To the ex-smokers

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Replies

  • chlorisaann
    chlorisaann Posts: 366 Member
    I quit cold turkey over a year ago.It is mind over matter. I am not saying it will be easy. Maybe try sunflower seeds, gum, etc to help her. My hardest part was what to do with my hands when it normally had a cig. in it

    This is where the Dum Dum suckers helped me!!
  • srp2011
    srp2011 Posts: 1,829 Member
    I agree with Chatnel - if she's really ready she will quit, and being pregnant I think she has a pretty big reason to be motivated!

    The Alan Carr book 'Easy Way to Quit Smoking' is a good one too. She can read it while she's smoking and cut back and commit to having her last cigarette when she's finished reading the book. It's a mind power thing and if she's in the right headspace it could really help.

    Otherwise she may need to be careful of nicotine replacement (patches, gum) as you can get addicted to these and it may not be great for the baby.

    She really needs to discuss it with her Dr and come up with a game plan.

    You are a great friend for wanting to help!

    I second the recommendation fro Allan Carr's book - it is amazing how well reading that book works for some people (myself included - I've been cigarette-free for about 7 months now). The first 3-5 days are the hardest if you go cold turkey, because of the physical withdrawal, but after that it was relatively easy. Tell your friend to try to substitute healthy behaviors when she wants to smoke - go for a walk, drink water, snack on healthy stuff like veggies and fruits (oranges are supposed to work particularly well). I think the long term benefits of being smoke-free will be much more imprtant to the baby than the short-term stress of quitting.
  • teach54
    teach54 Posts: 22 Member
    Gum. Lots and lots of sugar-free gum.
    And sugar-free hard candy to suck on. It's important to have something to keep your mouth busy. Low-calorie snacks like celery and carrot sticks are also better to put in your mouth than cigarettes.

    I gained 25+ pounds in the 2 years after quitting, which is why I ended up here. Your friend will, of course, gain weight due to pregnancy, but may add some extra if she replaces cigarettes with food. However, my nutritionist sister-in-law says 15-20 extra pounds from quitting is still way healthier than continuing to smoke. And in the long run, that's what we want for ourselves, and our loved ones.
  • dreamingchild
    dreamingchild Posts: 208 Member
    I quit cold turkey and my baby was okay. I think quitting is in the mind so make sure she is ready or it won't happen.
  • suzieqcookie
    suzieqcookie Posts: 314 Member
    i was in the same situation with my 3rd child, she was definitely a "bonus" baby! my dr recommended i not go cold turkey and suggested i cut my intake by half each day... by the time i got down to 3 i was just done.

    best of luck to her!
  • Cheryl4726
    Cheryl4726 Posts: 17
    When I had my son nearly 22 years ago, I was told I should give up smoking or if I was going to get too stressed trying to quit, at least cut back as much as I could, which is what I did, he was born weighing 8lbs 4oz with no problems, and is now 6ft 2", may be I/he was just lucky.
    Everyone is different, and a bit like with dieting, she needs to find what works best for her, having a friend like you who is willing to help and not judge will be a big help to her.
    Congrats and good luck to her.
  • Cambrendle
    Cambrendle Posts: 104 Member
    I didn't read all the responses - but She can try an E-cig - there are cheap disposables she can start with - like $7 here for supposedly equivalent of 1 pack of cigarettes. If she uses only the E-cig and NO cigarettes at the same time - after about 2 to 3 days the cigarette smoke will gross her out - in addition to the pregnancy hormones making it seem even more puke worthy.

    That's how I quit - with the E-cigs - been off cigarettes now since June 2011. Any other way I'd quit before I was never satisfied, and started back up..... that worked well for me, and pretty affordable.

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