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Are you a person who is always about looking cool by having a smoke in your hands? Did you know that smoking during your pregnancy could cause your much more than you think? Cigarette consists of chemicals like cyanide, lead and other 60 cancer causing compounds. When you smoke during pregnancy that toxic brew gets into your bloodstream and its your baby’s only source of nutrients and oxygen. Cigarette contains more than 4000 chemicals and it may even harm your baby. Nicotine and carbon monoxide are the two compounds, which are harmful. These two toxins account for almost every smoking-related complication in pregnancy.
Think for yourself! Is it that hard that you are putting an unborn baby in danger for the mere 2-minute satisfaction? When you want to know the answers for this, read through the various ways on how to quit smoking during pregnancy.
Tips To Say ‘No To Smoking’ When Pregnant
1How does smoking affect the baby
A shortage of oxygen can have destructive effects on your baby’s development. Smoking during pregnancy doubles the chances of a baby that will be born either too early or weigh less than 5½ pounds at birth. It also doubles the risk of stillbirth.
Every cigarette you smoke increases the risks to your pregnancy. You might think that, few cigarettes a day are safer than the whole pack, but they really don’t make any difference. A smoker’s body is sensitive to the first dose of nicotine each day, and even just one or two cigarettes will significantly tighten the blood vessels.
Smoking affects your baby’s weight and size, body and lungs, heart and brain functions where the baby’s weight keeps decreasing, tend to have underdeveloped bodies, likely to have heart defects at birth and can also have lifelong effects on your their brain like learning disorders, behavioral disorders and relatively low IQ’s.
2What can you do?
Behind all these grim statistics lies an incredible opportunity where you can give your baby a huge gift by giving up your habit. Ideally, you should give up smoking before you conceive. For one thing, you’ll have an easier time getting pregnant. Smoking lowers the chance of conceiving during any particular cycle by 40 percent. You don’t have to struggle with quitting at a time if you think about other things, like eating well, exercising, and preparing for your baby’s birth.
Of course, not everyone can plan that far ahead. If you’re still smoking when you discovered that you’re pregnant, it’s not too late. Taking steps immediately towards quitting can massively make a difference to your baby.
[Also about: Keep Cool During your Summer Pregnancy]
4Cold turkey
The cold turkey method is one the popular ways to quit smoking. In this method, you have to throw out your cigarettes, lighters, ashtrays and try not to smoke anymore. This is one of the safest method to use during pregnancy. It involves no medications and ensures that smoke and chemicals stop going into baby’s body immediately. This method can mean a lot of withdrawal symptoms including stress and depression. If you are a heavy smoker, then this method is not right for you.
5Gradual quit
The gradual quit method allows you to reduce the number of cigarettes everyday until you stop quitting. This method is safe like the cold turkey method for pregnant women. It doesn’t involve any medication and helps to reduce the amount of nicotine and tar inside your body. There may be still side effects for the baby as you are still exposing your child with chemicals. It is very difficult to bid bye to those last lingering cigarettes. So this method may be effective for you.
6Nicotine Replacement
The nicotine replacement method makes use of smoking cessation aids that supplies your body with nicotine. Nicotine replacements include nicotine patch, nicotine gum and nasal sprays for your nose. Researchers are still not sure if these replacements can be used during pregnancy or not. They contain only one chemical product, nicotine, which are likely much safer than cigarettes. Smokers who use these replacements, are twice as likely to quit successfully.
7Bupropion
Bupropion is an anti-depressant. It helps smokers to quit their habits successfully. The drug hasn’t been properly studied if it can be used during pregnancy. Taking this drug in large dose can cause seizures. If you are not at risk for seizures, follow your health care provider, he may recommend as an aid for quitting.
8Counseling
Counseling sessions are available for group and individual from trained workers and psychologists. They teach you to quit your smoking habit by altering negative thought and behavior patterns. Few counselors also use hypnosis to help smoker quit smoking.
9How to quit smoking
Stop smoking and use fat drinking straws to hold in your hand or even chew on them, this will keep your hands busy as well as your mind. Try chewing on straw to curb the need for smoking.
Avoid caffeine or alcohol during pregnancy, and also while trying to quit smoking. Non-alcoholic beverages should also be avoided at this time. The caffeine and alcohol make the need for nicotine stronger.
Strong urges to smoke will require sucking on hard candy. Keep the straw handy and drink plenty of water while sucking on hard candy. It’s important to keep the hands and mind busy when you are trying to quit smoking.
Eat healthy foods that are low in fat and calories when you quit smoking while pregnant. This might include saltine crackers, which are good for sickness, yogurt, carrot sticks and fruits.
-Pavithra Ravi
