How Can I Quit Smoking During Pregnancy

Quitting Smoking While Pregnant: What Works

Smoking during pregnancy

Nicotine patches, Zyban helped 4 out of 5 women, study says

HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, July 27, 2016 — Use of nicotine patches or the drug Zyban helps pregnant women quit smoking before and after they give birth, a new study says.

“In public health terms, these results are significant because one in five pregnant women smokes,” said study author Anick Berard, a professor with the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Montreal.

“We already know that smoking during pregnancy increases the chances of miscarriage as well as low birth weight, premature birth and birth defects — events that are linked to health problems in children,” Berard said in a university news release.

However, the study authors added that pregnant women or those looking to become pregnant should check with their doctor before taking any medication.

The new study results will give pregnant women evidence-based options to quit smoking, Berard said. They’ll “also give data to health care professionals for them to prescribe the right treatment while evaluating the risks and benefits associated with each pharmacological method,” she said.

The study looked at nearly 1,300 pregnant women in Quebec. It found that 80 percent of pregnant women who used nicotine patches or Zyban were able to stop smoking. Even after they discontinued using the products, 68 percent of those who used nicotine patches and 60 percent of those who used Zyban did not start smoking again during or after pregnancy.

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As Long As I Quit While Im Pregnant Can I Have A Cigarette Once In A While After My Baby Is Born

Unfortunately, any smoking is harmful to you and your baby. Most people who smoke after quitting for a long time do not plan to start regularly smoking again. They assume they can just smoke occasionally. But for many people, the first or first few cigarettes cause changes in your body and brain that make cravings to smoke much stronger. Because of how nicotine addiction works, it may not be possible for people who were regular smokers to switch to occasional smoking.

Also, there are a lot of benefits to life after quitting. Youll have more energy. Youll save lots of money that you can spend on other things. Your clothes, hair and home will smell better. Your food will taste better. And, perhaps more than anything, youll feel great knowing what an important thing youve done for yourself and the people you love.

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Smoking During Pregnancy Affects Your Developing Babys Health

Smoking during pregnancy can cause babies to be born too small or too early. Women who smoke during pregnancy are more likely to have a baby with a birth defect of the mouth and lip called an orofacial cleft.

Babies who breathe in other peoples tobacco smoke are more likely to have ear infections and lung infections, like bronchitis and pneumonia if they have asthma, breathing in other peoples tobacco smoke can trigger asthma attacks. These babies are also more likely to die from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome , a sudden and unexpected infant death that has no immediately obvious cause after investigation.

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Stop Smoking Advisers In Pregnancy

The most effective way to quit smoking for many people is to get help from your local NHS Stop Smoking Services. People who give up with support and advice from a Stop Smoking adviser are four times more likely to succeed than those relying on willpower alone! Trained advisers will offer you one-to-one help.

Depending on where you live, there may be a Stop Smoking adviser who is able to come to your home or talk to you on the phone. As well as your local Stop Smoking clinic, you may also be able to get this kind of specialist advice from your local pharmacy.

Your Stop Smoking Service may offer one-to-one or group sessions. You can bring a friend or partner if you find it helpful.

At your first meeting the adviser will ask questions to get to know you. They will want to know how long you have been smoking, how much you smoke and when you have your first cigarette of the day. They will also ask about whether people in your household smoke.

Together you can work out a plan for how to stop smoking and cope with the withdrawal symptoms. The adviser will help you deal with your physical addiction to nicotine and will show you how to manage cravings and stress without reaching for a cigarette.

Even if you have failed to quit many times in the past, the advisers will be keen to help. They are used to working with people who are finding it a struggle. They have a range of ways to give expert advice, information and support to help you stop smoking for good.

Risks Of Weed While Pregnant

Quitting Smoking during Pregnancy

As the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services explains, cannabis can be dangerous to your baby however you use it, including smoking it, eating it , or vaping it. Thats because cannabis contains almost 500 chemicals, and they are able to pass through the placenta and then to your growing baby. There are risks to your health, too.

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Smoking Causes Poor Reproductive Health Outcomes

Cigarette smoking before or during pregnancy can affect the likelihood of pregnancy, adverse pregnancy outcomes, and the health of mother and baby. Maternal smoking causes:

  • Reduced fertility
  • Pregnancy complications, including premature rupture of membranes, placenta previa, placental abruption, ectopic pregnancy, and preterm delivery evidence also suggests that smoking may cause miscarriage
  • Fetal growth restriction and low birth weight
  • Congenital malformations like orofacial clefts
  • Adverse effects on fetal lung and brain development
  • Stillbirth and perinatal mortality
  • Sudden infant death syndrome

Maternal exposure to secondhand smoke during pregnancy causes small reductions in birth weight and research suggests it may cause preterm delivery. Infants exposed to secondhand smoke are at higher risk for SIDS, middle ear disease, lower respiratory illness, and decreased lung function.

