smoking while pregnant.be honest

[ILoveShoes]

I gave up smoking about a year ago, fortunately, and I'd been smoking since high school (I'm 32 now). For me, I honestly think the addiction was more of an oral fixation and a nice mental break, rather than the nicotine. I still have cravings and gum seems to do the trick---not nicotine gum, but just regular sugarless chewing gum.
I would avoid the nicotine gum while pregnant, too, and just force yourself to go cold turkey. Actually, Wellbutrin (Bupropion) is one of the safer anti-depressants during pregnancy and it is prescribed to help people stop smoking. It's definitely safer than cigarettes, so if you can get that from your doctor, that's a start.

As far as I'm aware, doctors won't prescribe bupropion (aka Zyban/Wellbutrin) for smoking cessation in pregnant women.

 

[snettyb]

i have smoked since i was 17 (12 years) but as soon as i find out i pregnant, i quit........except this time I just can't get off the tabs!!! It was always easy to quit when pregnant and i could never understand those mothers to be that said they couldn't stop but for some awful reason i just can't quit smoking this time!!

I have cut down from 25-30 a day to 5-8 a day but if you ask me, 1 a day is far to many to be smoking when pregnant, i am so ashamed of myself!

 

[Cut3ne55]

im still smoking and have done throught the whoe pregnancy! i have tried to give up dont get me wrong! i took advice from the specialist dtop smoking when pregnant advisors but i just couldnt do it! in the end i was getting so stressed out with constantly craving a fag that it was in my best interest and the babys to continue smoking but cut back! i hate the fact im smoking with my lil bub inside me and i feel guilty everytime i have one! but for some people its not that easy to just 'stop'. Good luck though! x

 

[TTCNumber2]

I quit at 5 weeks with my first. I took it back up a couple times, but I quit for a good a few years ago. It's too expensive anymore.

 

[juiceashnme]

I quit the day I found out I was prego with my first child and this one. I smoked one last cigarette while waiting for the results of the test and then stopped. For me, it is a matter of redirecting myself when I want one. I just find something else to do and forget about it. It's not that easy, especially when others around you are still smoking. Good Luck!!

 

[tinytoes1904]

Hi

I smoked from I was 17 until I was 23 first of all, I stopped the very day I got my BFP and found it so easy, no craving, nothing. When my DD was 8 months and I finished breastfeeding I literally lifted a packet straight off and started again. Worst mistake I ever made after so long without them and not even wanting them, I dont know what came over me. I used to stand outside while my DD was in her highchair and look through the window at her thinking to myself - everytime I smoke one of these I am shortening the length of time I am here for you. It made me feel incredibly guilty and a pathetically weak person. I found out 2 weeks ago I am pregnant and again stopped immediately and found it easy only this time I will not become a slave to nicotine ever again.

It is not that simple for everyone. Each and every person has a bigger or smaller addictive nature, and not everyone can find it as easy as I did.

But the way I see it is, from the minute your baby is concieved its in your hands as mothers to make the best decisions you can to protect them throughout their lives starting right from that BFP. This includes stopping smoking. The baby cannot make the decision itself whether it wants our nicotine flowing through its veins. Its in our hands. Thats the thing always rings home to me. Noone would ever think of sticking a cigarette into a babies mouth would they?

Good luck all you ladies who are finding it hard, its different for everyone
beat those fags girls! Dont let them win!

 

[busybuzybee]

I used to smoke 30 a day. I smoked all through my pregnancy with my son unfortunately and then with my first daughter and gave up when she was 4 months old because I was really ill.

I was a hardened smoker and just cutting down never worked for me. I did feel guilty smoking but I was addicted.

My son does have asthma now but I spoke to the doctor and she said not to blame myself cos it can happen. My eldest daughter has no side effects at all from my smoking. It was only when I was pregnant with my third that it was finally diagnosed why I had been ill for so many years. I had a tumour in my lung - a very rare one. My youngest daughter was then delivered 6 weeks early so I could commence treatment.

Anyway, that is another story, but I know how hard it is to give up smoking. All you can do is try your very best. xxx

 

[soozys1902]

Yeah same here as soon as I found out I was pregnant I gave up. I actually didn't find it hard to give up. I smoked around 20 cigs a day and thats how I knew I was pregnant cuz it made me gag and have been off em since. I not gonna lie but I think it wrong to smoke while pregnant. I think that why also I found it easy to give up was because I knew also it would be best for little one.

