Trouble quiting smoking: - Seeking helpful advice

Kila wrote: I was wondering if anyone out there had trouble kicking the habit. I've definitely cut my total intake in half, but I'm having a hard time finishing it off. I work full time in a relatively high stress job and, unfortunately, smoking has become my only way to make myself relax for 7 minutes and not think about anything else. I obviously can't take anything to help myself quit, so it's up to me to do it cold turkey. If anyone has any tips that might be useful, please share. Thanks.

amynicole21 replied: I smoked until I found out I was pregnant. I actually ended up using nicorette (gum)... there weren't conclusive studies that it was safe, but there weren't any that said it was definitely harmful while pregnant either. I figured it was safer than smoking anyway. I don't know if that's true, but I definitely needed help. I was able to quit in the first week of using it, and didn't smoke again until my baby was 4 months old. I quit again in January (using Nicorette again) and haven't had a smoke since. I'm not recommending Nicorette while you're preg... I don't know if it is really safe or not, but that's what I did.

You could look into hypnosis or acupuncture... I have a friend that swears you can cure anything with acupuncture!

I hope you can kick it... I personally know how difficult it is. I'm here for support if you need it!

kit_kats_mom replied: I used/use the gum too. I still keep the gum around but I try to not use it if K's around and may need to BF soon. I chewed the gum during my pregnancy but I cut each piece in half and mixed it with regular gum. Now I pretty much only chew it when I am working because the stress is ridiculous some times.

One caveat; I did have to get a root canal and the dentist said that he has seen more root canals in younger people who chew nicorette a lot. Because it is harder than regular gum and you aren't supposed to actually chew it. If you do chew it, try to mix it with another softer gum so that it doesnt crack your teeth.

MommyToAshley replied: I've never smoked but DH used the gum too, and he's been smoke free for about 5 years now.

Good luck, I hope you can kick the habit. You can come here anytime you feel like you are going to light up and need some moral support. We'll gladly talk you out of it!

kimberley replied: lollipops! i know it sounds ridiculous but it works if you are going cold turkey. it satisfies the habit to have something in your mouth and hands and i don't know about you but smoking after eating something really sweet is gross so it kills a bit of the craving. if you are still working on cutting down first, try smoking when you don't want one and keep yourself busy when you do want one. like if you smoke after you eat, then go for a walk or do the dishes or something instead. hold off on that morning cigarette for as long as you can and if you do light up, don't smoke a whole cigarette. it gets your body used to less nicotine, therefore less withdrawal when you do quit. and physical activity, even just walking will burn the urge, keep you in shape and is a great stress reliever. good luck. we are here for support.

pinka_star replied: I'm with Kim!! I smoked the first few months of being pregnant (and a year and a half before that.) cause I had such a hard time quiting. I eventually told myself I HAD to stop, or else I was going to seriously hurt my baby. I sucked on lollipops ALL the time, it really helped. I haven't smoked since, although I still get bad cravings but I always tell myself my Daughter and her health is way more important than smoking.

HTH good luck on quiting, I know how tough it is.

A&A'smommy replied: I quite the day I took my home pregnancy test, the first day it wasnt hard but after that I sure was mean!

kit_kats_mom replied: Also, I've heard that ifyou are going to quit cold turkey, that orange juice and lots of water help to get the nicotine out of your system quicker. Could just be a rumor though. LOL

Good luck!

DansMom replied: I wasn't pregnant when I quit, so my method would not work: I smoked a whole pack in one evening so that I would wake up feeling like crap the next morning. I felt like my lungs had been strip-mined and was so disgusted and nauseated that it drove home how awful and unhealthy cigarettes are. That gave me motivation.

However, the helpful part: once I went cold turkey, it really helped, believe it or not, to just allow myself to feel my feelings without trying to push them away.

The psychological part of smoking has to do with suppressing your negative feelings (anxiety, insecurity, depression, sometimes anger). You'll want to reach for a cigarette when any of those feelings arises. Focus on the feeling you're having and let yourself feel it for a minute without doing anything else. I truly did find that this would sometimes take me through the craving, especially if I breathed deep breaths while feeling the feeling.

Long brisk walks in the sunshine and other forms of exercise are also good!

You can do it! The first few weeks are the worst, then it gets so much better.

coasterqueen replied: Hi there. I quit when I found out I was pregnant. I just did it cold turkey. I have not had a cigarette since, just quitting cold turkey. That was 28+ months ago. I don't know how I did it accept my baby was my motivation and drive to not smoke. I was for sure I would start back up when I had her, but just seeing my baby's face made me for sure that I never wanted a smoke again. That and I am breastfeeding so it's not safe to smoke. So every day I thank her for giving me the strength to quit.

Now many many years ago I quit (before I started back up again, lol) and I did that with the patch. DH quit back then using a prescription called Zyban. I'm sure neither one is safe while pg.

I don't have any advice. One thing that made me realize I did the right thing by quitting smoking when I found out I was pg was an example a good friend gave me. I apologize up front if this offends you, but it is a really good explanation of what happens to your baby while you are pg. Think of your baby in the womb, floating around in there. You smoke a cigarette, inhaling the smoke, where does that smoke go? It goes in your lungs, eventually goes into the womb. Right? Well think of your baby in there with no windows to open. Your baby eventually breathes that air and eventually passes out from the smoke. Later waking up when the room gets some "fresh air" again.

This little example a good friend gave me made me realize right away that I couldn't smoke at least while my baby was inside of me. Like I said it was seeing my daughter that made me want to stay quit when she was outside the womb.

I don't mean to give this example to be mean, just to give you something to think about. Maybe it will help you quit, maybe it won't. I think there isn't anything really safe to take while you are pg to help you quit, though.

((HUGS))

Kila replied: Thank you all for the good ideas and words of support. It all really helps. I know what I need to do. It's just a matter of gathering the strength and just doing it. Wish me luck!!

kimberley replied: GOOD LUCK!!!

chloe&tysmommy replied: Good Luck to you!

I know how hard it is to quit. I smoked for about 5 years and decided to quit before I got married b/c we had planned to get pregnant after the wedding.
The only thing that helped me was to chew on gum or candy I'm sure I went through tons of it but everytime I craved a smoke I would get out a candy or a lollipop I hope your cravings slowly dissapear and you can quit with success