24 weeks and still smoking! anyone else?

[mumtobe88]

I'm 24 weeks and 3 days and am still smoking. When I first discovered I was pregnant I tried to give up and managed to cut down to like 2 per day. Since then however, my husband and I got married and now we're looking for a place together and I'm back on a 20 a day habit.
Can't really use patches as I appear to be allergic to them and have braces so can't chew gum, has anyone got any ideas to help me quit?

Bearhunt - i stand by my comment, midwives etc can't be as tough on women as they probably would like as yes it's up to them to get people to engage with services. We don't have that responsibility on MN so we can be more honest.

The facts are the OP already knows everything the midwife/ smoking cessation people will say and has heard it in a nice way. That hasn't worked and she is continuing to harm her baby. Like I said, the softly softly approach hasn't and obviously isn't going to work!

And to me the fact that she cut down then increased again is proof that she knows the risks etc and just doesn't care. To go back up to 20 a day shows that she obviously cares a lot more about enjoying a fag every hour or so than her baby's health. It's so excessive it's unreal. If she had come on here saying I have cut down to say five and I'm struggling to stop completely, maybe people would have been more understanding. She hasn't even tried!!

I have given up twice and it is far more about getting your head around it and wanting to than anything else

However you should think about the following - in fact print it off and keep it with you then read it every time you want to have a fag

1. there is nothing that affects the health of your baby more than smoking absolutely nothing it is the single biggest health risk to your child
2. Cot death is far far higher in houses with a smoker (even if they are outside)
3. Children need money we are well off and struggle i honestly could not afford to smoke so give up now and save the money

4 You smell horrible and your clothes and house do (believe me its FAR worse than you think it is)

That is the very brutal but honest truth sorry its hard but you can do it if you try call this number now and make a change....

Free Smokefree Helpline
Call to speak to a trained, expert adviser for free on 0800 022 4 332.

Lines are open Monday to Friday 9am to 8pm and Saturday and Sunday 11am to 5pm.

You know smoking is damaging your baby. Does your MW know you're still smoking heavily? Have you been referred to a smoking cessation service on the NHS? Might something like hypnotherapy work for you?

The earlier you stop smoking completely the better it is for your baby. There's no reason that you can't stop smoking other than you don't want to.

Read this article about the effects of smoking and think about whether you really want to raise the risk of stillbirth, heart defects, low IQ, SIDS before you light up again.

Good luck

Morning. Thanks to all who've reported this thread to us.

We realise that this is a highly emotive subject but we do need to remind you all that personal attacks are against our site rules - as it trollhunting (suggesting the OP is not for real).

We have no reason to think the OP is anything but genuine.

I know how difficult it is to stop but you really do need to. Try different kinds of patches, I had problems with them too, the glue irritated my skin and made my muscles ache sometimes but I stuck with them. Then one day I forgot to put it on and never looked back. There are other kinds of NRT anyway, inhalators and I don't see why having braces precludes you from chewing gum. There is loads of help available via the NHS to help you stop, you need to access that. You could also ask about NHS funded CBT which will help you with the psychological battle which is every bit as important as the physical addiction. Good luck.

I've never smoked so don't know how hard it is but you must try op, even if your dh stops smoking around you too, you have a baby to think of now. I'm extra cautious as its taken me a long time to get my bfp but for your baby's sake you must get help. I used to love a drink at weekends, not to get drunk but I just liked a drink esp summer time but I've stopped completely, I've stopped a lot of things and I'm only six weeks. Please try to get some help and advice, its sounds like you want to quit as you wouldn't of put this post up, wish you lots and lots of luck and make sure DP supports you in this xx

Oops, I got deleted - there's a first :) Anyway, didn't mean to come across as harsh I just really think stopping is the best option - and personally I think it is all just a mindset. I wish you luck with whatever you decide to do, and just hope you decide to quit for both your sakes.

What exciting lives those reporting this thread must lead. Yes, of course she shouldn't smoke when pregnant, but do some of you people have any idea just how addictive smoking is? No, thought not..

Yes badger I do know how addictive smoking it. But I managed to quit on willpower alone, my partner is coping with patches, my aunty quit through hypnotherapy, my dad quit with an electronic cigarette after a collapsed lung, several of my friends have quit through various mediums including willpower alone.

If you really want to quit, you will.

Badger we do know how addictive it is, and how easy excuses are to make. Ex smoker too, gave up the day I found I was pregnant with ds1 and not looked back. You do it because you want the best for your child.

I said.."do SOME of you people..."
And it is harder for some to quit than others.

