Quitting smoking in early pregnancy - Need some helpfully tips.

[Andie92]

Hi ladies,
I got my BFP today, but the main thing that is worrying me is that I'm quite a heavy smoker and I have many failed quit attempts behind me.
Quit once for over a year but that was when I was younger and didn't smoke half as much.
Quit once for six week and I got so mad with my old bitchy housemate I threw my phone at her head (it was a Nokia so my phone was fine).
I know smoking is no good for the baby I'm carrying, but I am also worried about the stress that comes with quitting.
I was thinking of cutting down slowly then quitting but if I do that is it like the damage is already done or is taking it slow and steady best?
Also, if you have any tips on quitting I am all ears.

I went from 20 a day to none after reading the Alan Carr book Easy Way to Stop Smoking. This was 10 years ago and I haven't smoked since. I wasn't pregnant though. Worth a try?
Basically you need to stop and you need to stop as soon as possible. But you know that.
I don't think cutting down is the best way, you can't break an addiction when you're still having the substance you're addicted too, you'll just end up counting the minutes until you can have another.

I was a smoker. The first 12 weeks is so important to your babies development - there's no better reason to give up today. When I got my BFP all the cigarettes got binned. I'm now 6 weeks down the line and would love a cigarette but i won't risk my baby's development.

It is hard but life will get a lot harder with a little one in tow. When you feel yourself getting wound up - find some other techniques. Go for a walk, have a bath (not hot obviously!), paint your nails etc etc. distractions are good!

This isn't to scare you its just some facts. My friend smoked 3 cigarettes a day throughout her pregnancy. He was born with a a low birth weight, hole in his heart, has asthma and has constant chest infections. His doctor believes it was down to the smoking.

Good luck and congratulations on the BFP :)

I smoked about 10 a day before my BFP and as I'd just been on holiday it was probably nearer 20 a day.

I remember my last allowed cigarette - 20 minutes before I bought a pregnancy test.

I had another one later that same day when I'd told DH. I sat in my usual spot on the back door step and all I kept thinking about was this tiny bean inside me shrouded in smoke. It was that thought alone that made me stop.

The first couple of weeks weren't easy and it took me up until 8 weeks or so to stop craving a ciggie but now (22 weeks) I've not given it a thought for ages.

I did enjoy a cigarette (especially with a glass of wine) but I don't think I'll start smoking again - for one thing I've got more money!

I smoke (just socially when I'm drinking) usually but find when I'm pregnant the thought of smoking makes me feel sick, and my last pregnancy I couldn't even look at an ash tray without feeling sick. I've heard this happening to a lot of people so hopefully you will start to want it less.

I agree though only a few could be harmful to the baby. Especially early on. Maybe you could read a lot online about what smoking does to your baby at 6 weeks and it might put you off doing it?

I was one of those things I was fourteen and impressionable and now I'm twenty-three and pregnant I wish I'd never seen a cigarette!

I will have to see if I can find that book, take up some extra hobbies as distractions and when I go to my booking appointment if I can get any help from that side.

If I could I would use wine gums as replacements but that too much sugary fat isn't

Thank you for the advice ladies I will take it on board =]

I was a smoker before I became pregnant. I'd smoked for 20 years. I quit cold turkey and what enabled me to do it was thinking about that tiny, innocent, pure and precious life inside me and the damage that smoking would do to it. If I want to smoke and damage my own health is one thing, but smoking and damaging the health of my unborn child was just something I couldn't do. It was hard in the beginning, but it got a lot easier and I rarely thought about smoking. If I did get a craving it would only last a few mins. I would strongly recommend that, if you feel unable to go cold turkey, you ask your doctor for support in stopping smoking as there are a lot of things to help you. In the meantime, just think about that precious life inside you and read about the damage that smoking does in pregnancy. There are a number of things that are disputable as to whether they are harmful in pregnancy but smoking is the one thing that is proven to definitely be harmful. Honestly, if I can give up after 20 years of being a smoker, then you can!.

Vaporiser worked for me! Heavy smoker for 16 years previously

Orange juice is helping me handle the cravings... I think it's sugary but better than smoking also lillies chubby pops

I found out on Monday, was smoking 10/20 more if drinking a day before - day before I actually started finding the smell vile and one of the things that prompted me to take an earlier test.

