QUESTION:
“Hi, I’ve been having trouble quitting smoking, and I’m 9 weeks pregnant. If I stop now, do you think my baby will be okay?”
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TOP ANSWERS (AS SELECTED BY MODERATOR):
“I smoked a pack a day and quit cold turkey the day I found out I was pregnant with my first. My sister in law smokes less and has never succeeded at quitting after 4 pregnancies. It is NOT an indication of how much or little you love your child. It is really, really hard. You CAN do this. (Hugs).”
“Please just stop. There is absolutely no proof that quitting stresses your baby. That is simply not true.”
" Talk with you obgyn. Maybe patches could help you?
I smoked during pregnancy and my son was perfect. He was born at 41 weeks and weighed nearly 9 pounds. However, quitting sooner than later is best for both youth and baby! Hypnosis could also help if you’re open to it. Good luck momma!"
“I was a smoker, and I did not know I was pregnant with my first LO until 6 weeks. I quit cold turkey as soon as I found out and he is perfectly healthy. Just quit ASAP.”
“Yes. You are early enough. I get it’s hard. But your child’s health is more important than a bad habit.”
“If you cant quit, cut back, relax. While not good to smoke, there is a whole bunch of us out here that did and had no problems.”
“You’re a mom now. There are just some things you have to do for your kids. Quit asap. I quit as soon as I found out I was pregnant, I cried for a few days but I did it. And I had a hell of a stressful pregnancy but if I can, anyone can!”
“This was my biggest struggle while pregnant. I was never able to completely quit. I did cut back to almost nothing. My kids are now 17,15,12. They are extremely healthy. I was also pregnant during the time when the doctors didn’t recommend you quit cold turkey, they recommended to slow down first. I know things have changed in the last decade. This was just my experience.”
“Cutting back helped me this time around like every two days I’d cut out a cigarette and only smoke half cuz that second half normally smells and turns me away. The farther you get into it the harder it gets because it’ll become a craving outside of the habit itself. I smoked with my first two and my daughter was born purple having trouble breathing and my son came out fine. It’s really not something I suggest you allow to be really ok in your head, you know? But I believe the ob can help get into support groups and my ob said if I can’t hang with those then she can give me a safe prescription to help quit. I also suggest if the actual urge to do the “ritual” ie lighting the cigarette; holding it in your hand and so on, find an alternative. Like I’ll hold a pencil in between my fingers. I’ll just light the lighter. I won’t go near the areas that I would normally go to smoke. I pretty much treated it like when I hit addiction recovery. I also always ask “do I NEED this or do I WANT this” if I have to ask then I definitely do NOT need it. And I try to find something to sit through the urge. The urge itself will pass. You just gotta really sit through it. And the mood swing part is kinda fitting since you are already pregnant and hormonal lol.”
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READ ALL ANSWERS BELOW:
my first pregnancy (7yr ago) I smoked anything from 20-40 a day with her, I tried to stop but being alone in a house I craved cigs and smoked through boredom. I had a healthy 6lb12oz baby but this time I told myself I wouldn’t smoke through it. Now I don’t like the smell at all!
