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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to use a zero-nictonie e-cig while pregnant?

50 replies

Polgara25 · 16/02/2016 12:59

DP thinks I am.

Meanwhile I'm stressed to bits, can't think straight anymore.

I'm about 5 weeks gone. Been using an e-cig (with nicotine) for two years. Quitting is hard - been in tears half of today.

Caved and got the nicotine free e-cig out. Now feel worse.

OP posts:

Cornettoninja · 16/02/2016 14:56

I loved smoking. Found myself unexpectedly pregnant last year and used an ecig to wean myself off the nicotine.

My (Dr) friend said I should of used patches but didn't argue with my logic that I didn't see how a continuous dose of nicotine was better than the occasional vape. I've seen that recent report (well glanced at the news) and after my initial panic I'm struggling to see precisely how they've reached that conclusion. Yes nicotine isn't great, but your not inhaling all that other shit. I think nicotine can inhibit blood flow which isn't great....

I'm not sure, either way vaping 0% is great if it keeps you off cigarettes and the nicotine juices. Might not be risk free but much, much better than 20 b&h. Your dp (I think) is struggling with the unknown, we all are and the knee-jerk reaction of diehard tobacco haters doesn't help tbh.

I reckon if you talked to a hcp they'd encourage you to try patches or gum which I think are worse personally..

How confident are you with the decision to vape? Lack of credible evidence means it's very much your call.

(Btw dd is was fine - went over by two weeks the bugger was that comfy!)

Original poster

Polgara25 · 16/02/2016 15:02

No worries Fern - that bloody study is the thing that's caused the problem. Was just trying to get some unbiased views.

OP posts:

MrsTerryPratchett · 16/02/2016 15:31

On a very basic level, your body is absolutely and totally your body. Your DP's concern for your baby is great but he still doesn't get to tell you what to do with your own body. I think letting him know that might deal with some of the stress and help you make healthy decisions for you. IME people give things up when they feel it's time, not because someone else is telling them to.

moopymoodle · 16/02/2016 15:34

If your having zero nicotine I can't see the issue.

MLGs · 16/02/2016 15:36

Anyway- I wont advise you-but if giving up fags was that easy...NOONE WOULD FUCKING SMOKE WOULD THEY!

Love this. Evidently true.

I'm not a smoker and wasn't when pregnant so can't advise you or say how I coped.

Looks from the above like you might be better off with other nicotine replacement, rather than nicotine free e cigs, but I am no expert. I would seek advice from GP rather than your partner.

Hamiltoes · 16/02/2016 15:40

I smoked with my first (not proud) and with the second I used a low dose nicotine ecig.

Nicotine isn't great but to be honest without all the nasty shit in tobacco its not actually that much worse than caffeine.

Make of that what you will.

zaalitje · 16/02/2016 16:44

Try Alan Carr stop smoking book, it really worked for me.

HPsauciness · 16/02/2016 16:54

You are absolutely NOT better off with nicotine replacement with a 0% nicotine e-cig. If there is any harm for pregnant women, it will be in the nicotine, which is why you are advised to go for the lowest dose possible, but still allowing you to stay tobacco free.

If you went to the GP or stop smoking clinic, they would advise you the same, better to quit nicotine (smoking v bad for you) in preg, but if you can't use the minimal dose as it is miles better than smoking regular cigarettes. They may support you loads though, esp the stop smoking services, they probably have advisors who could talk to you on the telephone.

Good luck! I think you need to be realistic as well, quitting isn't a day long thing and you feel better, it can take a few days/weeks for the withdrawal to occur and for you to feel better, but it will happen.

Whatdoidohelp · 16/02/2016 17:00

What's more important? The baby or a puff on a fake cig? That's your choice. As a mother you have to make sacrifices. Looks like you will be starting very early on!

FuckYouJamieOliver · 16/02/2016 17:16

I would vape but try to only use it when I was desperate

PlentyOfPubeGardens · 16/02/2016 21:45

I came across this which is worth a read, as are the Tommy's guidelines.

Really though, contact your local stop smoking services if you're worried, they're all supposed to be 'ecig friendly' these days so should be able to support you properly and offer non-alarmist advice.

There has been one of these 'bloody studies' just about every week since I started vaping 2 1/2 years ago. Vapers begin to feel like they're playing whack-a-mole after a while. There is so much shoddy research around vaping and this is no exception. It's not even a published study so who knows what they did or how they reached their conclusions. There's a lot of money sloshing around for researchers who can make vaping look bad.

A plea to non-vapers - if you see a scary ecig story in the press, leave it a few days and look for expert reactions before you spread a pile of bogus results and conclusions far and wide and help discourage loads more smokers from switching to vaping. 50% of long term smokers die from smoking and every time one of these stories gets shared all over the place a load more people are discouraged from doing something which could save their life.

