help to stop smoking

[J20BABY]

ok i've no excuse but i'm still smoking, have no will power.

is their anything i can use to help me stop whilst pg??

I found the NHS stop smoking advice service really helpful. I smoked all the way through my first pregnancy and felt so guilty that when I found out I was expecting again I asked my GP to refer me. The nurse comes to my house and gives me patches on prescription so there free. Shes fab, has never judged me and and has been really supportive, even though I've found it a struggle. Has been six weeks now and I'm feeling much more confident. Don't be afraid to ask for help and the patches are fine to use while your pregnant. Giving up is really hard, but after a few days of not smoking I found my confidence and willpower increased and started to believe I could really do it. Try not to be too hard on yourself and the very best of luck x

no advice just GOOD LUCK!!!!!

are the patches ok?? my gp said no when i asked.

i did try to stop going to the nhs 6 week course, but then my mum moved in, and i had no chance!

i've got one of them inhaler things, can i use that??

some PCTs have midwives who specialise in smoking cessation, speak to a pharmacist, or try NHS direct website for advice...

does your dh/dp smoke? my dh threatened to not marry me if I didn't give up, that was quite a good incentive. It helps if you're not around other smokers. This may or may not be relevant, but I didn't drink when I gave up, as a glass of wine or a cold beer made the cravings terribly hard to bear. I also distracted myself when I'd normally want a ciggie, ie after a meal I'd do the washing up (never got dh to do it since!) Another nice thing to do, is put the money you would have spent in a jar, I managed to get up to £700 before I considered myself a proper ex smoker and spent the lot on myself!!! hehehe!

Good luck, it is hard, but you'll never regret it. I am so glad to be free of the control of the dreaded nicotine!

My stop smoking nurse told me that it is a choice of smoking for the term of the pregnany or taking a twelve week course of nicotine replacement therapy at controlled doses. Any nicotine that you take into your system will cross the placenta, but it isn't the nicotine that harms the baby when you smoke, its all the other crap. Its the carbon monoxide that affects babys growth, because it restricts the amount of oxygen you both get. By giving you 'clean' nicotine they can help reduce your cravings while making sure none of the harmful stuff is in your system. The NHS has a phone line for pregnant women, have a look at the website to get the number and talk to a specialist advisor. Your GP sounds very unreasonable

no don't have a dp/dh, its just me, boredom and stress make me do it i think.

i really do want to stop so will try and talk to gp again or ring the helpline, thanks all, thought i'd get grief for admitting i'm still smoking

I wouldn't give you grief for still smoking because I know how fecking hard it is giving up!! I am amazed that you can still stomach it though, with the ms i've had, even a whiff sets me off, but I'm an ex smoker, and the one thing about giving up is it doesn't half make the smell disgusting after a while.

I would definitely recommend doing something to occupy yourself when the cravings hit, washing up, brushing your teeth, doing something around the house. The cravings really last no more than about 10 mins, and after 24 hours you're free of the physiological effects of nicotine, and the cravings you get are then psychological. All habits can be broken.

Hi J2O, just noticed you on the October 2007 thread- I'm due on 5th October and, yes, have been smoking. I've smoked for 18 years but luckily my GP agreed, very begrudgingly, to giving me NRT and I've just put my first one on!I've just come off ADs after a year and half too so this is going to be no mean feat. I'm determined to do it though although still feel scared at the thought of not having my crutch! I'll let you know how I get on.

I gave up smoking at the end of November when I was 12 weeks pg through the NHS service. They were great and said that strictly speaking, NRT shouldn't be used, but they recognise that you need help - let's face it - either they gave me NRT or I carried on smoking 20 a day - what's the difference!!?? Patches would have been last on the list though.

I used the inhalator (all free whilst pg - over £20 a box in Sainsbury's) and every time I wanted a fag, used that. I found it great as I wasn't getting continuous nicotine - just when I wanted it.

Two weeks before, I banned all smoking in the house (I smoked in the garage!) and even managed to give up while my 60 a day MIL was staying. The "last fag" at 11.55pm the night before was a very emotional time

As someone else said, after a few days, you believe you can actually do it and it motivates you to carry on......just take one day (or even one hour if necessary) at a time. I smoked 20 a day for over 20 years - everyone around me is gob-smaked that I've managed it - if I can, anyone can.......

The other thing with the inhalator, is that one day you realise you haven't used it for hours, or even all day, and that's when you realise, you are a non-smoker now and you CAN do it.

I still could easily have a cigarette at any given moment - and carry my inhalator everywhere (although I can't remember the last time I used it), but I know that I don't need to!

Sorry for such a long post but GOOD LUCK!

YOU CAN DO IT - and won't ever regret it!

Do you really want to give up? If you smoke when pregnant, presumably you are going to smoke around a new born?

What would help you? Do you want support? We can give you that. Do you want shock tactics? I could start a thread and ask people to say what they really think about pregnant women that smoke.

Best of luck. Giving up is hard but a brilliant, brilliant thing to do. I spent every penny that I saved from fags on nice stuff for myself which was a good incentive!