Did anyone else find it difficult to stop smoking when pregnant?

[bumpsoon]

I am very early on in my pregnancy and i am desperate to stop smoking ,have been hypnotised twice in the last week and have failed both times ,really angry with myself . I guess i am the only social leper going through this as i imagine every one else saw the positive sign and promptly stopped .Any words of advice /encouragement greatly appreciated .

bumpsoon I will probably be jumped on for this but I tried and failed I am 30 weeks but I have cut down to less than 5 and hope healthy diet makes up for it.

No, you are not alone. I had trouble, and still finding it very hard. Although I didn't smoke heavily before falling pregnant 5-6 a day, when I discovered I was pregnant (at 7 weeks) I stopped right up until the 12th week and then caved in, but was not smoking every single day, just when out with a few friends socially.

I have now stopped for 2 weeks and am not going to cave this time as it is so hard. Once you get past the first week it does get easier, and I just tried to retrain my brain when I thought about having a cigarette.

Try to cut down and eventually stop if you can. I also thought about when the baby is born, it will be so much harder to smoke as they say you shouldn't have contact with your child for at least half an hour after having a cigarette, plus the possibility of cot death scares me.

Hope this helps, all the best xx

thankyou for your replies ,its nice to know im not alone , i am going to have a crack at it tomorrow , just wondering though would it be ok to have a piece of nicotine gum for those really bad moments ? surely it would be better than a fag ?

I didn't manage to quit either. I tried a few times, but couldn't manage it, with either pregnancy. I did cut down though (a bit).
Try not to get too worked up about it, the added stress of you worrying about it won't help.
Have you tried replacing the cig with another treat? Maybe when you want a fag, have a hot chocolate or something instead. It worked for me for about a day! My doctor says you have to find something you enjoy just as much and replace it.
To help you feel a bit better, my ds1 was born 6 days overdue and weighed 9lbs 10oz, he is 21 months now and has never been seriously ill or had any breathing problems or any other problems connected to smoking.
Ds2 was induced 6 days early and weighed 7lbs 13oz, is now 13 weeks, and although he has a little cold, that isn't because of the smoking.
I don't have any advice or tips, but just wanted to let you know that you are not the only person that's ever struggled with this

How much are you smoking now? How much did you smoke before?

I found it very very hard, especially as many of my friends smoke. It's not as if a switch happens telling you not to smoke 'for the baby' (though many would have us believe it happens)

Just take it a day at a time, try not to make a fuss about it, when you crave a fag, go shopping, have a cup of tea, put some loud music on.

I smoked a few until about 18 weeks with both of mine, I do feel guilt but they are healthy.

I'm sure i'm going to get flamed but I also haven't stopped. To be honest I'm a grown woman and yes I appreciate fully the risks but I also have a great deal of difficulty dealing with stress/mood swings and depression and I just couldn't manage to stop.

I smoked during my last pregnancy and was blessed with a beautiful, perfectly healthy little girl. I'm not saying that means the same for everyone or even for me this time but to be honest theres more to life than worrying about every single thing you do.

I really really hope you manage to quit, for one you won't feel like a complete leper every time you light up and of course it's the right thing to do. But if you don't, don't feel like you've failed your child in some way or are letting anyone down. You're you, and that you've posted this shows you are making the effort.

Good luck xx

i am a heavy smoker ,i managed nearly four days last week until i became borderline psychotic ,thats why i wondered about the gum , just to take the edge off ,until the moment passes . I know they dont reccomend useing it in pregnancy but then they frown on paracetamol too ,and it must be better than all the crap in a cigarette ?

I found it easy to give up BUT only because I had such bad morning sickness for the first 4 months that the very thought of a ciggie made me retch. In fact that's how I knew I was pregnant (was not planned) as I totally went off cigs and alcohol.

I wasn't a heavy smoker though - more of a social / evening smoker.

