Can't quit smoking while pregnant - what should I do? Consequences, recommendations of doctors

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Smoking women are now no less than men. And this is not much of a concern to society. But it is much more unpleasant to see when a pregnant woman smokes. She harms not only herself, but also the unborn child. Often a pregnant woman says the following: “I can’t quit smoking during pregnancy, my hands are reaching for a cigarette, what should I do?” In this article, we will tell you what harm is done to the fetus when smoking and how you can overcome the addiction.

Smoking and pregnancy

Often women start smoking not from a good life. And having learned about the onset of pregnancy, they immediately give up a bad habit. Of course, then the girl thinks about what threatens the child that she did not know that she was pregnant, drank and smoked. More on this later in the article.

Usually, a woman finds out about the onset of pregnancy already at 4-5 weeks. At this time, tobacco smoke could alreadyharm the child. Therefore, having registered, the expectant mother must tell the doctor about her addiction. The necessary vitamins, vegetables, fruits and a he althy lifestyle (evening walks will be especially useful) will help to improve the condition of the fetus.

The most dangerous thing that can happen if a woman does not yet know about her interesting situation and smokes is a pregnancy fading or miscarriage. In this case, the situation cannot be corrected. Although the placenta formed in the fetus is still strong and at this time is still able to protect the embryo from the negative effects of harmful products. Therefore, an unplanned pregnancy in a smoking woman, with the right subsequent behavior, can end safely.

How nicotine affects the baby

But if a woman does not quit smoking, then the placenta becomes thinner over time and will no longer cope with its purpose. The baby may experience oxygen starvation, which means that he will begin to lag behind in his development. Organs may not develop properly. In addition, women who smoke cannot carry a child to term, and a premature baby (who was born in such conditions) often dies. But even if the child survives, the mother will not be able to give the child normal full-fledged milk to strengthen the body.

Severe consequences of smoking a pregnant woman:

1. Miscarriage. It can threaten throughout pregnancy if a woman smokes. This may be due to thinning of the placenta and lack ofoxygen. There may be deviations in development that are incompatible with life, then the body itself will begin to reject the fetus. This can occur even in a non-smoking woman, but if she is often in a smoky room.
2. Smoking during early pregnancy is a common cause of fetal death. That is, nicotine gets to the fetus, the child stops in its development, and then dies. Oxygen starvation and a violation of the developmental process of the child are to blame. Or it may happen that the child survives to birth and is safely born into the world. But due to improper formation of organs, especially the lungs, it dies within the first week.
3. The worst thing that can happen is that a child can just fall asleep and not wake up (this can happen before the baby is a year old). When you sleep, you just stop breathing. This is another consequence of the action of nicotine.
4. Delayed development of the fetus in the womb. Lack of nutrients and the right amount of oxygen, which is responsible for the proper functioning of all organs, especially the brain, affects the overall development of the child. At first, the fetus may lag slightly behind in growth, weight and development. But over time, the difference will progress. It will be impossible to restore 100% he alth of such a child.
5. The placenta, which is very important for the fetus, may lie low or begin to slough off. Thus, again there will be a lack of oxygen and nutrients. And that means developmental delay. Placental abruption can be stopped and you can try to keep the pregnancy. In that case, perhapsMom will have to be chained to the bed until childbirth. Although most often it ends in a miscarriage.
6. Premature discharge of amniotic fluid. Without them, the child inside the mother dies. Therefore, if the time permits, an emergency caesarean section is performed to save the life of the baby.
7. In women who smoke, children are born with a lack of weight, and they also gain it poorly. For quick weight gain and he alth promotion, you need full-fledged mother's milk, which a smoking woman is unable to give to a child. Yes, and a child is unlikely to take a breast with "harmful" milk, since it is bitter. But even if the baby likes the taste, the milk will continue to harm. Some may think that nicotine is no longer available to the baby after birth. These are delusions. Nicotine is able to penetrate into breast milk. At the same time, it destroys all its useful properties. In addition, such milk reduces the level of iron in the blood of a child. It is best to stop breastfeeding and switch to formula.
8. Children from smoking mothers often have lung problems (underdevelopment), bronchial asthma develops. Babies are usually on artificial respiration after birth.
9. Smoking during early pregnancy causes heart defects.
10. Due to lack of oxygen, children are mentally behind their peers. They may have an unbalanced psyche. Often the child exhibits aggressive behavior. At school, they lag behind in academic performance. It is difficult to learn new information even in childhood.
11. Smoking women often have babies withcongenital malformations such as cleft lip, cleft palate, strabismus, and Down syndrome.
12. In addition to all of the above, the children of a smoker are characterized by low immunity and a predisposition to any infection. There are also problems with the development of the musculoskeletal system, babies start walking late.

