch- talk to them and good luck- at least you are trying!!

 

[sojourn]

I am an ex smoker. I am not speaking out of turn. Cravings last 20 minutes, fact. Tough it out. Your child deserves it.

She KNOWS her child deserves it. That's why she is trying to quit. She's clearly seeking advice and help. Maybe since you have quit yourself, you could offer some helpful advice instead of painfully obvious statements that are only jabs and judgement passing.


OP-here are some things that might help (with links to peer-reviewed medical information provided. I am that kind of person. Validated research helps me decide what to believe and what actions to take).


Cravings are a symptom of withdrawal. Each person will experience withdrawal symptoms differently. It will be impacted by how much you have smoked and for how long, but there are other factors too.
https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000953.htm

The psychosocial element of smoking is more to blame for cravings than the physically addictive properties of nicotine (this is why you'll usually crave cigarettes during activities when you used to smoke. Drinks with friends, driving in the car, coffee on the patio or breaks during work for me!)
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100713144920.htm
^this was published in a journal, but linking to it was hard and required a subscription to a service. This article sums up the study.

Only about 1 in 20 people are able to successfully quit smoking by going cold turkey. People have much greater chances of success with a step-down method. There is also NO noticeably reduction in risk (pregnant or otherwise) to your health when stepping down or going cold turkey.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23152252

In my OPINION (this is not a fact, simply my interpretation of the evidence/research), the best way to quit would be to rapidly step down (vs. going cold-turkey). This method seems to have a high number of people that are able to quit initially as well as sustain a smoke-free lifestyle.

This website explains the symptoms/triggers and offers some advice. It seemed very helpful!
https://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Tobacco/symptoms-triggers-quitting


GOOD FOR YOU! Good job doing the best you can for your baby. You're doing a great job already. Best of luck quitting soon

 

[Mrs HM]

Well done for cutting back, now just replace that one a day with something else and you're done.

I smoked before I got my bfp with my DS and I stopped the minute I got the bfp. I know it is hard, but as someone else said, the cravings and withdrawals don't last for very long. You really have done the hard part already.

Put the cash you'd spend on cigs into a jar and go each week or month and buy yourself something nice or something new for your baby.

Good luck, I promise you won't regret quitting for yourself and your baby.

 

[xxenigmaxx]

I don't smoke and never have, and I used to judge others who did. However, after reading a lot about smoking and its addictive properties, I feel much more compassion for others who have a smoking addiction. I don't have much advice, but I want to say - good for you! Good for you for wanting to quit, and for seeking help and advice. It shows how much you already care for your baby and want the best for him or her. I can't imagine how hard it must be. You are doing the right thing, and the right thing might very well be to slowly stop smoking over the next week vs going cold turkey. Talk to your doctor, and look up other forums on this site. There have been a lot of people who have asked the same question on here, and there is a lot of good advice. Stay strong, and you are making a wonderful choice to stop for your baby. Great job!

 

[HBGirl]

Jabs? I think suggesting you think of your child is motivation above all else. To me my child is more important then any craving.

 

[onceisenough1]

Try to ride out the cravings or talk to your doctor about alternatives. You only have 9 months to able to shelter this baby so protect her or him all that you can.
I have a crazy caffeine habit to the point where my doctor called me out on it. I have been trying to switch to decaf but i know its hard. Good luck

 

[ClaireJ23]

Try to imagine putting a cigarette in your baby's mouth and asking them to inhale it so that the nicotine, carbon monoxide, tar and thousands of other harmful chemicals go into their bloodstream and tiny body.

