How to Quit Smoking While Pregnant

Needless to say, you would want the best for your child, who is still breathing and growing inside you. And if you haven't left smoking, then that may either mean that you are unaware of the risks of smoking, or maybe you are finding it a humongous task to do away with the habit for good. Whatever the reasons are, all you have to concentrate on is to stop smoking as soon as possible.

Effects of Smoking On Pregnancy
Begin abreast about the horrid effects of smoking during pregnancy, serves as an extra push to your determination of quitting this good-for-nothing habit. So here are some reasons why you must not smoke, especially when you are pregnant.

• Miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy (defined as a pregnancy that results from gestation elsewhere than in the uterus)
• A condition known as placenta previa. Here, the placenta gets placed in the lower part of the uterus.
• Increased risk of the baby being born with a critically low birth weight.
• Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS); this condition refers to a sudden demise of an infant in sleep.
• Still birth
• Premature birth

Apart from all these effects that smoking might cause during pregnancy, there could be long term effects on the baby after birth. Common ones include asthma, behavioral problems, learning disabilities, etc.

Quitting Smoking Cold Turkey
In case, you were not aware, the cold turkey method refers to process which involves the quitting of something with immediate effect. Quitting smoking cold turkey during pregnancy, is a safe method to do away with the habit. This is because, it does not involve the use of any medications or smoking supplements, thus, preventing any kind of side effects which could harm the baby. Also, this process is inexpensive, as it does not require the need of medical intervention. However, one drawback of this method could be intense nicotine withdrawal symptoms, which may burst out in response to the sudden stoppage of nicotine supply to the body. So, it is always better to take the aid of a healthcare provider before you ponder on the idea on how to quit smoking cold turkey.

Quitting Smoking Gradually
As the name suggests, in this method, the mother is expected to lessen the number of cigarettes she smokes everyday. The number has to dwindle down to an extent when she is not smoking anymore. Although this method is helpful, it may still have some effects on the unborn child, as the mother would be still continuing to take in the toxins of the smoke. The main advantage of this method comes from the fact that the withdrawal symptoms would not be as severe as those which occur in the cold turkey method.

Quitting Smoking With the Help of Nicotine Replacement
One of the effective tips to quit smoking, is the use of certain aids that provide the body with supplies of nicotine. Commonly used aids include skin patch, gum, nasal sprays and inhalers. Experts are dubious about how safe are these products for the baby, however, as they contain only nicotine, and nothing else, they are considered to be safer than smoking cigarettes. In fact, this method has been known to provide more successful results.

To conclude, counseling is also an important part of the process to shun smoking during pregnancy. Expecting mothers would get to work with social workers and psychologists. Their service would provide some crucial help in molding negative thoughts into positive ones for a better purpose.