Okay, I have named-changed for this as obviously I am not proud of myself. I am not looking for criticism (unless you think I need it!), just constructive advice and comments.
Basically I have been a heavy smoker for 15 years (up to 15 a day, 10 times that if drinking). When we started trying for a baby almost a year ago, I gave up completely for 2 months and found this easy as I was so excited about things to come. When nothing happened, I lapsed and despite trying every method under the sun and stopping and starting again more times than I can remember, I was back to smoking 15 a day when I found out I was pregnant a couple of months ago.
As soon as I found out I stopped smoking, but I have found it so hard. Maybe because I still can't quite believe I am pregnant, and also we have been through some really tough times this year as a couple and with various other things, and I have lost my confidence and excitement about our future family. Anyway every week or 2 weeks I give in and have a cigarette (or a couple of cigarettes) and then throw the rest of the packet away so I will not be tempted. Usually it is because I have a big row with my partner or get very stressed about work or the various pressures of my day to day life.
I know this is not good for the baby but I cannot seem to motivate myself to think how dare I be so selfish etc and to stop myself having that one cigarette. I convince myself that actually one cigarette will not do much, especially seeing I eat an excellent diet, do not touch any alcohol etc. I remind myself of a girl I knew who smoked throughout her pregnancy because he doctor told her it was better than getting stressed, and think about the 70s when no-one knew smoking was bad for you and how a lot of babies seemed to turn out okay then. I am almost rewarding myself for not having smoked for so many days on the trot - and the relief is immense. I am just being honest and I wondered if anyone else had similar problems with smoking as I know my thinking is all wrong. However I just don't know how to change my attitude to deal with the constant cravings, all I think about most of the time is smoking, even after 3 days when the nicotine is out of your blood stream. I don't feel guilty afterwards as I convince myself that it was the last cigarette, however this has been going on for over 2 months now.
Perhaps when I have my scan in a couple of weeks it will start to seem real. I think maybe my personality comes in to it aswell, I am very "no nosense" and so the "one cigarette every week is hardly going to do any harm" thinking comes easily to me. I am not proud of myself and really would just like some help - alhough I have tried various giving up methods, and the "giving up" itself doesn't seem to be the problem, it is the sustaining it.