Advice on Quiting

What i did was i only had a pack of ciggarettes at work. i never brought them home. it just so happened that i had 2 days in a row off, then i was sick that 3rd day. so when i went back to work, on my break i went outside and had a ciggarette. on my way back in i got sick. i never had one after that.

i dont think "my way" will benefit, which was, morning sickness... i smoked from 16 to 35 and i was so sick that i kinda "forgot" to smoke... then after a couple days i realized i didnt smoke a cig...so i thought, "ok well,i guess nows the time" but the reason i am writing is becuz for after you quit and after you have the baby... just dont pick it up! when you want one (and you will) just dont pick it up. if you do, you will start smoking again. and who wants that. who wants a mommy to snuggle with that smells like smoke. i still occasionally want one and its been since jan 2002, but you'll find the craving doesnt last that long. get distracted, do something, dont ponder on the craving..

i now can have a "hardy" laugh, i dont have that smokers flem, and i hope to be here a little longer becuz i stopped.

good luck!

I would not try quitting cold turkey. The "jolt" to your body can also have an adverse affect. I would try cutting out 1 cigarette a day; ie. smoke 20 today, 19 tomorrow, 18 the next day, until you are down to 0. If you feel like you need more than that, drink water. I personally ate a lot of sunflower seeds. Talk to your Dr. and see what they suggest also.

Hi C.,
No, gum or the patch isn't anywhere close to as bad for you or the baby than smoking. If you can manage to get over the first few days, you can do it for good. My best advice is to set a quit date in the near future, say 2 weeks from now. Every day, look at the calendar & remind yourself of how many days you have to go & psych yourself up for it. Also, drink as much water as you possibly can to flush all the yuckies out of your system as quickly as possible & tell everyone you know what your date is so they can all help & support you through the rough times. I really wish you the best of luck & hope I helped at least a little bit!

I'm a smoker and when I found out I was pregnant I talked to my GYN about it. She gave me a little over a month to quit. She basically said you know, if you really need your one after lunch, keep that one, but cut out your mid morning one, and every week cut down another one until you're totally gone. She had also offered to put me on some kind of medicine. I think the nicotine isn't good for the baby, but I think what's worse is the actual smoke (carbon monoxide & whatever else is in there). Good luck, I know it's tough!

I have never been a smoker myself, but I did volunteer work with my church for awhile, and had numerous opportunities to help people break the habit. We had a step-by-step plan that really seemed to work well, and it helped more than one person who couldn't quit any other way. I can't remember all the steps, but there are things about it that might help you. One of the big things was to get lots of vitamin C--apparently that helps get the nicotine through your system faster and gets you through those nasty withdrawls more quickly. Another thing was to get some cinnamon flavored mouthwash and cinnamon breath spray, and use them whenever you have the temptation to smoke. Nothing tastes good after using that stuff! :) Lots of water is very good advice, and if you tend to have coffee and cigarettes together, consider giving up the coffee as well (since it's not very good for your baby either). Clean your house and your clothes and your car to get rid of the smell of your favorite brand of cigarettes. And last of all, if you can find a friend to help you, that may be your most valuable resource. Someone you can call on whenever you're having a particularly rough time, or feel like you just can't make it any longer. If you can, try saving your "cigarette money" in a jar for something special to reward yourself. I know of a lady who saved her cigarette money for a year and bought a piano! No matter how you do it, I wish you the best of luck and great success.

Hi C.,
I agree with the water idea. Whenever you feel like smoking, drink a big glass of water. The extra water is good for you and the baby and it reminds you why you are trying to quit. You could also find something to keep your hands busy. Take one day at a time and congratulate yourself for doing a good job. If you fall off the wagon every now and then, don't beat yourself up. Just try to do better the next day. Good luck!

HI C.
WHEN I FOUND OUT I WAS PREGNANT IT WAS HARD FOR ME TO QUIT TOO. EXSPECIALLY SINCE MY FIANCE DIDNT QUIT AND WOULD SMOKE AROUND ME .. I DIDNT EVER TRY THE GUM OR THE PATCH . I CUT BACK ALOT AND WHEN EVER I WANTED A CIG I WOULD JUST CHEW REGULAR GUM. I WOULD CHEW THE **** OUT OF IT TOO LOL. SOMETIMES JUST THE SMELL WOULD CALM MY CRAVINGS SOMETIMES IT WOULD MAKE IT WORSE. AFTER A FEW MONTH I MADE MY FIANCE SMOKE OUTSIDE AND COVER IT UP WITH COLOGNE. HE WOULD KEEP A BOTTLE OF COLOGNE OUT ON OUR BALCONY . THEN WE WERE LIVING IN AN APARTMENT. HE GOT SO USED TO SMOKING OUTSIDE THAT EVEN AFTER MY SON WAS BORN AND I STARTED BACK UP :( THAT WE JUST CONTINUED TO SMOKE OUTSIDE. TRY NOT TO THINK ABOUT IT AND WHENEVER YOU DO JUST POP A PIECE OF GUM IN YOUR MOUTH . THE CRAVINGS WILL SLOWLY BUT SURELY GO AWAY.

I quit the same day I found out with my first baby, & like Jenny said, the smell alone made me want to vomit. So I hope for you its a easy thing to do. I was smoking for a while before I got pregnant & it is possible to just quit.

C., I smoked for four years before I had my son. I had a miscarriage right before I got pregnant with my son. So, for me...it was easy because I just thought about the little baby growing inside of me! I wanted this pregnancy to be "right", so I stopped any activities that I considered dangerous for the baby! Good luck:)

Hello C.,

If it's any consolation, I smoked for the first 4 wks I was pregnant because I didn't know I was pregnant. The day I found out, is the day I quit. Yes, it is very difficult, especially if you are like me that smoked for many years. I've smoked for 17 yrs, so to go from having a cig to nothing was difficult. What kept me from not reaching a cig is knowing that I am carrying a life in me. I can damage myself, but I wasn't going to hurt him. Willpower and happy thoughts of your new bundle will help you through. Keep us posted on how you do.

K.

Hi C.! Congratulations!

If it is that hard then I would suggest talking to your doctor. For me, it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. I thought I wouldn't be able to do it but the day I found out I was pregnant with my first child I was still in shock so I went shopping :o) When I got out of my car I lit a cigarette out of habit and realized that I had this little baby inside of me that I could lose or hurt. That was enough to put that cigarette out and not pick one up again. My friend said the samething but what she thought of was a bottle with a lit cig. in it and her hand over the opening so none of the smoke can get out. That is what your baby is inhaling. That helped her stop. Good luck. I know how hard it is!

S.

If you live in Pittsburgh, Magee Women's Hosp. has a smoking sessation program for pregnant women and I think but not sure that the cost is minimally or can be covered by insurance or assistance.
Good luck.

I have no suggestions on how to quit , but when I got pregnant the smell and the taste made me sick that I just couldn't smoke anymore. Actually the first time I got pregnant thats how I found out. I got so sick while smoking, the guy I was working with said that was how his wife found out she was pregnant, that night i went home took a test and it was positive.