If you’ve just gotten a positive pregnancy test and are a smoker, you might be worried about the effects of smoking on your unborn child. You probably want to quit smoking while you’re pregnant, but how?
We all want to do what’s best for our children, but trying to stop smoking cold turkey while you are pregnant can be very traumatic for your baby. Quitting can be very hard, and to suddenly quit one day will cause you some extreme stress.
There are so many reasons to stop smoking while you are pregnant. If you smoke while you are pregnant, your baby has an increased chance of having low birth weight, developing asthma, leukemia, as well as being intellectually delayed. Smoking while pregnant also adds to your risk of premature labor, and it is thought to put babies at an increased risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
With smoking putting your baby at risk, you want to stop, but this is much easier said than done. For one thing, you will not be able to use some of the aids available for those who want to stop smoking, such as the nicotine patch, or gum. The task you will have ahead of you will not be easy, so the best thing that you can do is not stress yourself; as this is also dangerous for the baby. Talk to your doctor and tell them you want to quit smoking while you’re pregnant. Ask if there are any stop smoking aids that you can safely use during pregnancy. They’ll likely have a plan which will help you stop smoking without putting your child under too much stress.
Once your doctor approves a plan, let your family and friends know what you are trying to do. Tell them how important this is to you and that you will need all their help to do it. The more moral support you have, the better your chances are of succeeding. Your friends and family must understand that bugging you about it is not what you need.
It will be important for the people around you to support you in your decision and to encourage you instead of judge you. The more someone pushes you toward quitting by disapproval, the worse you will feel about yourself.
If you slip, don’t give up, just keep trying. Don’t think badly of yourself, or let others make you feel bad. The important thing is that you succeed and understand that it will not be easy. It may not happen right away, but if you keep trying, you’ll be able to quit!
