8 weeks pg and trying to quit smoking

LegacyUser

I was a pack a day smoker up til i found out i was pregnant last week. So i quit immediately. I have been using the lozenges and gum to stay off the smokes.

So far i've managed to stay quit til yesterday when some bad news made me so upset i went out and bought a pack of cigs. I intend to quit again tomorrow morning for good.

Am I or have I done much damage by smoking at 8 weeks? Even just this short time? I feel so guilty and so stressed about it.

If any of you are ex smokers and have any tips for quitting and getting through stressful times without picking up the smokes, please help. I really really want to quit but I'm afraid I'm badly addicted. If I quit now, how much damage have I done and will I have a normal pregnancy if I don't smoke anymore?

Thanksx

Orion

Try not to feel guilty or stressed. It's a terrible addiction and really hard to kick. Just get back on the horse and try again

Here's my own quitlog from last year - some people found it helpful (myself included). Best of luck.

Marsden

Have you tried patches, I've no idea if your allwed use them during pregnancy but their great for helping you quit.

Ayla

OP - I used to smoke a bit off & on for a few years and was up to a pack/day at the heaviest time. I suppose I was one of the lucky ones in that I never had a physical craving when I went off cigs; it was more the habit of smoking instead of the actual nicotine I got which kept me hooked.

For instance, when I woke up it was habit to have a smoke, then when I'd get home from work, it was habit to go out for a smoke. So when I wanted to quit, I changed the habit I had formed. I actually found it helped that my job changed at the same time b/c the habit was self-perpetuating by being surrounded by the same surroundings. When my surroundings changed, so did my habits, so it was simple enough to just stop.

Regarding smoking while preg, you are definitely doing the right thing by giving it up, and good on ya for doing it! It will not be easy, but there will be many things from this point on that upset you - if not morning sickness, then "down" days, or the strain of preparing for a baby, or the actual reality of adjusting to life with a newborn. You cannot resort to cigs as a way to "fix" your stress, and in fact if you do you'll only stress yourself out more, which leads to guilt, doubt, etc etc etc...

Try to find something else that calms you down - get out of the habit of turning to smokes.

Whatever has or has not been done to your baby up till now you can't do anything about. All you can do is fix things from this point on. And that means getting rid of cigs by whatever means possible. Try contacting your GP or the helplines available for help.

All the best - you are doing the right thing!

LegacyUser

Thanks Macs, i'll have a read of your log.

Marsden, I tried patches years ago and they gave me a rash! I'll stick wth the gum.

Ayla, yeah thats the thing its a vicious circle, I quit then I'm stressed cos I can't smoke, now im having a few today i'm just as stressed cos of my guilt. I really need to focus and make myself realise how serious and important it is. I will keep on at the gum and keep trying to stay quit. I wish I had morning sickness I thinnk that would help me stay off the smokes.
I'm going to try to change some of my routine, its the evenings I find the hardest. i'll take up walking and visiting non-smoking friends this week and see how that goes.

Thanks everyone x

nicowa

Just wanted to say good luck. Being pregnant is stressfull enough without this on top. I'd suggest talking to friends, family and your partner (assuming he's in the picture) and using them as a strong support base to help you stop smoking. Even if you haven't told people you're pregnant most people are most than willing to help a friend stop smoking.

Also from a website I just looked up:
If you quit before becoming pregnant or in the first few months, your baby's birthweight will be the same as if you had been a non-smoker. Also, you reduce the risk of premature birth and other pregnancy complications.

There's also helpful website info at here, here, here.

And to keep on the right side of the rules here - talk to your doc or midwife. They've had plenty of people need this kind of help. They'll have plenty of advice too.

Good Luck!

Gsxr600

Hi.
Well first off - any substitute you may use instead of smokes is just feeding your cravings with nicotine in another form im afraid.
I used to be a smoker for 12 years, loved it but now smoke free for well over a year now with no cravings from day one of quiting.
I got a book from my sis and that was it.
Alen Carr - Easyway
Worked like a charm for me, hope it will work for you too.

All the best
gsxr600

LegacyUser

nicowa wrote: »

Just wanted to say good luck. Being pregnant is stressfull enough without this on top. I'd suggest talking to friends, family and your partner (assuming he's in the picture) and using them as a strong support base to help you stop smoking. Even if you haven't told people you're pregnant most people are most than willing to help a friend stop smoking.

Also from a website I just looked up:
If you quit before becoming pregnant or in the first few months, your baby's birthweight will be the same as if you had been a non-smoker. Also, you reduce the risk of premature birth and other pregnancy complications.

There's also helpful website info at here, here, here.

And to keep on the right side of the rules here - talk to your doc or midwife. They've had plenty of people need this kind of help. They'll have plenty of advice too.

Good Luck!

Thanks for that info!

Im actually going to quit this evening instead of waiting til tommorrow. Ive been reading up on all the info i can find and feeliing more positive now tha i can do this.

Naineen

don't beat yourself up over it - but if you really want to quit, do think about the damage you may be doing to your baby if you keep the smoking up! I found that to be the best motivator (stopped when we started trying for a baby - it was really difficult for a while, but it's worth it just knowing that you will give your baby a better start in life without the fags!) set yourself a date, and then just stop.

I found that cold turkey was the best way of doing it - I don't believe in patches and other substitutes, since you are not taking away the addiction, you're still feeding it.

Best of luck - I think anyone can quit, you just have to want it badly enough, for the right reasons!

I am a friend

Have you tried hypnotherapy? A few heavy smokers I know have gone to this guy in the Midlands (can get you the details if you pm me) and they are off them 6+ months.

angelfire9

I quit when I was pregnant both times and am back smoking again

BUT
To quit while pregnant I took up an addiction to silvermints instead
Every time I wanted a ciggie i took a mint

I know its substituting one crutch for another but for the sake of the baba its worth it

Hope you have better luck than I in staying off them!

Orion

worriedonoffsmoker wrote: »

Ayla, yeah thats the thing its a vicious circle, I quit then I'm stressed cos I can't smoke,

You need to change your mindset here. That's not true. Your stress levels are higher because of the cigarettes. Then having a smoke reduces it partially and temporarily. But even then your stress is higher than that of a non-smoker. It's an artificial level. When you quit your whole body starts to normalise.

You are actually nicotine free after 3 days - after that it's the habit that the hardest to break. Instead of nicotine gum try Extra instead - it will have the same effect without feeding the addiction.

qwertytlk

Hi, please try not to worry. I only discovered i was pregnant at 22 weeks and up untill then i was smoking 20-30 a day. Thankfully im not really a drinker so i wasnt worried about that but i was really worried about the potential harm id done by smoking that much. When i met my midwife for the first time and discussed it with him he totally put my mind at ease and told me not to worry because as he quite rightly pointed out, you cant change the past. If you dont know you are pregnant you cant beat yourself up about the things you have done. Just try to make the next 32 weeks count!!
Im not sure about this but i think someone told me that nicotene patches/gum shouldnt be used in pregnancy. Im really not sure thoough so check it out. If you decide to go for the hypnotheraphy iv already looked into it for myself and apparantley its just as effective and safe in pregnancy so if your struggling you could always try that. Best of luck and congratulations:D

LegacyUser

Hi everyone, thanks so much for all your advice. I thought I would check back in and let you all know that I've been off the smokes all week.
Its been tough, but so far so good. I've kept using the nrt's to a minimum and only if I really need something.

Ayla

Hey OP - congratulations & good for you! You *can* do it...the worst is over, hang in there