Any Quitters? (Smokers)

[Wobbles]

I'm gearing up to try and quit (again) after 18 years!

My situation:

I use to smoke 30-40
I shamefully wasn't able to 100% quit pregnant but I went to 5 and smoked ultra ultra lights (silver)
I have never been able to smoke lights or normal cigarettes I've had to stay on the ultras
BUT I've gone back up and I'm smoking for the hell of it
I'm starting to feel it sit on my chest
My nan died with emphysema (Emphysema is a disease that is grouped into the COPD Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease category) and my Aunties been diagnosed, it gave my Nan a poor quality of life and quite short at that. I don't want this.

My problem is I haven't wanted to quit and whist I have a devil on my shoulder I am more than prepared to give this a darn good go!

Can you share with me your stories and mostly how many days were you at your worst? Tips? encouragement?


x

 

[FebMum2Be]

I'm off the fags over a year now, I quit when I was around 3-4 months pregnant, the one thing I found that really helped me was each day without a fag, even though I was dying for one, I felt proud that I had been off then for 2 days and I didn't want to start it all over again (even though it was only a small amount of time, it was a big thing for me).. I always kept snacks close by, lollies to suck on, kept busy and in the back of my head I always told myself.. There are cigarettes downstairs, I am not cut off completely, if I need them they are there.. This is probably no help to you but I thought I would share what I could, a few girls are quitting atm and am sure that they will be along to offer some advice.. You should start a quitters thread for you all to go on and encourage eachother, good luck xx

 

[Toonlass]

My friend quit 4 months ago using champix from the doctors. She said it was really easy and doesn't even crave cigarretes any more. Good luck chick. Let us know how you get on xx

 

[LilyMac]

The first three days are the hardest for some reason, it seems to be all you think about! But after those first three days it gets a lot easier and you start to feel the difference in your body. Little snacks help for when you have a craving but I found the patches or gum really didn't help, they made me sick! But everyones different. All it comes down to really is willpower you have to be really strong. If you cave in you have to start all over again and it just gets harder every time.
Good luck Hun! Keep us updated x

 

[AugustMum]

I quit last November after smoking for 6 years, and found that if I chewed gum, and still carried on dong the usual smoking routine it helped me stop craving them. For example, I always used to go outside for one after my food, so when I gave up, I still went outside for a few minutes after food but had a chewing gum instead. I found the habit of smoking harder to quit than the actual cigerettes. Good luck though!!!Really hope this goes well for you x

 

[catty1]

I'm quitting at the moment.

Was doing really well up to the last couple of days when the hormones and sickness kicked in. I'm going to have a day or 2 off from giving up then get back to it when I have stabilised my moods a bit! (Ishould probably update my smoking ticker!)

I agree with Melio that keeping the same routine really helps - even if I do feel a bit stupid sitting on my back step for no apparent reason every couple of hours.

I have some nicotine mini lozenges which are Cherry flavour and really yummy - they also really help with the cravings.

One technique I used before which worked quite well was to also give up caffiene. When I got cravings I would have a cup of coffee and fool my brain into thinking it had what it wanted - surprisingly effective!

Just take one day at a time and don't go back to smoking full time just because you cave and have one. Just remember that every ciggarette you don't smoke is a massive achievement.

If you want a quit buddy, I'm here

x

 

[Rósa]

Have you tried Allan's Carr book? I smoked 40 a day, went cold turkey when I first got pregnant, day I found out my baby had died, smoked about 50, when I came out of hospital went back to about 40 a day, when I found out i was pregnant again at 4 weeks, I went and bought Alan Carr's book, read it while still smoking (only a few fags though cos I was preggers and it took me a day to read ) Didn't need /want or look at a cig again, however I did fall by the wayside last week and had about 5 fags but just reread a few chapters on it,

 

[Vickyxx]

Good for you for wanting to quit... I gave up in January after smoking for 13 years and like you I enjoyed smoking, I agree with what the other ladies have said its not so much stopping smoking but breaking the routine that is tough. I started off by telling everyone that I was quitting so that added pressure for me to do it, and just by chance (or luck) on the day I decided to quit I woke up with a terrible throat infection and was poorly for a good week and I swear that is what helped me get through those crucial first few days. When I was at work I bought oranges and when I would usually go for a fag I had an orange instead it helped keep my hands busy and left a nice taste. At home after dinner (this was always my fav smoke of the day) I made sure that straight after dinner I would jump in the shower which helped take my mind off it. I also used the patches.

And on those days when nothing seemed to work I just reminded myself why I was doing it... I want to have a baby and I wanted that a hell of a lot more then a fag!!

Stick with it hun cause you will feel so good about yourself afterwards and proud... I dont even think about smoking now and I love it!!

