STOP SMOKING IN THE SECOND TRIMESTER

[futuremum]

Hello!

I was wondering if they are any women who decided to stop smoking in the beginning of their second trimester or have just stopped so we could have a kind of support group to motivate and help each other.
My name is Nathalie and I stopped smoking on wednesday. Glory is not to claim yet as i know my weakness lies in the second week. I am using losanges at the moment and because they take 30 minutes to solve, i found them ok. Cravings are not too bad, it is just I do not know what to do with my hands and i start to be willing to eat a bit of everything, which i know i have to be careful of! My B/F smokes a lot and does not really want to make an effort to smoke less and not around me, which is annoying as well cause the smell of it can be tempting.
Automatism are a problem as well because sometimes I watch tv, have my coffee and make the gesture to reach for a fag. But then I remember, i have stopped smoking so cannot do that!!!!
Anybody in the same boat?

 

[lulu]

Hi, Im not a smoker but I admire you for being strong, especially when your partner is not really supporting you!

Smoking is harmful to your baby and him smoking around you is very unfair and selfish! He needs to admire you and respect your decision, and even try with you (to give up) support each other!!!

I have heard from alot of people that are trying to give up that the 'not knowing what to do with your hands' thing and eating more is the worst bit. Have you tried chopping up carrots, fruits and having nuts close by? All good for you and the baby and not fattening (if your worried about your weight) also I have heard that having a pad and pen close by so that when you do have a craving, or dont know what to do with your hands you can grab your pen and start writing how you feel, maybe incorporate it with a pregnancy diary!

I would be a nightmare because I know I would go straight for the chocolates (my downfall)!

Anyway, hope this helps. Well done so far!!!!

 

i am desprately plannign on quitting when I get to my second trimester - I don't want to smoke all the way through I'd feel so guilty - I already do - good luck hun! I'll be joining you soon!

 

[futuremum]

Hello!

Went to see my support lady this morning. this association is great, Resolution in loughborough in case anybody lives in the area. I meat her once a week for 6 weeks to monitor my progress and to give me tips. My carbon monoxide went down from 8 (which was not a lot) to 3!!! And all that in 3 days!!!! So I am happy to see it works well and that my baby is not suffering from bad effects of tobacco.
My support lady gave me a frame to put my scan in, she is lovely! It is much easier when you know there is someone there to congratulate you and to support you. So do not go cold turkey if you decide to stop, use all the help you can have. I know my second week will be harder because it is always after 2 weeks I want to smoke again!!
But cross fingers, i will be stronger than before

 

[catherine23]

I dont understand why int eh second trimester? Surely its most harmful in the first when abby developes all of his/her organs?

 

It is easier for me in the second trimester as morning sickness should have stopped and the phlem coming up won't make me throw up. At the moment I am more concerned with trying to keep as much food as possible down so my baby gets the important nutrients it needs, it's lungs will be working more from second trimester - this is when I want to have stopped.

That's my reason for the scond trimester. If I could do it before without comprimising the health of my baby I really would.

 

[futuremum]

Hello Sami!

Have you stopped the smoking yet? It has been 12 days now that I have stopped smoking and the cravings start a bit to show up. I try not to use too many losanges and the level of carbon monoxide has dropped a lot in 12 days.
Good luck and when you stop, send a post!!!!

 

Still haven't managed it yet - only a couple of weeks now till I am in the 2nd trimester! Seems scary saying that! I want to give up and am going to ask my midwife when I see him next week. I was smokign almost nothing at first when i found out and first saw him - think it will probably be a bit of a shock to know I'm smoking more now

 

[Lou]

Hi Girls

Ok so I thought about what I would post here but I have to be honest with you so sorry if I offend.....

I gave up smoking on the 12th of march after smoking for a good 15 years, I then found out on the 28th of march that I am pg! I knew i would give up when I fell pg but obviously on the 12th it would have been around the time I concieved so I didn't know I was pg. I just woke up, lit a fag, felt sick, put it out and said I would never smoke again! Sounds strange I know but I can't explain why it happened that way? I haven't so much as touched a fag since and will never smoke again.

What I find disturbing is that everyone nowadays knows the harmfull effects that smoking has on an unborn baby, regardless of the trimester (i'm sorry girls but its a lame cop out to wait for the second trimester) Every cigarette you smoke stops the bloodflow from the placenta to your baby for 15 minutes! Thats reducing the babies oxygen! You are more or less slowly suffocating your baby. There really is no excuse to smoke during pregnancy. period.

I know I have found stopping smoking very easy but I can appreciate that for some people it is a very very hard thing to do. Don't get me wrong I did have cravings for a good few weeks but I took deep breaths and sipped water and constantly thought of my baby and how helpless is it and reliant completely on what I do to my body.

Again I'm sorry if I sound harsh but on the other hand I am posting because I want to offer you support if you need it and encouragement (or a lecture if thats what it takes) to help you to give up. I joined a couple of stop smoking forums aswell but I didn't find the people very "usefull". Even the moderators were still smokers! lol Whats up with that!?!

