Why is it so hard to quit smoking when pregnant?

[loveyourself87]

Yes I know it's bad but I'm not on here for shame, I am looking for some encouraging advice from women who have quit or cut down during pregnancy! I'm 14 weeks and still smoking around 6 a day, when I first got pregnant the smell made me sick but not I can stomach it. I'm not making excuses but I have been under so much stress, I've lost my job two weeks ago which means any job I go to now I will not be entitled to SMP so I need to look for a job whilst pregnant! I tried vaping to cut down but that didn't work, any helpful tips pls? I am grateful to be pregnant and don't want to hurt the baby anymore but I just can't stop.

I'm sorry you are going through so much stress - that is so awful about your job.
It is really hard to give up smoking at any point. Let alone when you are going through so much.
Advice?
Nicotine replacement therapy is licensed for use in pregnancy - obviously it is "better" to not use anything, but could this be an option for you?
Speak to your midwife/ GP/ pharmacist about some support - they may be able to point you in the right direction.
Anything you can do to cut down - going from 6 to 5, or to 4 even - is going to be beneficial for you and baby.

Hey OP I can't give advice from a personal point of view as I never smoked but I just wanted to say that you're on the right track by asking for help! Have you spoke to your midwife about this? I'm sure they'd be very understanding and might be able to point you in the right direction for help and support?

On the subject of jobs, I changed my job when I was 13 weeks so don't qualify for SMP either but maternity allowance is basically the same amount apart from not getting the first 6 weeks at 90% pay. I've got around this by putting some savings aside to cover that first month or two. My advice with MA is get your application in when you're exact 26 weeks as you can't apply then and the waiting time for payments to start is currently 14 weeks!

Hope you find the help and support you need but remember you can do this! xx

If nothing else think of the money you are literally burning! You can’t afford this anymore.

There will be a specialist midwife; have you been referred?

Read Allen Carr's easy way book. Today.

Have you talked to your GP/midwife about it? Lots of help available and with your mat exemption certificate any prescriptions would be free.

Are you fully aware of the risks of smoking in pregnancy? I won't repeat them here if you are, but if you just know that "it's not good for baby" then a bit more detail might help with will power.

I've struggled but managed to replace with low nicatine vape as soon as I found out. It's not easy and struggling to get off the vape now but it's much better for the baby. Good luck

I was told by a smoking cessation specialist that the hormones while pregnant make it twice as hard to quit as when you're not pregnant.
Have you got some specialist help to quit? Smoking is incredibly bad for developing babies (including secondary smoke) and can cause stillbirth.
Well done for trying to give up. Do get as much support as possible.

You need to want to do it, like really really want to do it.

I'm 17 weeks pregnant and have only just given up on nicotine in the past couple days so I know how hard it is. At first I cut to vaping a low amount of nicotine and then switched to the gum that the Smokefree nurse prescribed. This helps with the cravings and withdrawals but at some point you do just have to bite the bullet and stop.

And it's hard. But it's so so worth it.
Cravings tend to last for around 10 mins so I get up and do something to distract myself for that time, like doing the laundry or going for a walk. It gets better after a couple of days, I promise.

Sorry to hear about your job, hopefully you'll find a new one soon but the most important thing is you and your baby's health. You don't want to be that woman standing outside the antenatal ward puffing away.

Good luck OP!

Have you tried wearing a nicotine patch and replacing those 4 or 5 cigs a day with vaping? That way you could gradually reduce the nicotine patch dose down to minimum, eventually nothing, and also reduce the strength of the vape juice over time down to nothing. Anything is better than cigarettes. I sympathise, it is not easy. I was in hospital for a week when heavily pregnant with my first nearly 40 years ago and spent most of my time there in the 'smoking room' on the antenatal ward. I am still shocked by that - it's hard to believe today. With my second pregnancy I gave up 4 weeks before I conceived. The difference in my stress levels was amazing. Smoking causes stress, it doesn't relieve it. Good luck, OP.

Please go to one of the local service stop smoking caravans - www.nhs.uk/smokefree/help-and-advice/local-support-services-helplines and take it from there. You will find lots of help and support and free nicotine replacement.