ChickadeeChick · 16/02/2016 21:46

I don't understand - there's no nicotine in the e-cig so why do you need a puff on it? If you were addicted to nicotine then I could understand the question but you're clearly not addicted to nicotine, therefore don't need an e-cig? Am I missing something?
Disclaimer: I am an ex smoker, 6 years this Friday.

Original poster

Polgara25 · 16/02/2016 21:53

Excellent links there.

Though it has just been suggested by 'D'P that I might as well work my way through 20 Rothmans and a six pack of special brew...

OP posts:

MrsTerryPratchett · 17/02/2016 00:02

Your DP seems to have a lot of ownership of your body. If you did smoke 20 Rothmans and a six pack of Special Brew it would still be your business and choices, not his. You're not 12 and he isn't your jailer. Make the informed, sensible choices that you think are right and tell him to make his own about his own body.

sashh · 17/02/2016 05:46

I think what matters is doing the best you can for your baby.

I was brought up by smokers, my mum smoked through both her pregnancies, but when she was pregnant with my brother she tried to stop. I resent her for not trying to stop/cut down when she was pregnant with me.

But it is the not trying that I resent. You are doing what is best for you and your baby which is sometimes a balancing act.

In an ideal world all pregnant women would have the option of spending 9 months at some sort of spa where all organic, locally produced perfectly balanced food would be prepared for you, back rubs given daily, morning sickness would be treated by aromatherapy that worked and no one would have complications / gestational diabetes / family or work problems etc etc.

The best thing for baby is no cigarette smoke, the worst is for you to be chuffing away 40+ a day. Real life is somewhere between those two.

PlentyOfPubeGardens · 17/02/2016 08:55

ChickadeeChick - Am I missing something?

Yes. There is a big behavioural aspect to the smoking 'habit' - the hand-to-mouth action, inhaling, blowing out a cloud etc. It's part of the reason that ecigs work so much better than NRT.

ChickadeeChick · 17/02/2016 09:21

Ok I see, so it's more the habit that the OP is craving than the nicotine.

OP you say you felt stressed, is having a puff on an e-cig with no nicotine in it going to relieve that stress? Probably not in all honesty. Look at it that way. If it had nicotine in I could understand but this all seems a bit pointless.

I wish you all the best in kicking the habit :)

Excited101 · 17/02/2016 09:28

Smoking 'addiction' is almost all psychological and habit based. Apparently any addiction to the actual chemical is out of your system within 24-48 hours but the reason people struggle so much to quit it js all the rest of it as other pp have mentioned: the hand to mouth action, the doing something with hands, the social nature of it and the process.

Take up knitting, reading, chew some sweets and wean yourself off it that way. You don't 'need' it you just think you do.

Good luck in whatever you decide to do op!

PosieReturningParker · 17/02/2016 09:29

Imagine your baby in your arms and put the e-cig to their mouth...

Is that okay?

megganonion · 17/02/2016 09:33

Hi guys.. I'm brand new here. Pg with baby no 3. Only 5 weeks too.
Total honesty I smoked 1-2 a day with my first 2 boys.. not proud but I craved them. This time I couldn't stand the smell or taste even before bfp.. switched to vapor no nicotine it does the job couple of puff here and there but the heartburn is unreal after. I have 2 healthy boys despite my bad habit 6 +3. I believe as long as u eat healthy and exercise a bit a little bit of vapor too keep u sane can't do that much harm. I'm sure the stress can do worse. Good luck and congrats with bfp x

itsbetterthanabox · 17/02/2016 11:21

E cigs are vastly better than smoking and the nicotine free ones have nothing in them at all that can affect the baby.
If you find it extremely hard you'd be best just reducing the nicotine level down to as low as you can manage.

itsbetterthanabox · 17/02/2016 11:24

Stopfuckingshouting
What made you congenitally unable to give up?

XiCi · 17/02/2016 11:40

Have you read the Allen Carr stop smoking book? It works. I'd smoked for 20 years and gave up with no form of nicotine replacement. I can honestly say it was easy, I've never looked back, never even wanted another cigarette

stopfuckingshoutingatme · 17/02/2016 12:30

I did stop for a few days, and then I got such bad headaches that I weakly went back to 1 day. then the midwife kind of said to not worry, but not smoke more than that. which I didn't

I have tried vaping (gave me chest infection), Champix (made me TRIP)

I tell myself that 3 a day is not that bad, but really I wish I didn't

ChickadeeChick · 17/02/2016 12:35

I quit on champix. They made me trip too but they bloody worked. Amazing things.

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