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Smoking in all its forms is potentially dangerous. Its devastating effects get exacerbated during pregnancy especially beyond the third month. Women who continue to smoke during their pregnancies are risking their babies lives by reducing oxygen supply and creating a smoke filled uterine environment.
This may hamper their ability to grow well. It increases the chances of an ectopic pregnancy, abnormal growth of the placenta or a premature labour. The more obvious manifestations in babies are a low birth weight, smaller head circumference, cleft palate and congenital heart abnormalities.
Babies with smoking parents have lower intellectual capacities and are also likely to suffer from asthma, breathing problems and SIDS. Behavioural problems include lack of attention, hyperactivity and aggression. For women who are habitual smokers, this is the best time to stop smoking. Women who quit smoking just after the third month show a lesser incidence of having malformed and low birth weight babies.
Now is the time to give your baby a smoke free environment and the first step towards this is commitment. With a lot of determination and following these tips, you can definitely kick the smoking habit.
Motivation
Ask yourself why you need to quit. Most women find it easy to quit smoking because of their deep concern for their unborn babies. This is probably the biggest motivating factor. Once you are significantly motivated and are adamant about giving your baby the quality pre-natal care he/she deserves, stick to this decision.
Method of Withdrawal
You need to identify how you are going to go about quitting smoking.
So you can do this by reducing the number of cigarettes in a day or by completely giving up. Plan a schedule that will keep you distracted and busy. Avoid environmental triggers that allow you to smoke.
Motivations for smoking
Find out the reason behind smoking – for pleasure, for kicks or just as a habit and then find healthy substitutes. If you smoke to keep your mouth occupied, chew on some gum instead or some pop corn, fruit and candy.
To keep your hand occupied you can knit, do a crossword or play a computer game. Better still is to write. If you smoke for self stimulation or relaxation take up a hobby class or exercise. Anything to keep your mind gainfully occupied will help. Smoking just for pleasure does not justify it. You can instead concentrate on your new arrival and revel in baby shopping or going through kids’ brochures. Smoking out of habit means you will have to break the habit. Try taking in some deep breaths before you feel the urge. Try and adopt yoga or meditation in your lifestyle.
Slip Ups
The occasional erring and giving in to your cravings is ok. Do not worry too much about it and put it behind you. Get focused on quitting the habit and think about the times you resisted the temptation. Look at smoking as a non negotiable thing. Now that there is a baby in the offing, there is no other recourse but to quit.
Baby Inspiration
Take solace in your baby’s ultrasound pictures and thank yourself for the beautiful creation. This would not have happened had you continued to smoke. Let your baby inspire you to quit smoking.
Take Support
Take help from anti smoking support groups, acupuncture or well meaning friends and family who can help you kick the habit. Keep patting yourself in the back for your efforts.
Do not use nicotine patches during pregnancy. They are harmful and not recommended.
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