Can Vaping Cause A Miscarriage

Research on the effects of vaping on fetuses and newborns has lagged behind the quick rise in e-cigarette use. Much of what we do know comes from studies of nicotine in tobacco products and smoking, which shows that nicotine is harmful and increases the risk of: miscarriage and complications during pregnancy.

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How Smoking Affects Your Baby

Smoking during pregnancy exposes your baby to harmful chemicals. Every time you smoke, the baby effectively smokes too, as harmful nicotine and other chemicals pass through the placenta and into the fetus. Smoking also reduces blood flow for your baby.

Smoking while pregnant can result in a far higher risk of:

Quitting Using Medical Or Alternative Medicine Interventions

Pregnancy FAQs : How to Quit Smoking Cold Turkey While Pregnant
  • 1Use a nicotine replacement. Nicotine replacements include patches, gums, and sprays, though you want to skip the tablets while pregnant. While nicotine may not be completely safe for your baby , its safer than cigarettes since it only has one chemical rather than the wide range of chemicals in cigarettes. Plus, it makes it easier for many people to quit. Make sure to talk to your doctor before starting on one of these regimens.XResearch source
  • The nicotine in these replacements can help with your withdrawal symptoms. For instance, you apply a patch to your skin once a day, and it provides a steady supply of nicotine to help reduce your cravings.
  • Generally, you taper off on these medications, as well. For instance, with the patches, you usually switch to a lower dose after 2 weeks.XResearch source
  • 2Try Bupropion. This drug is sometimes used as an antidepressant, but it can also help you quit smoking. Science hasnt quite figured out why it can help you quit smoking, but it can help for many people. Once again, youll need to talk to your doctor about this drug, especially since its a prescription medication.XResearch source
  • Unfortunately, this drug can have some side effects for many people. It can increase your chance of a seizure if youre already inclined to have them.
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    Answers To 8 Common Questions About Smoking And Pregnancy

    2017 min

    Quitting tobacco is one of the best things that expectant mothers can do for their health and the health of their babies.

    What makes quitting so important at this stage? We turned to the experts behind BecomeAnEX®, a digital quit-smoking program by Truth Initiative® and developed in collaboration with Mayo Clinic, for answers to eight common questions about smoking and pregnancy.

    How Does Secondhand Smoke Impact Fertility And Pregnancy

    No amount of cigarette smoke is safe. While secondhand smoke isn’t the same as actively smoking, it still carries similar risks for fertility and pregnancy.

    So if you live with someone who smokes, encourage them to smoke outside or in a different room where you’re less likely to breathe in secondhand smoke while pregnant. Better still, encourage them to quit with you.

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    Can Smoking Stop An Egg From Implanting

    LONDON – Heavy smokers are less likely to become pregnant through IVF treatment, even with donated eggs, fertility experts said on Thursday. They found that smoking more than 10 cigarettes a day makes the womb less receptive to the embryo and reduces the odds that it will implant and result in a pregnancy.

    Benefits Of Stopping Smoking In Pregnancy

    Pin on :: PREGNANCY

    Stopping smoking will help both you and your baby immediately. Harmful gases, such as carbon monoxide, and other damaging chemicals will clear from your body. When you stop smoking:

    • you will reduce the risk of complications in pregnancy and birth
    • you are more likely to have a healthier pregnancy and a healthier baby
    • you will reduce the risk of stillbirth
    • your baby is less likely to be born too early and have to face the breathing, feeding and health problems that often go with being premature
    • your baby is less likely to be born with a low birth weight. Babies of smokers are, on average, 200g lighter than other babies, which can cause problems during and after labour. For example, they are more likely to have problems keeping warm and are more likely to get infections
    • you will reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome , also known as “cot death”.

    Stopping smoking now will also help your baby later in life. Children whose parents smoke are more likely to suffer from asthma and other serious illnesses that may need hospital treatment.

    The sooner you stop smoking, the better. But even if you stop in the last few weeks of your pregnancy this will benefit you and your baby.

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    How To Stop Smoking

    Quitting smoking can be very hard, but for some, getting pregnant is a strong incentive to stop. Anucyia Victor, 39, quit when she found out she was pregnant in 2015.

    “I quit because I didn’t want to put my unborn child in any sort of danger or pose a risk to their well-being. I had previously miscarried before and I wanted to make sure that I was at my optimum and best health throughout the pregnancy,” she says.

    “I was a 12-a-day smoker, the kind of person who had a cigarette first thing in the morning, last thing at night and survived pretty much on caffeine and nicotine. I had cigarette breaks at work and would light up at the bus stop, walking home or just waiting for an appointment.”

    Victor thought giving up smoking would be really tough, but she found it wasn’t too bad. “I gave up as soon as I found out I was pregnant and I havent smoked a cigarette since,” she says. “I guess I decided to put the health of another person first.”

    There are many ways to quit smoking if you need help, however. “It’s about confidence. Some women don’t feel like they can give up, and they need to know that it is possible and women can do it successfully,” Livingstone says.

    “There are really good services out there that will help them change their behaviour. And whether that is cognitive behavioural therapy and really good support, and/or in combination with nicotine replacement therapy.”

