Im 18 weeks pregnant with my 4th child, and struggling to quit smoking?
February 18th, 2012
After trying for a baby for more than a year me and my bf are finally pregnant, but i cant seem to quit smoking completely. I need help, does any one know what i can do to stop. Ive cut down from a packet a day to about 6 to 7 a day but i want to stop….
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Posted in Quit smoking now | 
Tags: 18 Weeks Pregnant, 4th Child, child, Pregnant, quit, quit smoking, smoking, struggling, weeks
enjoy your deformed baby, black lung.
Just stop. My wife was smoking 50 a day before we had our first, the second she found out she just stopped, immediately. She didn’t miss them and never went back to them. Just quit it, its easy. Don’t buy the cigarettes, think of your baby.
Make sure you are supporting yourself nutritionally. It takes extra nutrition to both grow a baby and heal your body of smoking.
Try taking additional vitamin B complex to support your brain health, some Cod Liver Oil (1 tsp / day shouldn’t be too much). Also, if you can, try to get some help to stop smoking.
Oftentimes strong cravings for cigarettes, alcohol or drugs can be attributed to nutritional deficiencies – your body “needs” something, but it doesn’t really know exactly what that is, OR, you can misinterpret. For instance a craving for another drug, sugar, can often be dispelled by eating some fat. I myself have noticed that if I eat something sugary when I want sugar, or a piece of fruit, the craving doesn’t go away, but if I eat some avocado, the craving goes away immediately. So when you are craving a cigarette, try doing some other things, give yourself 20 minutes to consider what it is you really want. Do something substitutionary, like writing, taking a walk or something else you enjoy.
Good luck – I hope you are able to quit soon, and for good! Your lungs can heal much faster while you are pregnant.
As I’m sure you know, nicotine is one of THE most addictive drugs on the planet. Finding it hard to quit is not a reflection on your worthiness as a mother or human being — it’s a reflection on how strongly your brain chemistry is clinging to the addiction.
Have you spoken to your doctor about it? Many hospitals and OB practices offer cessation classes specifically for pregnant women. If there isn’t a specialized class/group available, there is probably a general one. Due to your pregnancy you may not be able to use many of the medications currently available, but the support itself should be very helpful.
EDIT: Voice — it’s not ‘all about genetics.’ Genetics are one factor … but evironment matters too. And while we can’t change our genes we CAN change our envirohnment.
As for the ‘stress’ of quitting …. while quitting cold turkey may or may not be the best way for a heavy smoker, NOBODY will suggest that it’s best for a smoker to continue to smoke. Whether a smoker quits cold turkey or gradually, she needs to quit if she wants her baby to have the BEST chance for good health.
I know how you feel. It is hard. When I was pregnant with my first child I was a heavy smoker too. A pack a day or more it was disgusting. As soon as I found out I was pregnant I tried to stop but it was hard and I succeeded after 2 weeks and I didn’t touch one again until my daughter was 1 year old and I stopped breast feeding.
You have to stop though. PLEASE just do it! I don’t know what else I can tell you but you need to think of the baby.
What made me stop was thinking of the horrible looks people were going to give me when I had a big belly and a cigaret in my mouth. And I thought of the day I was going to have my ultrasound and I actually had a nightmare that they were going to tell me that the baby is missing some fingers.
I also have a friend who smoked all through out her pregnancy and her daughter has such bad asthma that she can’t even stay at the park to play for longer than 20 minutes or so. And I feel so bad for that little girl. She cries whenever her mom tells her she has to sit down and she cant play with the other kids cause she will get sick. And one time she cried so hard that she had and attack and her mom had to call an ambulance to the park.
You are 18 weeks and your belly is probably showing already. So when you want a cigaret I would tell you to put your hand on your belly and think about your child. Think about his or her life and the fact that your baby is an innocent life who has no control over what you are doing to your body.
DOnt let yoru baby suffer because of something you did. And you are going to hate yourself if your baby is born with a problem or if you have a premature birth and your baby con not even live because his lungs are so tiny. If they get sick when they are older you are always going to wonder if it is because of your smoking. This is the reality you have to face and it is soooo hard but please think about these things daily and you will be able to quit cold turkey like I did.
My daughter came out real healthy and I would have died if she didn’t. I found out I was pregnant at 5 weeks and I quit at 7 weeks cold turkey.
PLEASE think of these FACTS. They are not just assumptions but hey are TRUE FACTS that your are harming your baby and your baby may even die from premature birth or have severe life altering deformity.
TOUCH your belly every time you want to smoke and that should be enough for you to stop. I’m sorry cause I know its hard BUT YOU CAN DO IT! Just do it! Think about all the fun sports you are going to get to see your child do and all the fun things he or she will WANT to do. Dont take that away from your baby before they even get a chance to live.
I wish you the best of luck! Even though it is not luck you need, you need just to think of your baby and put your hand on your belly and remember that you are in control of that life growing inside of you
My Dr. told me not to quit. Quitting causes stress and will harm the baby. So I cut back to 5-7 a day. The result. 3 pregnancies, 3 big and healthy babies. Between 8.11 lbs and 7.9 lbs. All because I listened to my Dr.
His advice benefited my children.
Friends of ours, who don’t smoke, have had a miscarriage, and one child with asthma.
It’s all about genetics.