Did you quit smoking when pregnant? Or did you continue to smoke but less?
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Did you quit smoking when pregnant? Or did you continue to smoke but less?
I had quit smoking at the end of March 2003. But if I had fallen pregnant while I was still smoking I would have given up straight away.
I was planning on quitting, (starting to cost too much) slowly cutting down, but then I found out I was pregnant, so I finished the pack I was on (bad I know, but they were three pretty stressful days) and didn't touch them again. I never thought I would have the strength to go solid cold turkey, but it wasmy child's health at stake, and besides, they started to taste really gross. :)
I quit as soon as I found out...that was it. I had tried to quit three times last year and it wasn't until the Dr said, you are definately pregnant that I quit then and there....
I even threw the ciggarrettes out a week later shocked that I hadn't even thought of them.... I do now though... I keep thinking how nice it would be.... but I don't think I'll ever go back!
Christy
just poking my head in
i dont smoke, never have and never will lol
but just wanted to stick my nosy beak in and say i cant stand people who are pregnant and smoking, in my opion it is an extremly wrong thing to do.
my mums a chain smoker and i blame that for why i was so short and small at birth, i was on time and i was only 4lbs and now im 21 and only 5ft if that :( the rest of my family is tall , my mum and dad and even my brothers :(.. theres probly short people down the line somwhere but i like to blame my mums smoking whilst pregnant with me..
hehe
Lesley
by the way just notcied your new to belly belly, so id like to say welcome to the family, hope you enjoy it as much as i do everyones really friendly and noone hates you for saying your own opinon , there very supportive
take care
and welcome :)
Lesley
Just to throw a spanner in the works, most Dr's recommend that you do NOT quit cold turkey if you have been a serious smoker and find out you are pregnant. I was told to gradually quit when I was pregnant, as if I had gone cold turkey it could have caused a miscarriage. I think like everything, everyone is different. I always found it very easy to quit whenever I liked (when I did smoke) however I have friends who I know will never be able to quit. Smoking is like any drug and it is extremely addictive as most of you would already know.
As I too don't really like the idea of smoking when pregnant (not that I will have to worry about that with TTC#2 coz its a thing of the past) I don't think its right to judge others as you can never know what its like for them. I think if we judged less and tried to help or support smoking mothers (to quit), they might find it easier to quit. IYWKIM.
I am an ex smoker, but I am NOT one of those types that Hates other smokers. If people choose to smoke thats their choice, so long as you respect the air that my daughter breathes then I really don't care.
I hope you understand where I am coming from :) I just thought I would give another perspective.
*hugs*
Cailin
I know what you mean Cailin.
I always swore that when I eventually quit, I wasn't going to be like that. I always thought it was hypocritical to be all like, I've figured out that smoking is bad for you, so now the entire world has to quit too. My DP still smokes, but he is planning on quitting, and he never smokes around me. Not inside either, but he never did that. His aim was to quit before Brandon was born, but things have been so stressful round here lately, I don't think that will happen. But he swears he won't be smoking around Brandon, so all in good time I guess.
I'd never heard that about going cold turkey maybe causing a miscarriage. All the web sites I looked at said smokers should give up right away in such a righteous tone that you know the authors never smoked. I mean, smokers know it's bad for them, common sense is going to tell you it's bad for your baby, but no one likes to be preached at.
So I guess what we're all saying, is see a doctor, and try and give up the best you can.
(Personally, looking at my huge bloated belly, I think a lower birth weight would be kinda nice right now. j/k)
I smoked about 5 a day with my 1st preg, about 10 a day with my 2nd, and about the same for my 3rd. ( gave up at 5 months in that preg).
My plan with the 2nd child was to give up, but it was so hard even though I knew it could damage my baby. At 18 weeks we had a scare and heaps of scans, and the stress made it impossible to quit. I asked the counseller and doctors at the specialists if smoking was a contributr to what they were looking at and they said no.
I am still smoking at the moment with this latest pregnancy, and I do feel guilty about it. I just find it so difficult to quit. I don't want to be judged by others as I am my own harshest critic. And I will give up before too much longer, I am cutting down and trying not to have as many as I normally would have. I know I will stop but stresses make it difficult.
Even though I smoked my babies birth weights have been 6 lb 13, 7lb 8 and 8 lb 4 1/2. None of my kids are asthmatics and none have had serious our even minor health problems. Nobody smokes around my children or in our house. Not that I use this as a reason to smoke, but it has to be in my time. My kids don't even know I smoke, which means I can only smoke when none of them are around.
