Smoking

Sorry hun, i'm a non smoker and have never had the experience of quitting. I'm sure it's very stressful atm for you and you obviously feel guilty about doing it otherwise you wouldn't have posted - so that's the first thing - you want to stop.... ask your midwife or dr to help. (If you're in the UK there's alot of support for people just like you! So don't be afraid to ask for help!)

Good luck, sorry i couldn't be more helpful just wanted to let you know that you're being brave and asking for help! Well done you.
x

 

It IS hard and I'll admit I've had a couple of slip ups.

1. Don't beat yourself up about it
2. Try just missing the odd cigarette, every one that you don't have is better for baby so next time you think you want one, just try and put it off for another half hour and see if you can build up time between them.

I found the more than ms kicked in the more that I couldn't stand them and the more pregnant I get the more real it feels and the more guilty I feel about the idea of smoking

Keep trying honey

 

Thats awful - they should be helping you more.

Have you been on this website https://smokefree.nhs.uk/ ?

Maybe contact them and explain the situation you are in, see if they can put you in touch with a local support group.

Also, there is a book by a buy called Alan Carr (not the comedian!) which I used when I stopped. I smoked my whole life then started trying to quit towards the end of last year (I'm 29). Finally stopped 4 days before I found out I was pregnant. Had one slip and smoked a cigarette, then felt soooooo guilty!

Good luck. You ca do it! x

 

Dont beat yourself up for having a hard time, the only people who will "slate" you for it are people who havent been in that position. It is such a hard thing to do!!

I gradually cut them out, went from 20 a day, to 15, 10, 5 ,3 ,2 then none.

I wont lie it wasnt easy but i got there in the end!! Also had lots of nicorette chewing gum

 

no ones gonna slate you who has already been there and done it... ignore those who do as they are likely gonna b the ones who haven't smoked and don't know how hard it is to kick the addiction. You will get there tho Have faith....

I was exactly the same as you... but I decided one day that if I am gonna try this then I am gonna do it.... and haven't had one since.... it did bug me I really craved them but now I only think about them once in a blue moon

 

i was the same as you!
i still smoked during my pregnancy
im damn proud of the fact i cut down
i went weeks at a time without wanting
one and when i did i had one ...

i dont smoke alot in general
but i did smoke whilst pregnant ...
emily came out perfectly happy
and healthy but i kicked myself after
every ciggie!

its not an easy thing to do at all
doctors should be helping you!
best of luck to you in quitting
i never managed to stop completely


xx​

 

Hi there,

I have managed to cut right down but not stop completely yet. GP gave me little support and told me that its all down to willpower. Now that i have my MW appoinment i noticed on the leaflets that she sent there is a specific smoking MW who will help/motivate/support me. I intend giving her a call.

I would have thought that all maternity hospitals/MW clinics would offer this. Might be worth phoning the local hospital to find out.

 

I know this is no excuse and it doesnt mean I'm an advocate of smoking during pregnancy, but I smoked all the way thru my last pregnancy and my DD came out 12 days late, nearly 8lbs, and perfectly healthy too.

Smoking when pregnant is such a taboo subject that it's very difficult to find support if you're still in the process of cutting down. People do tend to look down their noses at you and give you the lectures etc. I'm at that stage myself, but I've cut down from 20+ long strong ciggies to about 10 mild king size ones. Sometimes I do go over that amount but I try not to beat myself up about it. I really do want to give up and I feel guilty for every smoke I have but I intend on gradually cutting down further and further until I've quit completely. It's a very difficult habit to break and can be very stressful.
My MW said as long as I can give up at some point and because I have cut down, then it's better than not giving up at all - not that she's an advocate of smoking either, she's completely anti smoking of course!

Take heart sweetie, you're not alone in this!