    So What Can I Do To Quit

    Its important to have support while youre quitting. The good news is you can get support from a lot of places. Your friends and family, a health care provider or counselor or the BecomeAnEX Community are all great options for support. Check out the BecomeAnEX Re-learn support page for more tips and tools for getting the support you need.

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    Ways To Stop Smoking In Pregnancy

    Youre pregnant or youre trying to get pregnant.

    Andyou smoke.

    You probably already know that smoking and pregnancy are not a good combination. But that doesnt mean its easy to give up.

    Smoking is, of course, highly addictive and giving up while feeling the pressures and fears that often come with a pregnancy is very daunting.

    This challenge of stopping smoking is made even harder when youre faced with a number of harmful myths which provide false information about the dangers of smoking, the safety of giving up smoking, and the methods you can use to stop reaching for the cigarettes.

    So in the first half of this article weve put together a list of common myths about smoking and pregnancy and explained why theyre not true. And in the second half we share a number of safe ways to quit smoking while pregnant.

    It is hard. But it is not impossible.

    You can do this!

    Pregnancy Complications From Smoking

    Baby Your Baby Quitting Smoking During Pregnancy

    Some of the pregnancy complications more commonly experienced by women who smoke include:

    • ectopic pregnancy this is pregnancy outside the uterus, usually in the fallopian tube
    • fetal death death of the baby in the uterus
    • spontaneous abortion known as miscarriage
    • problems with the placenta, including early detachment from the uterine wall and blocking the cervical opening
    • premature rupture of the membranes
    • premature labour.

    Recommended Reading: How To Keep My Baby Healthy During Pregnancy

    Vaping Is Safer Than Smoking

    Since e cigarettes came on to the market, theyve always been subject to criticism that they are not safe nor better for you than smoking. And thats where Public Health England waded in to declare

    Vaping is 95% safer than smoking

    Some chemicals found in cigarettes are present in the vapour created but at very very minimal levels compared to cigarettes and not considered harmful.

    People use E-Cigs as a nicotine replacement therapy, and nicotine itself is not harmful when inhaled via a vape, or even a cigarette. The thousands of chemicals found in cigarettes are whats bad for you, not nicotine!

    So, if you opt to use an e cig as your way to get your nicotine fix during pregnancy, it is much safer than continuing to smoke!

    I hope this article has helped clear up any unanswered questions and queries you may have had!

    For more information, please see the NHS webpage https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/stop-smoking/

    *This article has been written using references from the NHS website and is intended to be informational only. Please consult your GP, midwife, or other healthcare professional if you have any doubts or questions regarding the safety of smoking or vaping during pregnancy and only take advice from them.*

    Determine Your Quit Or Reduction Method

    It is a common misconception that if you are pregnant, you can only quit cold turkey but that is not true. There are tools you can use to help make your journey away from tobacco easier, and they are safe to use while pregnant.

    • Behavioural support: Behavioural support is the most valuable tool for quitting or reducing smoking during pregnancy. For people who have quit smoking, continued counselling can also help prevent a return back to smoking, which is especially common after giving birth. Free behavioural counselling is available through QuitNow.
    • QuitNows Quit Coaches will help you make a quit plan, choose a quit date or reduction start date that works for you, develop strategies to deal with cravings, and help you stay tobacco-free.

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    Passive Smoking And Its Effects On Pregnancy

    Research-backed

    Smoking is injurious not just to the smokers health but also to everyone else around the person. When a woman becomes pregnant, she is advised to quit smoking however, research has shown that merely quitting is insufficient to remove the dangers linked with cigarette exposure. Many women experience passive smoke exposure due to secondhand smoke through friends, family, or the residue left behind by cigarettes. During pregnancy, passive smoking can harm your and your unborn childs health.

    Passive smoking is the inhalation of tobacco smoke, called secondhand smoke, or environmental smoke, by a person other than the intended active smoker.

    Lets explore what passive smoking is, the adverse effects of passive smoking on pregnancy, and the effects it has on the mother and unborn child.

    In this Article

    How Can I Quit Smoking Before Or During Pregnancy

    Pregnant woman and makeup in 2020

    There are many smoking cessation programs available to help you quit smoking. Ask your health care provider for more information about these programs.

    Here are some tips that may help you kick the habit:

    • Hide your matches, lighters, and ashtrays.
    • Designate your home a no-smoking area.
    • Ask people who smoke not to smoke around you.
    • Drink fewer caffeinated beverages caffeine may stimulate your urge to smoke. Also avoid alcohol, as it may also increase your urge to smoke and can be harmful to your baby.
    • Change your habits connected with smoking. If you smoked while driving or when feeling stressed, try other activities to replace smoking.
    • Keep mints or gum on hand for those times when you get the urge to smoke.
    • Stay active to keep your mind off smoking and help relieve tension: take a walk, exercise, read a book, or try a new hobby.
    • Look for support from others. Join a support group or smoking cessation program.
    • Do not go to places where many people are smoking such as bars or clubs, and smoking sections of restaurants.

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