How to quit smoking during pregnancy

Some adherents of a healthy lifestyle exclaim in surprise - is it possible to smoke if a baby grows in the womb? But it’s not so simple. If a woman smoked before pregnancy for a rather long time, giving up a bad habit once and for all is quite difficult. Especially if surging hormones have a tremendous effect on the body. Often, nicotine addiction manifests itself during pregnancy is especially strong, so quit smoking during this period is really difficult. But it is necessary to quit - there can be no doubt for this. After all, smoking is very, very detrimental to a small growing body. Consider the effect of nicotine on the fetus in the womb in more detail.

How smoking affects a baby during pregnancy

Scientists conducted an experiment, observing during pregnancy a large number of women smokers and non-smokers. They took pictures of the babies in the womb using an ultrasound scanner. Children whose mothers smoked often touched their faces, which is a sign of underdevelopment, because the baby in the womb touches his face with age less and less. But most of all, scientists and doctors were struck by the fact that the kids made faces while smoking cigarettes, their features were distorted. There was an assumption that children feel pain or some discomfort while smoking a mother. How exactly does nicotine affect the baby in the womb?

1. In the early stages, smoking can contribute to miscarriage, because nicotine does not allow the fetal egg to properly attach to the uterine wall.
2. Very often, prolonged exposure to nicotine on the body of a pregnant woman leads to oxygen starvation of the child. Hypoxia contributes to the development of various neurological diseases - cerebral palsy, speech disorders, mental and physical retardation.
3. Often, smoking of the mother leads to various violations of the maxillofacial system, the baby may develop a cleft lip, cleft palate, etc.
4. It has been proven that babies whose mothers smoked during pregnancy after birth are more likely to suffer from sudden death syndrome.
5. If a pregnant woman smokes a pack of cigarettes a day, the risk of fetal death increases by 40%.
6. Smoking in late pregnancy is fraught with premature birth and low birth weight.
7. Children born to a smoking mother are more restless, moody, often cry for no reason. In such children, intracranial pressure is much more often observed.

Tobacco in cigarettes can be considered the most harmless ingredient. In addition to nicotine, a huge amount of tar, toxins and poisons enters the body during smoking, which reduce the elasticity of cell membranes, worsen the body’s nutrition with oxygen, and simply poison the body. It is very important to understand this. Many expectant mothers are unable to resist smoking and take one puff or smoke one cigarette with the hope that there will be no harm from a small dose. But this is a risk and no one knows if you are lucky (and specifically your child). So is the health of an innocent baby worth your blood of these cigarettes?

How to quit smoking during pregnancy

There are two camps for ordinary people and even doctors who look at smoking from different angles. Some argue that you should not smoke during pregnancy and you must immediately give up cigarettes as soon as you find out that life was born in the womb. Others are sure that quitting smoking is sharply impossible and even very harmful. Especially if before pregnancy a woman smoked actively and for a long time.In fact, this is not just an excuse for lazy and careless mothers who do not want to give up cigarettes.

A sharp rejection of nicotine can lead to a breakdown and unpleasant consequences for the body. So what to do? Is it really necessary to poison yourself with smoking, even if a small life grows and develops inside? In order not to experience an acute nicotine deficiency and not to break, you need to get this very nicotine from other sources - electronic cigarettes, adhesive, chewing gum, tablets. It contains a safe amount of nicotine, which will suppress the deficiency, but will not cause significant harm to the health of the child. But this does not mean that throughout pregnancy you need to smoke an electronic cigarette. It is necessary only for the period of gradual smoking cessation. Use auxiliary items for no more than a month - during this time you can stop smoking both physically and psychologically. Here are some more helpful tips to help you quit smoking once and for all.

1. Very often, people begin to smoke not from a lack of nicotine, but because of the availability of free time. If you experience periods of idleness, carry nuts, dryers, sweets, seeds, etc. to keep your hands and mouth occupied.
2. Give up smoking habits so you don’t forget about addiction. If you used to like to start the day with a cup of strong coffee and cigarettes, give up coffee, prefer tea and a delicious breakfast.
3. Now you have a great reason to replace cigarette smoking with simple walks in the air. If at work you often ran into the smoking room, instead go to the porch of the building and just breathe fresh air - oxygen is so necessary for the baby.
4. Think about your child, imagine how he will be, how he will extend his arms to you for the first time. After all, this is the most powerful motivation - you know why you gave up smoking.
5. In no case do not hide your addiction from the attending gynecologist. Of course, there is nothing to brag about, however, for the health of the baby you need to step over yourself and tell the doctor about smoking without hiding. Perhaps the doctor will decide on the need for cleansing procedures and vitamin droppers.
6. Find a new habit for yourself, only let it be useful. These may be permissible sports loads - swimming or yoga, creative impulses - drawing, pottery. You should find something to your liking so that thoughts about cigarettes do not visit you. You may have had a dream once, but you never had time to realize it. Believe me, a woman inspired by pregnancy is capable of miracles.
7. If you can’t quit smoking purely psychologically, and you can’t leave a habit, you can try using electronic cigarettes. They are absolutely safe, but they create a complete imitation of smoking.
8. It is necessary to refuse not only active, but also passive smoking. Do not stay in smoky rooms, ask loved ones not to smoke in your presence. This will not only protect you from harmful tobacco smoke, but also relieve the temptation to smoke.
9. Find pregnant women with whom you can spend your free time. Preferably those who have not smoked before. In their presence, you will be ashamed to talk and even think about the possibility of a drag on a cigarette. In addition, talking about diapers, nipples and bottles just will not leave you time for unnecessary thoughts.
10. If you are overcome by an acute desire to smoke, save yourself with chocolate. Real chocolate produces a fairly large amount of endorphins in the body - hormones of joy and pleasure. After such a treat you will feel good, and you won’t even remember about cigarettes. But do not get carried away too much - a large amount of sweets during pregnancy can provoke an allergy in the baby.
11. Watch good and kind films about happy families, development of the fetus in the womb, funny babies. Positive emotions are what you need now.
12. It is necessary to give up smoking as early as possible, do not console yourself with excuses that the tests are good and the doctor does not see any pathologies. Do not wait for various problems with placental abruption or amniotic fluid to begin. Do not wait for the first numbers, Monday or the end of the party. You need to quit smoking here and now, if you are of course worried about the health of your future baby. Remember, it’s already your fault that he was conceived in a “smoked” organism.

These simple tricks will help you give up cigarettes quickly, reliably and without much discomfort. You just need to prioritize correctly.

Motivation

Smoking is poison for the body. A baby in the womb still cannot defend itself from external influences, and how can you defend yourself if your own mother poisons? Remember, only you can take care of your child, you are the only person (at least for now) who can protect the bleeding. Remember the health of the baby and his future life every time his hand reaches for a cigarette.

Video: Can I smoke during pregnancy?