 

[Rach27]

Oddly enough I dreamt I smoked last night! I am not a smoker (I tried it once at uni and hated it!)

Both my parents smoked when I was little and I wouldn't be surprised if my mum smoked through her pregnancies. She has been smoking since she was 17 (she's now 53) and has made several failed attempts to give up over the years. Gladly my dad did stop when I was 14 (I basically nagged and nagged until he gave in) and now he's really anti smoking - gets annoyed if he can smell smoke in a 5 mile radius!

Now of course, as a non smoker with smoking parents, I am definitely anti smoking during pregnancy. I was in Paris in June and saw a young girl who must have been at least 7 months gone, puffing away and it actually made me sick. This is possibly becuase it took me so long to get pregnant, I couldn't believe someone would risk harming their baby.

I realise it's hard to give up, and even harder for some people but the long term benefits for you and your baby will out way that in the end. The same for when your baby is born and your children are dependent on you. No matter whether your smoking with your head out of the window or even outside - it's still on your breath, your clothes, the furniture...and the child has no choice. The worst for me was being in the back of a car for 5 hours while both of them puffed away while opening their windows by all of an inch!!

Anyway, I don't mean to lecture I just wanted to share my experience. Obviously I can' remember what it was like in the womb but I did have a low birth weight and was born early.

Good luck girlies

 

[MiissDior]

I quit Cold turkey as soon as i found out with this lil one
iv now been off them almost 12wks..
I smoked thru all my other 3 pregnancys.. and riddled with guilt tis time
so i quit as soon as i got 2 pink lines xx

 

[rocemom]

I was up to a pack a day easily more if stressed when I found ot I was pregnant before my first vist almost 2 a day
After my first visit with my dr he stated he would be happy if I cut down to 2 to 4 a day realizing that it is going to be hard
since them Ive been some where between none and 2 on stressful days. I wanna quite all together but it has been a struggle. But I can tell you baby does not like it I usually start throwing up after a couple of pulls

 

[trashit]

I know quite a lot of people that smoked all the way through pregnancy and went on to have healthy babies, not that was any reason for me to carry on. I don't agree with it, there's no point giving up drinking if your gonna still carry on smoking the tabs! x

 

[LogansMama]

I quit cold-turkey the day I got my BFP with my DS. It was easy for me. The first couple days were a little rough, but after that it was no problem at all. Actually - by about the 2nd week of non-smoking, the smell of ciggs actually made me GAG. It became so nasty to me. The habit part was harder than the addiction part... but even that was easy when I thought of the harm I could do to my LO, and how I would NEVER forgive myself if something went wrong and I had still been smoking.

A few days after DS was born though - I went right back to it! I wish I never had! ITs such a bad, nasty, dirty, not to mention EXPENSIVE habit!!

THIS time its been a little harder. I got my BFP Sat night, and I was home alone. I told myself I could smoke THAT night only, but as soon as morning came I was DONE.
The next day (Sun) was rough, and I let myself have about 3 smokes that day, telling myself that the following day (Mon) was "4 weeks" officially, so I would totally quit then. (Since most girls don't even know they are pregnant yet at 4 weeks ... that was my logic! - I had tested early...)
Well - the next day (Mon) I had ONE and felt sooooooooo guilty, and I haven't smoked since (That was Monday - today is Thursday - so its been 3 full days without smoking now)
BELIEVE ME - I have been craving one ALL DAY today though. I wish I would get to the point that it smells bad and makes me gag again. Right now it still smells YUMMY! I know once I go a week or so without it, then that nasty smell will come back and it will be easy again.

Anyhow - YOU CAN QUIT - and SHOULD QUIT! Just imagine how you'll feel if ANYTHING goes wrong... you will totally blame yourself. ITs not worth it in my opinion!

Oh - one more thing - Last night I dreamed that I was smoking and then I went in for my first U/S and the baby didn't have a head! There was a sac and a body, but NO HEAD! ACK. Totally freaked me out!!!!! No point to that - just thought I'd share! LOL.

 

[BabyHaines]

I used to smoke 20 a day. I would get stressed if I couldn't have one and panicky if I went to long - so YES I was very addicted.
Then I found out I was pregnant after five years TTC. That was it, I snapped up all my fags and haven't bought a pack since. It's been hard, but I love this baby so much already and am terrified of M/C that I cannot do it. I feel so protective of my bubs, that I get quite upset if someone even implies that I am still smoking!!