Please don't think I am a bad person!
Regards Michelle
I just typed a bit letter to Michelle on here but my computer deleted it! UGH!
I was just writing not to beat yourself up about it. It is far worse to do that than to quit or not too quit. I don't have any idea how I quit, I smoked for around 15 years, and I have no idea what happened, except for massive m/s and being too nauseus to think about smoking after I stopped.... I had tried to quit around 5 times every year for the past 5 years, and even going to the point of telling DH that I had quit and hiding it from him for years. It was only the day that the blood test result came back that I realised that I was PG and I didn't smoke again. But thats not to say that if I still had a cig around I wouldn't smoke it right now! But I don't, so I can't.... Its been 20 weeks since I've had one...and I still think about it every day! So...don't beat yourself up! Its no good for you... as you know.
Christy
Michelle noone is here to judge anyone. Regardless of peoples opinions about smoking whilst pregnant you have been honest and I thankyou for that. I don't think you a bad person. Smoking is an addiction and it took me many years and many failures to finally quit. You have to be ready to quit or you will always fail.
Thanks Christy and Lara
You know I always thought "as soon as I get preg that's it I'll stop". But I underestimated the addiction. I was really proud of myself when I finally gave up at 5 months preg with my 3rd child, and I stress about whether I have damaged them in some way.
It's funny how it's so hard to give up, but so easy to start agian. 1 smoke and that's it, I'm hooked again.
I guess one reason why I feel bad is because I know that there are so many people who have trouble conceiving and they put babies as the no. 1 priority, and are devastated time and time again after mc and yet I can't seem to do that. The cigs have such a strong hold. When I don't smoke I feel great, but that trigger in the brain is super strong, it makes you forget those things.
Michelle
I recently worked with a lady who was having Chemo for breast cancer and was still smoking. She just could not stop. Thats how bad a cigarette addiction can be.
One other thing you can't feel terrible for other people misfortunes. I have had a m/c and I certainly don't think anything bad about you because you are a smoker.
Have you ever tried those patches, thats what helped me this time around.
Michelle, thank you for your honesty! I think it will definitley help those in your situation to know they are not alone. You are definitley not a bad person. And you are NOT a bad mother, if smoking is the worst thing you do in your life then you are already a better person than most!
I am so proud of all you girls, thank you for being supportive and non judgemental. You are all what makes BB a great place to be.
Keep up the good work!
*hugs*
Cailin
Michelle,
You are definately a good mother if your kids don't even know you smoke.
So many times I'm walking around my neighbourhood and see young mothers with very young babies in prams, and cigerettes in their hands. I'm not judging them for not being able to quit, I know it's hard because I drove around crazy when I quit, but I can't say I support their decision to smoke around their children. It's bad enough with toddlers and older, but I really can't say it's ok for anyone to smoke around young babies.
And yes, when I get stressed out, I still itch to have a smoke in my hands too, but I can deal with that because ages ago, about a month or two after I quit, I was reall, REALLY, stressed out, and convinced my partner to give me a drag of his smoke, and it was the most revolting thing I'd ever tasted. Cigerettes had never, ever tasted that bad in my entire life, not even my very first. So now when I get a cigerette craving, I think of that, and then anything else other than smoking, and it passes.
Good luck woth quitting for all the mothers (/to be) that are trying to quit, we're here to support you, and for all the smoking mothers who feel they can''t quit, I'll back you up, as long as you don't smoke near your kids.
*steps off soapbox* Ok, I'm done ranting now. :)
It's nice to see people here discussing this issue in such an open, honest and friendly manner, whilst still stating an opinion IYKWIM.
I feel like I'm a bit of a combination of all these opinions rolled into one! LOL I used to smoke and quit in June 2003 within a couple of weeks of finding out I was PG for the first time. Silly me, having smoked for years thought that I wouldn't fall PG straight away, so I had plenty of time to give up in! (My decision was always that I would give up smoking if I fell PG, despite having given up once before of my own accord!). As it happened I didn't have plenty of time and fell PG the first month of trying, so was forced to give up quick smart, but I was comfortable with that as for several months I had cut my smoking RIGHT down and I simply wanted to put the baby's needs and requirements above my own cravings for cigarettes. That's a personal decision that I had made a long time ago.
I thought the info you put forward was interesting Cailin - it seems that you're damned if you do and damned if you don't - your risk of m/c is significantly higher if you smoke, yet it's high if you go cold turkey!