 

hi there, I know how you feel im a smoker and I used to smoke about 15 a day, however found that as i started getting further on, i feel sicky after a couple of puffs and it puts me off, now i smoke about 2/3 fags a day, not even that because I cant smoke it all now. Start rationing, allow yourself so many, smoke half at a time or even less, have a cracker or something when your craving. This is what I did and I dont think I could ever smoke 15 a day now. Hopefully in 2 wks or so I will stop. I never thought I would be able to progress as good as this so keep at it and good luck xxxxx

never tried the gum yet, might give it a go

 

My mum smoked through all five of her pregnancies. All of us are over 5'6, (4 brothers at 6'1) and we were all 7lbs+ at birth. I think its scare mongering.

 

Not sure that depriving a baby of oxygen is 'scaremongering'. Its a fact, depends if you choose to ignore it.

 

Should say I hope you get some help giving up Bjshooter

 

yeah but i dont think it works like that. if it is REALLY depriving a baby of oxygen, how did my mum manage to have 5 healthy babies, all over a 7lb weight, all on time or late, and now all of us are tall and healthy? none of us smoke either.

i dont encourage smoking, but i dont think it does THAT much damage. in some cases yes, but in my mums, wel, no. x

 

Hmmm - I know everyone is trying to be supportive to help encourage those trying to give up, not to feel guilty etc etc. But this type of comment (no offense to the poster) is a bit extreme. Of course smoking is harmful to the baby - it is harmful to the smoker as well! There has been a lot of research into smoking in pregnancy and links to say that it can cause asthma, allergies and eczema in children. I don't think a couple of cigarettes is worth feeling guilty if your children end up having problems later on in life.

For those of you wanting/trying to give up during pregnancy, I say good for you! I think trying to get help to give up smoking is a good move - there are a lot of campaigns in the UK and I think they have a special hotline for this issue. For those of you saying smoking does no harm to the baby, I say absolute rubbish! Sorry if this seems an extreme view (but given the warnings on cigarettes - I would say, not so extreme view), but I do feel strongly on this issue - and that people should be given support to stop and not be told, oh it's alright, the baby will be ok.

 

[/QUOTE]

I asked for help on my first dr appointment, thinking it wouldnt be any problem as there are loads of campaigns and groups etc. he told me he couldnt help and i should speak to midwife. 4 weeks later at my first MW appointment i asked her, she also said it wasnt down to her to help and i should ask at my first scan, which is a week tues, i will be 13 weeks by then.

I am utterly shocked at the lack of support you get from professionals and am thinking at this appointment they will no doubt tell me to go back to MW or something.

looks like i will be doing it on my own, which is what i did last time, but would of expected some help when i asked for it.[/QUOTE]

Make sure you tell them at your scan that you've been pushed from pillar to post and want/need help asap. Be sure to tell them that noone seems to know who's responsibility it is to help you and don't like the responses of it's not my responsibility try someone else.

There's a nhs quit smoking helpline and website that may have a direct number for you to call and they can send out a pack with different numbers in for you.... but it's terrible that you've already asked 2 professionals for help and they've just ushered you onto someone else.... they should all have leaflets with the helpline number on!!!

It just proves to me how responsible you are being by continuing to following it up! Good for you hun, i so think you'll beat the ugly habit!
xx

 

I'm not going to tell you off (or whatever you thought people would do) for smoking.
I haven't ever been a smoker so I can't tell you how to quit, but I was just thinking of possible ways that I know my friends have quit that you might be able to do when pregnant - what about hypotism (spelling??)

It must be hard, I've seen how bad it is for friends to try and give up. Just cos you've got an extra incentive, doesn't make it easier I'm sure.

 

no judgment from this end. found quitting real difficult, too. had a few odd ones and felt guilty after each of them. it was very difficult, but ms helped me lessen my intake and some bleeding towards the end of first tri scared me to dropping it altogether.

you'll manage to pull through.

 

I have only recently stopped my self, Try going on to smoking roll ups, I dont think theres as many chemicals in them, Its hard to smoke a whole one at a time as the blasted thing keeps going out and just not needing to smoke a full one, You end up smoking less, Take it day by day, If you smoke 10 a day smoke 9, Then the next day 8 and so on and so fourth. Its not easy... Trust me. The way I saw it was me and my baby are giving up together. I could never forgive my self if anything happend to my buba because of my selfish habbit. Good luck xxxxx