Pregnant

I regret that decades ago when I quit because I was nauseated by the smell of smoke during the pregnancy, I foolishly picked up the habit again. There was no withdrawal , nor do I remember cravings to start again. It had just become the norm, and has remained the norm for another 40 years. Quitting for me now was easy because I wanted to. I wanted it enough. I was ready. I believed that I could. And i did.

So , either way, stay and learn the mindset you read of. This type of retraining of the thought process or how we feel about cigarettes really can be of great help.

Congratulations on your pregnancy and again on your wise decision to stop smoking. You really CAN do it , and you will forever be glad that you did.

Hi Kezza!

Congratulations on your pregnancy - wonderful news!

First things first: RELAX...and I mean this most sincerely. Pregnancy is an anxious time. Your hormones will be all over the place, giving you mood swings, body changes and a million and one worries about the future.

Smoking is an additional worry. Urban legend has it that every woman transforms into Mary Poppins at the sight of their first positive pee stick...an overwhelming desire to nurture and protect makes us women abandon alcohol and cigarettes with the ease of flicking a switch...these terrible habits immediately replaced by juicing, gentle yoga and tranquil afternoons spent teaching your bump a foreign language as you lovingly massage Shea Butter into your stretch marks!!!

Rubbish!

The fortunate women have a helping hand from nature - morning sickness and bizarre changes to pregnant taste buds make cigarettes so unpalatable that they stop naturally. The rest of us (and I was one of these) begin a cycle of worry, guilt, anxiety and shame that is neither healthy for you or the baby. You feel utterly desperate and smoke a cigarette...then feel anxious and despicable because you've just exposed your unborn to the chemicals you were craving...so you feel a failure and alone with your 'shame'...and all these negative emotions make you want to smoke another cigarette...but you fight the cravings and ration yourself to the bare minimum you can cope with...and all the hours in between smoking are just a white-knuckle ride waiting for the NEXT cigarette...which tastes even more wonderful and feels even more relaxing because you've made it precious through scarcity and every fibre of your body is screaming for that fix...so it tastes heavenly...and you end up trapped and alone in this miserable cycle, feeling as if you've failed your baby before it's even arrived.

Yes, I did this throughout my pregnancy. Two cigarettes a day provided less than fifteen minutes of relief from the agonising hours spent watching the clock and trying to control my hormonally- challenged emotions.

Kezza, my best advice to you is this:

Go online and order yourself ALLEN CARR'S EASY WAY TO STOP SMOKING book (you can get it on Amazon). Not expensive.

Read this book. It's written in an easy, conversational voice that'll make you skip through the pages...but the psychology is second to none. You won't read it and think "I SHOULD give up smoking" or "I MUST give up smoking" or "I really OUGHT to give up smoking". Somewhere in those pages, you'll suddenly feel as if a veil has been lifted and you just won't have a clue WHY you smoke...which inevitably leads to "I don't WANT to smoke." The difference is that you'll feel as if you've been released from a prison sentence - you won't feel like you've given up anything.

This is your starting point. Do this - and talk to us. The rest will fall into place.

Whatever you do - please don't WORRY. You've got this - and we've got your back. x

Kezza percy says it beautifully and with nil bullcrap Take every single piece of her advice ❤️

We didn't have forums like this when I was pregnant, like Happiness, we just accepted this as part of the norm. I did have morning sickness so I didn't want the cigarette at all, nor even coffee. My body was telling me something I guess.

Eventually you guessed it, the increase in smoking came back. and 30 years later, was still at it...My baby was fine fortunately, although smaller in weight than the first one. He is the most precious of men now.

Knowledge is power keep reading and discussing in any situation, start learning and enjoy your progress.

thanks everyone! it really means a lot to me to have support and yes I do at times feel guilty and ashamed and try to hide it from people I love and people who care about me! I know how important it is for my baby's health and I am trying my hardest I feel proud of the fact that it is midday and I have only had maybe 3-5 puffs of a smoke so I can say i'm on my way to quitting. Percy I just wanted to personally thank you it seems that you know just what to say and how to say it and I have read on here all the thank yous you have gotten so I really admire and appreciate your advice

During my preganacy it helped tremendously that my partner quit too. It was something we did together and seemed much easier that way as we supported each other and there were no ciggies around the house.