I do have to say that as a person who has suffered m/c and seen PG women smoking, I have been offended. I guess it's because of my OWN personal experience with m/c - feeling that I had been robbed of something so precious (despite giving up smoking) and there was someone right in front of me smoking but who hasn't m/c IYKWIM...it made me think "why was I singled out when I gave up, but there's this woman still smoking who hasn't suffered a m/c" (these are the kind of things you think about after a m/c as you are always looking for a reason for why this happened to you). It used to confuse me and upset me to be honest. However, I also appreciate that I don't know that person, their lifestyle, why they have made the decisions that they have made, and perhaps as Cailin has pointed out, they have a good reason for making their decision. I guess having had the experience with the m/c's also made me think that I had to do everything in my power to be healthy for the sake of any future PG IYKWIM, so smoking was never again going to be an option.
All of that said, I do respect other people's rights to make their own decisions about their lifestyle and what is best for them so I have never expressed publically my thoughts on the issue until now. I guess what I'm saying is that smoking during pregnancy isn't something I would do, and am glad that I have given up, although I can say there have been moments where I fancied one, but I have not once caved.
OK....enough from me! I hope all of that came out right and didn't offend...certainly isn't meant to!
It is nice to see such a "sensitive" topic being debated honestly without rows! Let's keep it that way!
I was a long term smoker (nearly 20 years?) and gave up when it came to TTC time.......but my DH still smokes (outside), so I can really see it from both sides of the fence.
Sometimes when we have people over for a nice dinner, and the wine is flowing with the after dinner conversation, I am SO tempted!
I am not a typical "ex smoker"........I love the smell, even though most people think it's revolting..........
I gave up using a hypnotherapy CD/Book.........if anyone wants the details, let me know..........
I smoked occassionaly when I was pregnant with Emma ... small babies ... blah LOL she was 9lbs 7ozs and 54cms long!!!! I was at Uni and was a smoker before I fell pregnant. I didn't have very many and didn't miss them much at all.
When I was pregnant with Jack I was smoking still and actually smoking more than with Emma (lots of stresses in first marriage!!!) once again Jack was 9lbs 8 1/2ozs and 57cms long ... so I am not sure about the smaller baby issue (and can I just quickly say, tounge in cheek, if it is true then thank God I smoked LOL).
With this baby I had given up smoking and then at 14 weeks we went on holidays to Queensland with 4 kids!!!! and we both started smoking again ... never in fron tof the kids but once they had gone to bed ... unwinding time. When we came back I was still smoking quite regularly but now only have the occassional ciggie, especially if it has been a hard day at work or the kids are annoying me LOL.
I would also like to add that I don't smoke in front of my kids and don't smoke inside (no smokes inside here and everyone of our friends who smoke think its cool and go outside). I will say taht I wonder if my smoking while I was pregnant has caused my childrens health problems (nothing major) but after speaking to my Doctor it wouldn't have helped but certainly wasn't the cause of the problems!!!
I think it is really important to be aware of peoples situations ... I can honestly say quitting smoking was one of the hardest things I have ever done ... and sometimes as much as you try it can't be helped. Smoking is a serious addiction and one of the biggest addictions in the world. Lucy I am like you and still really enjoy the smell of a cigarette, especially after a beautiful dinner and a few glasses of wine (oh and yes I still drink the occassional glass of wine but no one looks at me cross eyed for that LOL).
I have enjoyed reading this topic and am glad someone started it off. I am also pleased to see that we have been able to be open and honest to talk about it frankly and without fear of being "beaten" down.
I look forward to it continuing.
Cheers
Kelly
Hi all,
I have just had another thought re this: my Mum was a heavy smoker back in the late 60's / early 70's when she had us.....chuffed on 30 high tar unfiltered a day.....I was a teeny 3lb premmie (may have had something to do with smoking?) but my younger brother was HUGE (I think around 11lb?).
No respitory issues or health issues for either of us as kids, apart from he had bad bad exzema (sp?)......maybe connected? Not sure.
I know my Mum now feels "guilty", but in those days in the middle of the country (in rural England) (no antinatal visits for her) she simply didn't know it was a problem..........
Hi, sorry I haven't replied sooner, I only just read this topic again.
I am ashamed and guilty to admit I do have a ciggie.
I have tried hypnotherapy, audio tapes, cold turkey and even acupuncture.