@thosethreewords thank you, I have contacted my MW to assist me with the NHS smoke free scheme, fingers crossed x

@MummyBear405 thank you for the info , it's so helpful! Can I just check, do you not need to have been working for a company for 26 weeks to also be entitled to Maternity allowance? My only options for jobs at this stage are 3 or 4 month contracts and that won't cover 26 weeks x

@crustycrab I've heard loads about it and will check it out x

@Tableclothing fully aware of the risks, as I mentioned I know that it is harmful and I'm in tears with guilt! I am taking the steps to try and at least cut down! Thank you x

@loveyourself87 no that's only for SMP. Maternity Allowance covers anyone who isn't eligible for SMP so if you were self employed for example.

You can check your eligibility here:

www.gov.uk/maternity-allowance/eligibility

@loveyourself87 not that I'm saying it's a good idea but my mum never completely managed to quit while she was pregnant with me. I was fine but the same as you the guilt for her was awful.
You will get maternity allowance. It's specifically there for people that don't qualify for SMP, I think you take your MATB1 form to the job centre and they put it through for you.
Quitting is so hard at any point, I quit when I fell pregnant a few years ago, it was so hard. I lost that pregnancy but decided that one good thing should come from it and never took up smoking again. You can do it, great advice about speaking to your midwife as they can refer you for further support. The fact that you want to stop is huge.

Hey so during my 1st pregnancy I didn't stop I literally couldn't I tried so many times and it just didn't work I realised it was because I didn't actually want to. When you become pregnant it's a YOU NEED TO STOP NOW situation which if your not actually in that space of mind to stop then you wont succeed!
2nd pregnancy I did stop during. I was under a smoke free midwife/nurse so see if they offer this service in your area. They help you with different things you can use to stop.. with myself we also got vouchers for shops for every week smoke free etc. which was good.
With my 2nd though I tried patches I tried gum and nothing was working and because you associate smoking with calming you down with stress you get into a bit of a rut with it.. think to yourself though once you have had a cig does that stress compelty go away or have you had a few minutes stress free to then it returns.
I basically got up one morning during my 2nd pregnancy and decided I wasnt going to have that first cig of the morning with my cup of tea... then I had to take my son to school so that was another few hours without having that first cig then I made myself busy throughout the day I distanced myself from people who was heavy smokers for at least a week because I knew it would only make me want to smoke again. First 3 days was probally the worst and it's not easy but if you keep yourself busy and dont think about it it gets easier xx

Pregnancy is stressful enough, without losing your job also. No wonder you are struggling to give up :(
Have you spoke to your midwife? She will help you with this and give advice on replacements ect.
Vaping is another way to go, I know you said it didn't work before but maybe the nicotine level was too low for you at the time?

This may help with nicotine levels that you may be use to.

Hey op,

When I found out I was pregnant I switched to a vape. Was quite a heavy smoker before. It was like half quitting. I was moody af! But I managed to stop vaping after a month by reducing the nicotine week by week.

I gave up a year ago and was the best decision I've ever made. The first 48 ours are the worst. Once you've done the first 48, you have a sense of not wanting to let yourself down.

I used patches for 2 weeks and the inhalator (not a vape - totally different) for about 4 weeks and that was that.

So much easier than I thought once I'd done it. Hardest but was getting the motivation to do it - once you have that, you are pretty much there already.

Good luck :)

*hours

Hypnotherapy worked for me. It cost s lot, nearly three hundred pounds, but as you're smoking more than 2 packs a week you'll break even in less than 6 months.

Im a smoker that quit when i found out I was pregnant.
At first it was difficult. In the first two months I bought and threw away four packs of cigarettes after smoking one. For me. The cravings were awful but the guilt of having smoked was even worse. Try imagining your baby enveloped in a cloud of carginogenic fumes. I'm not trying to shame you, I'm being literal: visualising want u was subjecting my child too every time I had a cigarette really helped with my resolve. It felt awful. I hated myself for wanting a cigarette, and I'm not going to lie to you, I didn't stop the wanting for a good couple of months. But I wanted my baby more. Eventually I realised I hadnt had a craving or thought about smoking in a while and here we are, 8m pp and a non smoker.

I'd never go back to it.

Good luck.

I looked up pictures of babies with cleft lips and other issues that come from smoking during pregnancy. My husbands birth mom was a smoker and he has only 50% lung function because of this. The pictures of the babies of smoking mothers that was showed to me in my first appointment literally made me stop that day. It’s pretty horrific. Obviously worst case scenario but it sealed the deal for me.