Smoking whilst pregnant

[Jcra]

I am 6 weeks pregnant with my second child 10 years apart I smoked when I was pregnant with my daughter only 2 to 3 a day I cut down alot and she was perfectly healthy 8 pound baby. With this one I am finding myself smoking around 5 to 6 a day I absolutly hate it and I feel so ashamed and heartbroken that I carnt stop for the sake of my child the guilt is killing me but my god it is so so hard.
I have mentioned this to midwife and she has referred me to a non smoking clinic to help me so fingers crossed I can stop.

You should of white years ago before even getting pregnant and then when you did the first time you should of quit and you have had years to quit for the sake of your first child and now your doing it again.

• Get the gum
• Get the patches
• Get the tablets
• Is vaping better? Who knows

Get loads of lollipops and suck them all day long

• Get a hobby

-Throw everything you have smoking related out

• Don't be around people who smoke

-Go to the smoke clinic as you have been referred

• Take your bank card away and give it to someone who you trust so you don't buy any smokes
• Get some willpower
• HYPNOTHERAPY
• listen to podcasts
• YouTube channels talk about this listen to them
• yoga

And above all BE A MOTHER. Good luck OP but just don't overthink it it's just smoking just stop. I did the second I wanted to conceive and I would smoke loads all day for years

I'm assuming you don't know the harm smoking in pregnancy can/does do to babies?

OP feels bad, she knows it’s not ok, no point just sticking the boot in.

OP, if I were you, I would read and watch everything I could about the dangers to your baby. And lung cancer for you. The more graphic the better. As you’re already feeling ashamed and guilty, it may be enough to make you stop or at least reduce, whilst you wait for more help.

Good luck, I hope you manage to quit. You’ll feel so much better both physically and mentally if you can. And you’ll be have more money which will be good.

Calling her a arsehole is more likely to make her smoke more rather than less

That's not 'basic psychology' that's an excuse.

Hope you get the support you need OP, for your baby's sake. I'm not without empathy for mothers' who have an addiction to smoking but sympathy lies only with the baby. 5/6 is a lot.

You should feel deeply ashamed

Posted too soon

shame exists to stop us doing things that are bad

sometimes people can feel shame for distorted reasons but in this case shame should one hundred per cent be doing it’s job

you don’t need to stop the shame - you need to stop doing the thing that makes you feel ashamed

your poor poor defenceless baby

Its really hard OP.

Try taking it one day a time and cutting back as much as you possibly can. Definitely go to the smoking cessation clinic that will help

Good luck.

I hope you don't get to much hate on this thread - giving up smoking is incredibly difficult

You are risking your babies life... if that is t enough then I don't know what is.

The risk of stillbirth increases
The risk of placental abruption increased
The risk of IUGR increases

What are you currently doing to help yourself?

Are you on nicotine replacement patches?

Read Alan Carr's easy way to stop smoking, I stopped smoking while pregnant after I read this book! Never had a single craving since, it was like magic! Amazing book, couldn't recommend highly enough, it changed my life!

Can you swap to a vape? Lots better and I quit a 30 a day habit with one

@ShedHead7 yes. I do. And I also know there are a lot more pollutants in the air than cigarette smoke. Carbon monoxide for example. Do you know the damage that causes?
What about fragranced candles? Air fresheners? Do we know the damage breathing in those things do? Yes they can, and do cause cancer. Same as cleaning products.
What about after the baby is born? Pushing it in a pram at lung height of traffic? Anyone ever push a baby in a pram where there's traffic? Shame on you.
There are worse a pregnant woman can do besides smoke. Pregnant women have always smoked, only now most who smoke do on the quiet and won't seek help because they've seen the ridiculous sanctimony here.
The op was looking for advice, no need for the high and mighty attitudes.

Well no, you clearly don't then, because if you thing breathing in the air is worse than directly inhaling combusted carcinogenic noxious substances, you are way off the mark. Maybe you should do some research and educate yourself before advising people that it's just as safe to smoke in pregnancy as it is to breathe air.

I work with health auditing and had to review 20 stillbirths recently, looking for something (unrelated to smoking)

80% of them were smokers. It was heartbreaking reading the antenatal notes that the midwives had written at most contacts: 'reminded Sarah of the risks of smoking. Offered referral to cessation but she declined'

There were other medical factors at play sometimes too, but given that 10% of all women smoke during pregnancy, the 80% figure was striking

My SIL was a midwife, who went into the smoking cessation team. Heard some absolutely awful stories. Then, you have posters like the one below claiming breathing air is worse. After all the research and evidence, deaths and disabilities it's caused. Unbelievable.

Stop making such pathetic, unscientific excuses.

@ShedHead7 point me to where I said breathing in air was WORSE please????

Why don't you set up a little bank account for the little one with the money that you save. Or treat yourself to a mini make over for when after you have the baby. Just take it one day at a time, don't think about the journey ahead or you will be overwhelmed. Just bin the remaining ones that you have then try to go into shops
Using cash for the amount needed to pay for shopping so the temptation isn't there.

Good luck op! You absolutely can (and wil) do this

You said there are a lot more pollutants in the air than smoke. Which is insinuating breathing the air is more toxic.
Absolutely and completely untrue.

@ChagSameachDoreen do some research on the damage toxic vehicle fumes causes.

You clearly smoked when you were pregnant didn't you. Only someone who did would use such bullshit excuses.

@ShedHead7 worse and more are two completely different things. I didn't say worse did I?

OP - ignore most of the ‘disgusted’ posters in here. They are if often the same people who will also say they advocate ‘full bodily autonomy’ and preach abortion should be ‘as soon as possible but as late a possible’ without a hint of self awareness. At the end of the day, it is your body and you do have full autonomy over it no matter what.

You are aware of the risks and you are trying your best. Take all the advice and help you can ….. vape or plaster yourself in patches or chewing gum or all three. As PP (the helpful ones!) have said, try and identify the times or events that make you want to smoke and find an alternative for both the craving and/or the physical habit. Mostly think positive and remember every cigarette you don’t smoke is a little victory - so well done

Well what was the point of your comparison? You do realise that cigarettes emit carbon dioxide don't you? Carbon dioxide that is inhaled straight into a babies bloodstream.

I meant monoxide, but yes, they emit plenty of dioxide as well. As well as cyanide, and formaldehyde.

@ShedHead7 now you can tell me where and for what I've made excuses?