Good luck and I hope you don't hate me for speaking my mind but I feel very stongly about the subject and would be more than happy to help you in any way if I can

Lou

 

[Kim]

I think you put that accross very well Lou. I stopped 2 days before I found out I was PG, I just didn't want one. I had smoked for 7 years and thought I would NEVER stop, not without a battle anyway. I guess I have been very lucky as I haven't even wanted one since and the smell of it makes me want to be sick. I can sympathise with people who find it difficult but it is NOT impossible.

Good luck to everyone trying to stop.

 

(i'm sorry girls but its a lame cop out to wait for the second trimester)

I know you didn't mean to offend lou - but this kind of got me - if I stop smoking the phelm (sp?) that comes up makes me throw up more often than if I am smoking. I have Hyperemesis and it's quite serious and If I don't keep something down every day I am comprimising the health of my baby even more. If i don't keep fluids down I have to hospitalised. Cop out it may be - but it's keeping the food and fluid down which is my main focus right now.

Sorry - I really don't want to seem like I'm attacking you - I know how things can come across in type on the screen - it can be taken two ways - I'm not being nasty - I just wanted to 'justify', even if it has been done lamely - my reasons for waiting till 2nd trimester. Maybe it's just to make myself feel a little better about smoking I don't know.

Sorry I feel rediculous now I've said all that

 

Sorry I'm being emotional and stupid today. I am stuck at home alone - again - had another argument with OH last night and my head is in a mess. I wish I could leave the house or just do something except sit at the PC, have a bath or watch TV. I can barely leave the house without someone helping me I feel that crap

Please don't take offense at that messge Lou x

 

[newbump]

Hi Sami,

Sorry to hear you are feeling so crap Dont worry about your previous post, everyone is entitled to their opinions, sometimes its not what we want to hear, and lectures i know do not work with me!!!!

Hope you feel better soon, take care

Natalie x

 

[Lou]

Hi Sami

Of course I haven't taken offence you silly moo! Everyone is entitled to their opinion, thats why I shared mine which gives you just as much right to share yours. Whether you smoke or not is completely up to you and I don't think any less of you for it. God it takes more than that to make you a bad person in my book. All I wanted to do is help and my post has got you thinking so even if it means you give up smoking a day before you would have done without reading my post then for me my comments were worth while sharing.

I'm no angel myself and we all do things that others dissaprove of but honestly you do what you gotta do and the only person you have to answer to is yourself.

I hope you are feeling better and I apologise for upsetting you, maybe I was a bit harsh.

Take care x

 

Hey Lou sorry for being a d*ck head yesterday - I was having a pants few days and a lot on my mind and probably shouldn't of posted till I was in a 'stable' condition Just glad you didn't think I was being horrible! I appreciate your post fully mate - and it did make me think again about quitting even more. It has to be done so I am going to give myself a week of not being sick at all then I am stamping out the ciggies. If this week of non puking doesn't come before the end of July - then the end of July will be the date. Nothing past July. August 1st I will be clean. That's my date and I'm sticking to it!

*Gives Lou a hug to say sorry for me being a daft bint* xx

 

[Lou]

Ahh bless you x

You wasn't being a dickhead, I know how emotional being pregnant can make you. I think I have upset just about everyone I know since I fell pg but luckily they all love me enough to understand I don't mean it when I am moody or just being plain old mean!

I really hope you start feeling better soon. The sickness and mood swings can be so soul destroying and it really put me on a downer for the first couple of months and I truly didnt enjoy being pregnant. Thats a big reason why I stopped using this forum, I couldn't even open a baby magazine it made me feel that bad.

*hugs Sami back*

Chin up and take it easy

Lou

 

I still love ya Lou hoping the emotions slow down a bit now I'm nearing 12 weeks - fingers crossed! ( I'll prob still have some - but then I was a moody bint before I was PG OH says )

 

[beanie]

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[littlebump]

Hi Beanie

So sorry you're feeling like this, but glad I'm not on my own - I thought I was cracking up!! I've had a couple of really bad days where something trivial has upset me and I've been sobbing my heart out thinking I'm going to make a terrible mother, wondering how we can afford to buy everything we need and have time off work and still pay the mortgage and whether I'll get post natal depression etc. etc. etc. The worst thing is it takes ages to shake myself out of it - it's totally irrational.
Hope this doesn't last 'till the end of the pregnancy!


Sami - in spite of the hormones, the nausea has definitely worn off thank goodness - I really feel for you being so sick all the time - the nausea was bad enough but when I threw up I felt rotten. Hope you feel better soon and good luck with giving up smoking - I did it myself in January and it is tough but you sound like a strong willed person and that, together with support of friends/family (you have plenty of friends on this forum) is all it really takes xxx

 

Awww thanks guys I feel really loved now

Regarding the mood swings - there's obviously no hope for me then!! You'll all just have to put up with my occasional emotional rants I'm sure you all won't mind too much (just slap me - virtually of course)

Awww I love everyone on this site