Oh, never mind...
D'oh...

Its irrelevant what problems others have incurred during their pregnancy even if they did everything right. And certainly not the OP's fault.

We all know the risks caused by smoking, whether pregnant or not and the OP has asked for help, not judgement.

OP, I stopped smoking 3 years ago when we started TTC. After 2 years and a late AF that I had convinced myself would result in a BFP I got so upset I went to the shop and bought a packet of fags.

I got my BFP about 5 weeks ago. When I found out I was pregnant I immediatly went from the 20 a day to 10 a day and am now on about 7 a day which makes me feel incredibly guilty. However I have set a date of 28 May to stop completley. I have been referred to the stop smoking support group and will get whatever I need to get me through this. I have told myself that I am not stopping forever, just whilst I am pregnant and BFing. This will make it easier for me to deal with I think.

I like smoking. Or I did before I got pregnant anyway. I did stop for 2 years and know I can do it, I just chose to start again after it seemed we would never have that baby. A consolation prize if you like. Now I have my BFP I have to stop.

Its not so much the risks of smoking whilst pregnant that bother me. Its smoking when I have a tiny newborn and increasing the risk of cotdeath by breathing smokey fumes over them. I read somewhere that if a woman stops smoking by 14 weeks by the time baby is born no damage will have been done. So am consoling myself with that thought.

Smoking whilst pregnant is a very taboo subject. Rather than insult people who do, if they were offered more support and help to quit it would be a lot more productive I think.

You need to want to quit to be able to achieve it. And if you really think you can't the seriously cut down. Start by reducing by 1 a day, every 3 days. Skip that second fag in a morning with your coffee, then the one you have when you get off the bus or in from work or whatever. Loose the ones you most associate with routine and go from there. Good luck.

mumtobe88 clearly the fact you are asking for alt options to ones you have tried means all the self righteous witch hunters are as usual wrong and out of order with their comments. Congrats on having cut down once, that does mean you can do it again! I would try the electronic ones to help.kick start it but def see Ur Mw hun

For the record my mum smoked through her whole pg with both me and my sister and we are both perfectly healthy and fine so whilst yes its not great and you should try and cut down/quit it really isn't the end of the world if you don't manage it.

Good luck to you and hope you manage to.at least.cut down xxx

I'm shocked and finding it hard to reply without judging or criticising - but I'm sure you care about your baby (otherwise you wouldn't have posted) so please just use that to make yourself stop, now. Totally agree with LJ, if you really want to quit, you will.

My boss, who was a very heavy smoker for many years, stopped after reading the Allen Carr 'Easy Way To Stop Smoking' book. He is now a real evangelist for the method and is always trying to convince other people to quit. Maybe something else to try? (Someone may already have mentioned this, I kind of scanned the thread as it was clearly getting emotive!)

Badger - I'm sorry but 'it's harder for some' is just an excuse. As I said earlier everyone who smokes has complex reasons for smoking, but if you care about your child you will put them first, ahead of your own needs/wants.

Another ex-smoker here, I started running a year before my BFP and fully gave up then, so it wasn't an issue for me when I became PG, but I do understand how hard it can be. Froubylou - congrats and good luck with the complete stop next week.

Many posters have been helpful but many more have been very harsh - I don't think the OP doesn't care but I do think the fact she cut down once then ramped back up shows the depth of the addiction.
I am eating crap I don't like, cos it's healthy and avoiding crap I love cos it's unhealthy. I want to have rare steak and blue cheese washed down with a large glass of Merlot followed by a mountain of chocolate pudding and ice cream, but I won't cos I know it's bad for baby. I'm lucky to have the willpower!

Mumtobe88 please get help anywhere and everywhere you can. If the inhalators are better then give them a try? Remember every single cigarette you don't have is one less set of toxins impacting your LO. Dig deep for them?

How funny, I'm classed as a self righteous witch hunter because I strongly disagree with a woman smoking 20 fags a day and posts about it with an insultingly blasé attitude. If that makes me a self righteous witch hunter I think I'm ok with that.

could put the money for each packet you manage not to smoke into a fund for the baby - as the more you put in there the more motivated you'll be?

You could also make your new home a non smoking house. It may be more off putting if you have to go out side in the rain to smoke.

Get all your shopping in, give your card to your husband and make sure you have no money in your purse. That way you can't go out and buy any more.

The lozenges are good - I used them during pregnancy. I admit that I did still have the off fag here and there, but the lozenges really helped.

Put your scan picture inside your packet of fags too, so you see it every time you reach for them.