A guy at work (who's wife is about 14 weeks pregnant) was laughing to me the other day and saying that he now has to put his wife's fags out while they are sitting on the sofa, as she struggles to bend over her 'little bump'. Well, I was so disgusted I nearly punched him.
How hilarious that she i increasing the risk of m/c, still birth and SIDS. F*cking hysterical. NOT.

I don't want to lecture or nag, but i don't agree that 'shock tactics' don't work. If you can't stop killing yourself for your own sake, then for goodness sake do it for your LO.
Every puff you take is increasing the risk to your baby....And there is nothing more disturbing than seeing a pregnant woman smoke....

 

[Rachel S]

I was a social smoker before i got pregnant, maybe one a day or sometimes none and then i'd go out and smoke 20 cigs in a night.
Since i got pregnant i can't stand the smell of smoke and the very thought makes me want to gag, so i'm hoping that feeling continues, as i'm not going to smoke when i'm pregnant, that is something i'm sure of.

 

[AFC84]

I was a smoker until the day I got by BFP. I have quit in the past but bringing a cigarette to my mouth while pregnant just isn't really an option for me - my doc doesn't mince words either. She basically said - smoking will increase your chances of miscarriage by between 18-20%, I don't care how hard it is....that number was enough for me. I haven't touched a cigarette since. She also said this whole "shock to your system, cut down slowly business." is BS and I agree." Stress and withdrawal don't cross the placenta, smoke and nicotine do.

I know it's hard girls but think about it.....imagine being locked in a room - a tiny room and it being filled with smoke on a regular basis. How terrible would that be? I don't want to offend anyone but having been there and quit......I have to say I have Zero tolerance for pregnant woman who smoke. Physical withdrawal is gone in 72 hours - the rest is mental. I know it can be so hard but for the health of your bubbs....please quit.

Totally agree. I'd tried to quit a few times before and unfortunately kept relapsing, but for about 2 weeks before I got my BFP I'd not had one, just been on the Nicorette gum. The day I found out was the last time I've had the gum even, so I've just been munching lots of regular gum.

I've actually found it relatively easy compared to other times I quit. I have still had times where I've really wanted one but I just think it's so selfish continuing. I read somewhere that this woman imagined her baby in a jar, and blowing the fag smoke straight into it to put you off, and it is a really hideous mental image!

I just think that if anything was to happen to my baby I'd feel soooo guilty about it and wonder if it was my fault etc and I couldn't handle that.

Every puff you take is increasing the risk to your baby....And there is nothing more disturbing than seeing a pregnant woman smoke....

Also agreed...it makes me feel really weird.

 

[bec_v]

I smoked until we started to ttc, I think the main thing is to get into your head that you don't smoke anymore and that smoking isnt an option, I found it reasonably easy to be honest cos smoking when pg just wasnt an option.

 

[AP]

I hate saying this and I dont know if it will assist anyone in stopping but, my best friend smoked through her pregnancy. i always remember her saying "I smoked all through my pregnancy, and my baby wasnt early"

I stopped for three months until things spiralled out of my control in my life and I went back on them. Lo and behold here is Alex. 12 weeks early in neonatal;.

I ask myself everyday - was it something I did that caused it? I will never know. One thing is for sure - i shall not touch another smoke in pregnancy again.

 

[seekingbaby#1]

Smoking is a bad habit that can cause health problems to your baby. I hope all the woman struggling with this habit seek help.

I'm going through a dilema with my boyfriend. I don't smoke at all, but my boyfriend does. And I'm scared that second hand smoke will harm my baby. He doesn't smoke around me all the time but whenever we are in the car or taking a walk he has to smoke. Its so annoying cuz he doesn't think it will harm the baby at this stage. We have been arguing about this almost every other day. I'm scared that he would smoke around the baby. He refuses to quit. Before I became pregnant I didn't really care about him smoking but now its becoming a major issue for me. Am I over reacting??? Any advice ladies????

 

[vixta]

i dont smoke myself so its easy for me to say this, but i would stop the smoking! its like putting a cigarette into a newborns mouth.... as mothers we want the best for our children and i strongly feel that smoking in pregnancy is selfish! sorry hun but you did ask to be honest xx