You wouldn't do it, would you? Maybe that will help you next time you think of picking up that 'one' cigarette.

https://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/2023.aspx?CategoryID=53

 

[lavenderbrown]

my mother smoked while pregnant with me. it was only when she got pregnant with my younger brother she decided to stop. i think she ended up going cold turkey. if i was a smoker i'd probably replace my smoking habit with a cheeseburger habit instead (omg, im craving cheeseburgers soooo badly) no advice here, but good luck on quitting

 

[The Alchemist]

I'm sure she knows it's damaging to smoke while pregnant. She IS trying and is here to ask for tips. Some of you lady's suggestions came off cold and at this point right now, that doesn't work. Sorry. Like I said, she KNOWS. I'm sure she has IMAGINED that with every cigarette smoked, it's like sticking it in the baby's mouth. There is no need to go there. Which is why she is here for the tips and advice and support - not to kind of be "talked down on". It's a sensitive moment and I am sure she is already hormonal so she doesn't need that KIND of (ineffective) advice. Show a little compassion rather than cold hearted tips, something she KNOWS.

OP: I was a smoker too. I had been smoking for years before I found out I was pg with dd1.

Everyone's journey to healing is different. As long as you keep working at your goal, you will get there. You'll stop. It must come from a deep desire for it and then you WILL stop. You CAN do it! Don't let anyone say you can't and don't let anyone belittle you along the way.

 

[ClaireJ23]

It is possible to quit, thousands of people have done it. Including myself.

Nicotine is a very addictive drug, but one cigarette a day is not a very bad habit and so she should be able to quit. Also, how many years has she been smoking?

Sorry, I don't mean to be harsh, I have more compassion for her unborn child at this moment in time.

I find it very difficult to understand if someone does fully understand all the risks and consequences why they would be able to continue to do so when pregnant. So therefore assumed that she must not and therefore posted some hopefully helpful information. Sometimes, the medical and scientific evidence is powerful and sticks in people's minds to help them quit. Alternatively, sometimes imagery helps and the NHS regularly use it in their anti-smoking public advertisements. It is not meant to 'belittle' anyone.

This is my way of helping and supporting.

I am sure it is stressful to give up, but it is possible. However, if people make excuses for her and we don't 'go there' then this does not help her to give up in the long run. Sometimes, we have to 'go there' no matter how distressing that might be to the smoker.


Please don't assume that every pregnant woman is 'hormonal', that is such a stereotype.

 

[MoldyVoldy]

well done on wanting to quit. that's a great first step!

i do have to say though, that quitting cold turkey can in fact be just as damaging to the unborn baby as continuing to smoke is. it can be just as much of a shock to the baby as it is for the mother to suddenly not have the nicotine.

that being said, i think you should look into an electronic cigarette. start with the lowest dose nicotine, then when that is run out, get another with 0 nicotine. when that is done, you are done.

good luck

 

[ClaireJ23]

well done on wanting to quit. that's a great first step!

i do have to say though, that quitting cold turkey can in fact be just as damaging to the unborn baby as continuing to smoke is. it can be just as much of a shock to the baby as it is for the mother to suddenly not have the nicotine.

that being said, i think you should look into an electronic cigarette. start with the lowest dose nicotine, then when that is run out, get another with 0 nicotine. when that is done, you are done.

good luck

'Quitting cold turkey can in fact be just as damaging to the unborn baby as continuing to smoke is'

Are you kidding? Going from one cigarette per day to zero cigarettes per day is not 'just as damaging'. If I am wrong, then please give some scientific or medical evidence to support your statement.

 

[sojourn]

Oh OP, I do hope you got some helpful information from your thread. I'm sorry that a lot of people felt that it was "helpful" to explain things that you already know in such a disparaging way.

Take what you have found helpful and informative and congratulate the others on being the picture of perfection in every way. It must be nice to get a positive pregnancy test and be able to automatically quell every unhealthy impulse for the sake of your baby.

Good luck quitting. I'm choosing to unsubscribe as I have no more beneficial information for you. I hope other will do the same.

 

[calm]

Please remember everyone that this a support forum, thank you

OP, I have no experience with giving up smoking, but generally with cravings I would suggest using an exercise called "wave surfing". Here is a link, there are also a lot of audios of wave surving and mindfulness that can help. Good luck XXXX

https://www.choosehelp.com/recovery...h-a-mindfulness-technique-called-urge-surfing