A
female
age
36-40,
anonymous
writes:Hello, Yesterday I discovered I am pregnant, (great news) I am a smoker and am looking for advice on how to stop!! I’ve been told I can not have any nicotine replacement as this can caurse spin-bifida… is this true, and how do I stop? Thank YouXx Reply to this Question
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male
reader, Abacadaba +, writes (17 April 2007):
 few tips, one of my friends gave up, and every time he got a craving he would exercise, to take his mind off it, obviously i doubt u would do that, but you could read a book or something like that. also, im a smoker, and when i was in school i used to fake smoke with a pencil during lessons, oftern without realising, one of the hardest parts of giving up is the habit of smoking a fag, so your still doing the action, just not the addiction :P, fooling the brain sort of thing. best of luck with quitting smoking, and the baby
A
female
reader, TasteofIndia  +, writes (17 April 2007):
 Hey sweetness,
When I quit smoking I would eat a lot of popcorn - pop one kernal in at a time - or little lollipops. Whenever I had a craving, I'd do something different with my mouth and usually it would help.
I think you just need to prioritize your baby. Your baby is cheering you on along the way! Everytime you think about smoking just think of your baby coughing inside of you... that should make you sad enough that you'll put down the cigarettes.
I loved everyone elses advice... it's hard but it is so, so, worth it. ESPECIALLY for you baby, you don't want to endanger his or her health, do you? Congratulations!!!!
xxIndia
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A
female
reader, penta +, writes (17 April 2007):
 Congratulations! You're in for a wonderful ride. I have a 3 year old and a 1 year old.
You can use hypnosis to stop smoking. I had a Doula who helped me use hypnosis rather than drugs for pain relief during my delivery. It worked WONDERFULLY! If I can deliver a baby (well, actually, two (grin)) then I'm sure it will work for you.
My Doula has CDs both for Hypnobabies (TM) and for Smoking Cessasion (though she hasn't put the latter on her website yet). Her URL is http://www.hypnosis4birth.com.
Good luck!
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A
female
reader, birdynumnums  +, writes (17 April 2007):
 Hi,
Congratulations!
I quit during my second pregnancy. I cut down during my first and tried to smoke outside. My son, now 25, had constant lung problems, bronchitis, pneumonia and asthma (55 missed days in Grade 1). I remember holding him all night while he struggled to breathe. He looked pale and feverish, like a limp rag. He had apnea attacks all night (stop breathing) even though the Doctors at Emergency that he would be fine to go home. He would stop breathing, then kick his foot to remind himself to breathe again. It was absolutely terrifying. Now that he is 25, he has been smoking for 10 years and there isn't a day that goes by that I wish that I had quit sooner. I applaude you for having the good sense to stop now, I wish that I had and I still feel guilty every time I see him smoking. He learned that by watching Mommy, even if his teenage friends smoked. I haven't picked up a cigarette in 30 years. My son stopped smoking 9 days ago, and I pray this time it's for good. I don't know if you got the news in Britain from last month about a U.S. study. The FDA (Federal Department of Agriculture) regulates everything about food products - from the weight of a Grade A Apple to how many bug parts can be in a tin of soup (GROSS)! They recently did a study on some 20 year old cigarettes that they found and compared them to cigarettes today. The amount of addictive ingredients had gone up by 40%!!! And the reason why this had been allowed to happen? The FDA has NEVER regulated the ingredients in cigarettes, unlike every other ingestable consumer product! One of the things that his friend overseas (NL) swore worked for him is laser therapy. I believe it involves your ear lobes (my son didn't like the idea because he thought it involved the brain), so perhaps you should look into this as a possibility. It wouldn't involve your ingesting any nicotine, so it would be a good option. Whatever method you decide to use, remember, If you slip up, the important thing is to forgive yourself for that one cigarette instead of thinking "I give up quitting" and start smoking again. I wish you all the best in your endeavour to quit! Good Luck and God Bless.
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A
male
reader, Dr. Mark +, writes (17 April 2007):
Try doing a google search on the effects of smoking on babies. Each time you go to smoke, think about what it could do.
Try also rewarding yourself. Of course, the ultimate reward is having a health baby, unaffected by prenatal tobacco. But if you open a bank account, and take the amount you spend on cigarettes each week and deposit it into the account, that money is for you to use it whatever way you want. Multiply the number by 52 and think about how much you will have in a year! Completely for what you want to spend it on! If you are living with a partner who is also smoking encourgage him/her to also open a bank account and do the same.
Hopefully someone will have some helpful advice on how to deal with the cravings themselves, but in the mean time, quit today, and think of the development of that beautiful baby within you!
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A
female
reader, anonymous, writes (17 April 2007): i stopped somkin by eatin a candy stik or celary every time i wanted a cigaret....it worked 4 me! and i now have alot more money, also you could use that money that u save 4 the new arrival!!
congrats by the way!
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