 

[Wobbles]

Good luck Catty We'll do a thread next week when I start if you like and others can join in if they are quitting, planning to quit or can offer advice as an ex-smoker?

Thanks girls for your stories and tips. I'm going to buy the inhaler for my hands (habit) they choked me previously but someone on FB advised them and assures me that feeling eases.

I'm going to set my quit date for next week, as silly as it sounds I've to go to Liverpool Tuesday I hate trains and I know I will fail there and then (nervous travelling) ... x

 

[catty1]

Thanks everyone,

Part of the problem is that like Rosa I went cold turkey when I was pregnant before and then went straight back to it when the baby died. This time there is a little part of me going 'well giving up didn't do me any good last time' and 'what's the point when I will probably lose it anyway' (very negative I honestly think that I will lose this baby too, I don't know why, I just do).

A central thread would be a great idea, there are quite a few people scattered around who are quitting/planning to quit at the moment (it's all I seem to post about this week!) so it would be good to have somewhere we can all go and bitch and moan!

x

 

[flexilexi394]

I smoked 10-20 a day for 8 years and managed to quit straight away after finding out i was pregnant, and have only had 2 since! and that was in tri 1, completely given up now, and not even looking back! xx

 

[Me, My Girls & I]

i'm on day 10!! i could never quit in the past, then i fell pregnant with k and didntt touch one! was all good til a few months ago when fob pissed me off! i kept saying i was quitting and never managed it, i wasnt enjoying it as much and like you, could feel it on my chest! i think the thing that made it worse was everyone knowing i was quitting! then one day i decided i really didnt need them and i wasnt buying any more! only person i told was my OH (omg, thats the first time i've said tht, feels weird!) dont think i said anything to anyone else til about day 5, just cos i didnt want the added pressure! the thing i've found hardest is that it was always my escape when they were kicking off, nd now i just have to put up with it! todays been my hardest day cos they've been really hard work, i'm pretty sure f i had any i'd have had one! good luck with it chick xx

 

[serenitylove]

i stopped last november i had a bad cold and cough so stuck patches on to see me thru then thought bugger it and saw nurse she gave me stronger patches and an inhulater and iv never looked back so my advice would be wait until you have a cold really helped me stop

 

[mrsH2009]

I stopped when I found out I preg but foolishly got drunk after I'd had him and thought I could have just one, before I knew it I was back up to 10/15 a day and adament I would not smoke in the house took up residence in the shed!

I stopped on 1st June and found the first few days the worst, I used the inhalor and I got the nhs quit smoking app for the ihone I found seeing exactly how long I had managed with out a real motivaional tool, it currently reads 99 days, 19 hours 15 minutes and 17 seconds

 

[Rosie's Mummy]

I gave up successfully with patches before going back to the fags, then did it again a couple of months before TTC with Rosie - also trained for a 10km race (which I did in 34 degree heat..mentalist) I would say that patched and gum worked wonders for me but also thinking of a dear lady I knew who died from kidney cancer, directly linked to smoking. Since then another lady I knew has died from throat cancer as a direct result of smoking - she died three days after her diagnosis. I find that thinking of the ultimate cost of smoking enough to keep me miles away from the smokes - plus not being a slave to them is liberating. I wish you all the luck in the worls - it is the hardest thing to overcome xx

 

[Roo3]

I stopped smoking after 18 years on 1st March. I used patches and am still on about 4 1mg lozenges every day.
I still get cravings especially 1st thing in the morning or when I get stressed. There are plenty of times over the past 6 months where I could have easily started again but each time I'm tempted I remind myself that I want a baby so much more than a fag. My OH always said he wouldn't even consider TTC until I had stopped smoking!!
Good luck with everyones quit. My boss is trying to stop and I keep telling him if I can do it anyone can do it.

 

[Wobbles]

Alice, I'm the same it's my escape as I smoke out the back but now I'm seeing them in nursery in the week and it's still becoming a further habit. I wish I could stay to social smoking lime my OH does. x

MrsH thanks for that I'll look for the app x

Roo same as me then (smoking 18 yrs) yikes I hope it gets easier and I'm not craving weeks on lol x

Thank you everyone and well done to all who have beat them.

x

 

[FebMum2Be]

Melio I did similar! If anyone was going outside for a smoke I would go with them, I found that really helpful too! xx

 

[Roo3]

I also find it helps to stand next to someone who's smoking, but I don't crave when I'm with someone who's smoking.

With regards to the cravings, they are easing off now. They were really bad especially first thing for the first 4 months or so. I could probably stop the lozenges now but still find I need a crutch to get through the day!! I think it's more psychological now!

 

[Lacey's Mummy]

I quit while pregnant with Lacey due to it making my MS worse! I can't remember how I felt while quitting as I just felt relieved that my sickness started to go!! Goodluck wobbles!! x x