Journal Entry

Pregnancy: Now it’s really time to kick the smoking habit

Staying healthy is a top priority when you’re pregnant. You’ll be making significant changes in your lifestyle to accommodate your baby. Your personal safety and the health of your baby, both in the womb and out, are important factors to consider when you are pregnant. One of the most imperative and most difficult decisions involves quitting smoking. Traditional and popular methods of quitting smoking are not necessarily safe for pregnant women, and quitting cold turkey isn’t always the best solution. Pregnant women need to take extra steps to ensure their health, and the health of their baby, are not at risk during this critical time.

Nicotine has been linked to a variety of negative and even harmful effects on a baby including low birth weight, complications during childbirth and even premature birth in some cases. Cigarette smoke alone is harmful to a smoker’s lungs and overall health, and pregnant women need to take extra special care of themselves during these important months.

Consider your options

Since quitting smoking often leads to extra stress on the body, going cold turkey causes pressure that may lead to miscarriage. When you’re pregnant, it’s important to slowly cut back and keep track of your progress to stay motivated. A slow and steady approach can help you reduce the risk of miscarriage and harm to your baby. It will also help you manage withdrawal symptoms one step at a time. Getting support from friends and family members is another way to keep you on a positive track. When you become accountable to people you care about, it becomes much easier to stick with your goals and plans for the long term.

If you’re a regular smoker, you’ll need to take steps to reduce and eliminate smoking from your routine so that your baby can have a chance at a healthy life. Still, there are a number of health considerations to keep in mind when you are trying to quit smoking while pregnant. Quitting cold turkey can be difficult since your body is already going through significant changes and it can be difficult to adjust without your ‘fix.’ Common side effects of quitting cold turkey include restlessness, anxiety and very strong cravings that can make it nearly impossible to quit successfully.

Women who are pregnant, or planning to be, can quit smoking with a more gradual approach. The goal is to gradually eliminate nicotine from your daily or weekly routine. Even though quitting is challenging, you will have a stronger chance of success if you take small steps. The earlier you start the quitting process during your pregnancy, the easier it will be to completely eliminate smoking from your life before any potential damage is caused on your unborn baby.

Nicotine treatments

A nicotine replacement is another option for pregnant women. If you’re having difficulty controlling your cravings, a patch can provide small doses of nicotine so you can get through your days without reaching for a cigarette. Nicotine gum, nasal sprays and stick-on patches are just a few nicotine replacement options that can help you quit successfully.

Therapy

Counseling is another option for pregnant women interested in smoking cessation. Working with a counselor can help you address the key reasons why you need to smoke in the first place and teach you more powerful and effective stress relief techniques to manage life without nicotine. This can be especially helpful for light smokers and those who have not made smoking a lifetime habit.

Staying healthy when you’re pregnant can be challenging, especially if you’ve adopted poor health habits before becoming pregnant. Exercising regularly, eating a healthy diet and reducing—even eliminating—the amount of caffeine and nicotine in your diet are all essential steps to long-term health for both you and your unborn baby.

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