My main problem is I don't have anything to occupy myself with to help ignore the cravings. I am at home 24/7 as i cannot go anywhere. I don't have a license and the nearest town is a long walk from here. If I try to give up, I go nuts out here (just ask hubby).
My mother smoked with all three of us kids, she doesn't regret it at all. You couldn't pay her to give up. None of us were affected by it though.
Thankyou for being so honest everyone. I really do appreciate your comments. I understand those who are bothered by this, as I am bothered myself. But I also understand those who cannot give up.
All the best with your pregnancies.
Hello everyone!
I am new here but thought I would add my 2 cents...
I have been a smoker for approx 10 yrs and I did smoke with my first child- I switched brands to ultra lights and cut way down to about 2-3 cigs per day. Lucky for both of us she came out perfectly and has had no health problems. I am now 10 weeks pregnant and struggling to kick the habit. My husband and I both quit when I found out I was preggo ( Feb 2nd) and he quit cold turkey. That lasted about a week for him but I tried weaning myself off of them and that seemed to work better. I'm now having 1-2 cigs per day and I have my "stop date" planned for March 15th. I have a smoking counseler that has been helping out a lot and luckally she is an ex smoker so she actually knows what its like... So keep your fingers crossed for me! I think this time its really going to work!! [-o<
Hi everyone,
I am trying to kick it, I am trying to smoke less to start off with. Every Monday DH and I both plan to quit, and we start off well, but usually have 1 by the end of the day. I am going to keep trying to quit, and I know that I will get there. I smoked for 5 months of my last pg then stopped, it took awhile bou I got there. I am 14 wks now so I am going to aim for the next couple of weeks so that I am not smoking by 4 mths.
I think its easier giving birth than giving up.
Cheers Michelle
Good Luck to all of you trying to give up. I know how hard it is. It will be one year for me at the end of this month (with a couple of slip ups on the way-drinking with girlfriends). Take oneday at a time and if you slip up don't kick yourself about it. It will take time and alot of will power.
Just wanted to poke my head in again, and say all of you have made me so proud :) :) :) I can't say enough how great it is that we can take this discuss this matter in a friendly non confrontational manner. Congratulations to all those who have been successful in quitting. Goodluck to all those quitting or trying to and Kelly, thank you for you honesty I am glad you were able to feel comfortable enough to share with us all. As I said I think its great that no one has "attacked" anyone, it just shows the maturity of you all.
Well done!
*hugs*
Cailin
I just have to write in and agree with Cailin! Well done everyone!! I have to say as well that even though I "quit" the day I found out I was PG, I still crave them tremendously!! Today was one of the worst....I dreamt about smoking and could smell them when I woke up, then I went to the shops on my way home from antenatal appointment and stood next to someone so I could just smell the smoke & hopefully inhale a bit.... But I have come home & eaten a heap of chocolate and I feel much better now!
Good luck for those of you who are weaning off!! I am thinking of you!
Christy
Hi all its been a few weeks since i have been in i am now 14 weeks pregnant and morning sickness has slowly subsided.
I would just like to say that i have been smoking heavily for15 years and have tried quitting several times. I have 2 children already with another on the way.
I smoked through both pregnancies as both in fact all 3 were surprises.
Nothing wrong with my children at all though you do feel guilty doing it.
I am still a smoker and smoking through this pregnancy.
I have cut down every time with each baby we dont smoke in the house at all. I was smoking 16 milligrams and about 28 a day i now smoke 2 milligrams and about 6 -8 a day.
It is very difficult to quit a habit that you have had for so long even when you know you are having a baby. I have spoken to my doctor several times about this and he says it will do more damage to quit during pregnancy than it would to continue.
I can understand both sides of the argument but please those people who have never had a smoke in your life i praise you for doing that but also please dont judge the people who DO smoke and have a hard time quitting because unless you have been in that situation before u just dont know.
I Initially quit smoking at 5 weeks as soon as i found out I was pregnant.
My fiance and I and a few friends then went on Holiday to Vanuatu (holiday was planned well before i knew i was pregnant) being around 4 other people that smoked I gave into temtation and smoked a few cigarettes for the week I was overseas.
Now i am back home and I stopped smoking again, My fiance smokes outside which is a big help because the smell makes me want to light up myself
Anyway I just wanted to say that so far i have enjoyed reading all your forum posts and I think i am really going to enjoy being a member :D
I really have to second Cailin and Christy!!
It's so pleasing to see how everyone has addressed this issue and expressed their own beliefs whilst being totally appreciative of other people's beliefs and respectful of their decisions!!