I too think of the tiny little baby inside of me, I did pick up a cigarette and light it and couldn't do it I burst into tears with guilt, and actually the smell was horrendous

It's not easy, just keep doing everything you can not to give in - and if you can't go cold turkey (I haven't been able to when trying in the past) see the doctor and get some help for some reason I've been quite lucky..

Seeing my mum tomorrow who smokes and whilst she won't smoke anywhere near me I think the smell might spark me off so lots of lollies!!

Good luck and congratulations xx

You can use NRT when pregnant. Don't wait for your booking in appointment, try and see a smoke stop service locally ASAP.

How much do you smoke a day? And the stress of quitting is insignificant for yours and the baby's health compared to the damage caused by smoking. It's an old wives tale that "stress" caused by quitting is unsafe and that it's safer to smoke.

Congratulations and good luck!

i think if wine gums will help then eat wine gums. i mainlined haribos when i was pregnant. way better than nicotine and tar.

Have a look at the stopping smoking, vaping threads on mnet, you will get lots of support.

Go see your gp and get referred, they have specialist midwives and services to help pregnant women stop smoking.

Obviously it's not great to smoke but don't beat yourself up about it, you need to look after yourself to cope with pregnancy and the mindset needed to stop.

Go with wine gums if they help or fruity flavoured chewing gum?

I hope you don't mind me adding that I went through quite a difficult time when I was pregnant. I got pregnant through IVF and suffered with Ovarian Hyper Stimulation Syndrome (OHSS); work was a nightmare as my boss was bullying me; I had a big health scare at work when I was exposed to some dangerous chemicals which were harmful in pregnancy (I work in a laboratory and thankfully my little girl is fine, but I didn't know that until she was born); I suffered from antenatal depression and was under the care of a mental health midwife and, to top it all off, my partner left me when I was 4 months pregnant and I faced the rest of the pregnancy alone, with no family close by to support me. I admit there were times when I would have loved a cigarette and when I walked past someone smoking, I could have quite easily grabbed the ciagarette from their hand, but, I didn't. Before I was pregnant the longest I gave up for was 2 months and I seriously doubted I could give up for a whole 9 months, but I did. I found an inner strength, borne out of love for my unborn child, and I managed the whole 9 months without even a puff of a cigarette. You can do it, believe me, you can and it will be the best thing you ever did.

I was a smoker when I fell pregnant, I started by cutting down after failing at going cold turkey. The mw told me no damage would be done to baby as long as I quit before 16wks, I got help through midwife referring me to quit smoking team and I managed to quit completely by 10wks

I was a heavy smoker too. By 6 weeks (before I found out I was PG due to negative tests) the smoke made me gag and I hated it. I quit before realising I was definitely PG.

FX that MS will put you off too lol.

If not, can you get help from your GP?

Or if you have an addictive personality like me, replace the cigs with a chocolate addiction and gain three stone

Read that Alan Carr book, it really helped me. I stopped smoking a few years ago and it was genuinely the best thing I've ever done for myself. Don't kid yourself that the stress of giving up might be just as bad as smoking anyway. This is untrue. The scientific evidence for stress affecting pregnancy outcomes only shows affects when there is major stress (e.g. Living through a war) that is sustained throughout pregnancy. The affects of smoking on your unborn child are significant and fully preventable. The sooner you stop the better but even if you stop some portion into the pregnancy it's better that not stopping. It is never too late to make a difference.

You can do this. Do it for you and for the baby. And besides, you don't want to be one of those gross pram pushing smoking mothers.

Whith my first pregnancy I was able to give up smoking pretty much without trying as cigarettes tasted vile to me. Smoked again when she was born! 2nd Dd 4.5 years later. I found it extremely difficult to give up and knew I needed some help and went to see s hypnotherapist, which worked a treat haven't smoked and I was 20 weeks pregnant at the time.

It's not easy, good luck.

As you're pregnant, you could ask your midwife/GP if there are any special programs that you could get on to help you stop? They have them up here in Scotland but not sure what position is elsewhere in UK

Good luck!