BTW they don't frown on paracetamol in pregnancy, in fact it's one of the only drugs they say you can take.

go see your GP , it sounds like you can't manage it yorself. They won't judge you, just help.

fwiw my MIL quit after 30 years of smoking using the nicotine inhalers and it only took her a month and she never smoked again.

My GP said that the gum, minimum dose equivalent to the amount you would ordinarily smoke, is OK.

Unfortunately the gum is inadequate substitute.

I have massively cut down. I try not to smoke at all during the day.

I cut down with both previous pregnancies. But I just haven't seemed to be able to activate that magic off-switch.

You could try reading Allen Carr's 'The Only Way to Stop Smoking Permanently'. It's badly written (from a pedant's perspective) but gets the message across. I have quit using it (not pregnant though!).

See your gp and mayb chat to your mw....I am sure they will be helpful. I was chatting a mw about the subject funnily enough (don't smoke it was a random conv) she was saying she knows its very hard to give up but at the very least they appreciate people cutting back as best they can and wanting to stop.

With DS (nearly 3) I didnt manage to give up and hardly managed to cut down
I got majorly stressed and just found it impossible. Thankfully I was very lucky and he was 8 days overdue and weighed 9lb 13oz and has never suffered with his chest.

This time I am 24 weeks pg with twins and managed to quit at 11 weeks and not look back!
I quit 3 days before my dating scan after being pestered to death by DP (very anti smoking) When we discovered it was twins it made it easier not to cave as I am so aware of the fact that they may already arrive prem and small and couldnt bring myself to make it worse.

If you speak to the mw she can put you in touch with a pregnancy stop smoking group which may help

Bumpsoon - your midwife should help you with this. Don't be angry with yourself - this is a hard thing to do and the important thing is that you are trying to stop.

Just another thought...the more pregnant you start to look you will have to consider that you might get judgemental stares and comments from people passing by. The women I see outside the ante matal unit smoking always look a bit sheepish...

You are not alone in finding it hard, and it's really good that you want to do something about it. Certainly speak to your midwife or GP - there should be specialist stop smoking services locally that can help. I'd strongly recommmend them as they will be up to speed on the latest evidence of what works and is safest for use in pregnancy.

And the balance of evidence supports the use of NRT - but it doesn't have to be gum. Other forms of NRT (lonzenge/nasal spray etc) might suit you better if you are a heavy smoker. That's where the specialist service can help to advise.

Good luck!

have dug out the allen carr book from under the bed . Im going to read that ,because i think it will reinforce my hypnosis. Also i havent booked myself in at the gps yet ,wanted to be able to turn up all smug and say 'oh yes i have given up alcohol and cigarettes!'

The sickness made me give up.

Now I'm 26 weeks finding it hard to complete tasks, workwise, that I would normally need cigarette breaks to get inspired and motivated for.

Like now! Chocolate just doesn't hit the same areas of my brain.

I managed to give up the day I found out I was pregnant for three full months, then I had loads of stress which I couldn't deal with and would smoke maybe 20 a week (occasionally more, sometimes none) I find if I can control my stress I can control my smoking, but I don't seem to be able to disacossiate unhappy = smoke Now I'm 29 weeks and hardly smoke, especially as the more active the baby the more real the pregnancy seems...

Must admit I have only just given up completely two weeks ago and I'm 38+4. Last pregnancy I gave up around 30 weeks but started again when I went into be induced as I was really nervous (stupid I know) . I think its alot harder to give up when pregnant as my hormones have been all over making me want to flip out at the smallest thing, the only thing keeping me sane was the fags. I must admit I still get really strong cravings at the moment, but the thought of not wanting to be stood outside the maternity ward fagging it keeps me going, plus I havent got the money to smoke now I'm on maternity pay.

Go to the lung cancer ward in your local hospital, explain to the nurse on duty you are pregnant and need motivation to stop smoking. Now think about how you want to be a great granny and not dying some horrible death when your babies are still at school. Then buy yourself a small treat for every day you manage, a slightly bigger treat at the end of every week (meal out/nails done) and a huge treat at the end of each month-day at spa, etc. You can do it!