I was smoking from age of 14 so for about 8 years on and off. When I got together with DH he smoked, so I took it up again. Then about a year ago, I went to a naturopath who said, "If you keep smoking your lungs will be rotted (cant remember exact wording) by 30 because you have weak lungs." Okay then I thought, I dont want to pass away coz I smoked and miss out on any possible grandchildren i may have, so I quit one week after, cold turkey.
Now that I am preg, DH asks everyone to move away so i dont even get any downstream. When I am walking past ppl who are smoking I hold my breath so I dont inhale any. To me, (and this is only my opinion) being pregnant is the beginning of the time where you stop having your world centred around your needs and wants and you start doing everything for the miracle you have in you. I am also on a Polycystic Ovary Webiste where so many of the women cry themselves to sleep because they have been TTC for 5-10 years and due to the PCOS probably wont ever. I think about my friends there and think, How could I possibly be okay with myself knowing I am treating my unborn child, the collection of me and DH with no concern, when s/he is such a miracle that I am blessed to have. Due to this being my first maybe I am too harsh on everything.
I am really proud of all the people trying to give up, because I know e=xactly how you feel, but maybe if you think of all the damage it is not only doing to you, but to bubs in short and long term, and if you focus on that, that might help you in quitting. It helped with me and it has been over 12 months.
I hope that everyone who is trying to quit finds the strength, and I agree, i think it is great that such a delicate converstaion can be discussed without any attacks or issues.
Hi Girls,
I have set my giveup day as Monday the 22nd of March. I have been trying each week on each Monday to give up and it hasn't worked, but I am going to be 16 weeks on Saturday, and I have made up my mind that enough is enough. So wish me luck and strength, if DH keeps smoking it means it will be harder but I am determined to make it finish on the 22nd.
CHeer Michelle
WOW!! BIG willpower and strength dust your way Michelle!! It is so hard to do! I will be thinking of you Sat & Sun!!
Christy
Hi Girls,
So far so Good! Both DH and had our last xmoke Sunday night just gone and haven't had one since. I have really been itching today, I have working on the computer scanning and just wishing for a smoke. But I haven't done it so that's good. The first week is usually the hardest so lets hope it gets easier.
Cheers Michelle
Well done Michelle! It is so hard to do! There is a new antismoking ad out which makes me want to smoke!! And I haven't had one in months!!
Will Power dust to you!!
Christy
Well done Michelle! That's quite an achievement!!!
i had the weirdest dream last night about having a social smoke. It's really bizarre because I don't smoke (old social smoker but haven't smoked in ages). I didn't feel guilty at the time but when I woke up I felt so terrible for not being able to say no in my dream!
how bizarre is that?
Michelle, congrats on abstaining. Hope you will preservere. Have you tried chupa chups ? I had a friend who totally quit on chupa chups lollies.
Hi there everyone,
I haven't tried chuppa chups, I should though for those times when I wonder what to do with my hands. DH and I were arguing last night and I desperately wanted one, but there was none so I couldnt. LUCKY! I've given up before and don't remember it being this hard. Everytime DH goes outside I am checking him out to make sure he's not smoking. I sort of almost wish he was cause then I could have one. Addiction plays weird mind games. The point is I really do not want to smoke, and I don't want to go back to it when the baby is born, so it's just one day at a time.
See ya
Michelle
i have quit smoking for 2yrs now.I still get cravings when i have a drink or at a party socialising.Its funny but my dad offered me $1000 to quit as an incentive.I laughed him off and 2 months later i woke up one morning and just quit.I have had ciggies only a few times since then and only because i was at a party(no will power)
My sister in law was smoking when she got preganant.she had been trying for 3 yrs.I told her i wanst impressed(should keep my opinions to myself) as i didnt want her to miscarrige but her dr also told her that if she went cold turkey there was a chance of miscarry as your body can go into shock from nicotine withdrawals.
I congratulate those who have quit as it can be awfully hard and those that continue to try dont give up. Just think LESS IS BEST. and good luck
Hi girls,
just felt like crowing as I had my last cigerette on the 22nd of March, exactly one month.
It hasn't been easy, but I feel better, I know bubs will do better and I also have a little more money than I did.
DH has also not smoked since then so heres hoping neither of us ever do again.
Thanks for all your support and well wishes.
Cheers Michelle
Congratulations Michelle that is a fantastic acheivement for both you & your DH =D>
WELL DONE =D> =D> =D> =D>
Christy