It is important not to forget that passive smoking can also harm a child's he alth. This is one of the reasons why pregnancy stops, it would seem, in a he althy woman. Close relatives of the girl in position should remember this. And if the husband smokes, then for the period of pregnancy and while the baby is very small, he should smoke on the street. Since indoor smoke will harm the he alth of the child. In this case, the harm is comparable to if the pregnant woman herself smoked.

Also, expectant mothers should stop smoking hookahs. Herbal mixtures can carry the same danger, and sometimes worse, than a cigarette. If a woman dreams of a he althy baby, then for the period of pregnancy and lactation, it is necessary to abandon bad habits. It has also been scientifically proven that women who smoke (even with passive smoking) are more likely to have girls. Therefore, if the spouses dream of an heir, then you should think about the need to give up the addiction.

When to quit smoking?

Quite often, women complain that they cannot quit smoking during pregnancy, that the power of habit is greater than them.

When is the best time to quit smoking? Ideally, a woman should prepare in advance for conception. And if plannedpregnancy, it is better to quit smoking at least six months in advance so that the body has time to cleanse itself of toxins. If an unplanned pregnancy has arisen, then it is better to quit smoking as soon as the “interesting” position of the woman becomes clear. Then the chance that the baby will be born he althy increases by 75%. In the second trimester, nicotine will greatly affect the development and formation of organs, the child will begin to lag behind in development already at this time. Since not everyone can immediately stop smoking, you should at least stop smoking strong cigarettes. In general, it is not too late to quit even in the third trimester. Then the baby will have at least a little intrauterine time for normal weight gain and he alth recovery. After birth, he will need strength to develop immunity and adapt to new conditions outside the womb.

Can you throw hard?

It is recommended to immediately get rid of nicotine addiction as soon as a woman finds out about her pregnancy. In connection with conception, the girl’s body experiences severe stress and changes. In some cases, abruptly quitting tobacco can cause even more stress, which can lead to a miscarriage. It is usually recommended that a woman who is strongly attached to a cigarette stop smoking gradually. Reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke per day by one every three days. Smoke a cigarette not to the end, maybe a little more than half. Be sure to provide the body with vitamins and minerals at this time. If you are unable to cope on your own, you can contactpsychologist, so that parting with an addiction does not cause more harm than the cigarette itself. That is why it is recommended to part with a cigarette before conceiving a child.

Some people say: "I can't quit smoking during pregnancy. Is it possible not to quit smoking, but only reduce the number of cigarettes a day?"

Reducing the amount of nicotine received per day, of course, will have a positive effect on the development of the fetus, but it will still continue to harm the unborn baby. Therefore, it is recommended to completely get rid of the habit, since even one cigarette a week can provoke a serious pathology. For example, it will affect the development of important organs such as the heart or lungs. During pregnancy, you should no longer think about yourself, but about the child who suffers because of the mother's bad habit.

How to quit?

How to quit smoking during pregnancy? Upon learning of their situation, women often experience strong emotional overstrain. They are overwhelmed with positive emotions, and possibly fear that it is necessary to change the already established way of life. Therefore, girls spontaneously begin to reach for a cigarette. What to do if you really want to smoke? Then the following is recommended:

• In order to reduce cravings, which will especially increase at the time of unrest (and a pregnant woman has a lot of them due to hormonal changes), you can buy light sedatives. They will help you respond more easily to stress, including quitting cigarettes.
• If a woman cannot immediatelyquit smoking, then you should forget about strong cigarettes. You can reduce the number of cigarettes per day gradually, if possible, replacing them with lollipops or eating an apple, strawberries, and so on.
• Find distractions. This can perfectly replace the desire to take up a cigarette. It’s good to look at children’s clothes as a distraction, you can start redevelopment of the children’s room in advance or just choose a name for the future baby, read about the stages of development at each stage, and so on. This will push the woman to start leading a he althy lifestyle.
• It is not recommended to switch to electronic cigarettes. Although they do not contain nicotine, they also contain other, no less harmful tars and substances. By switching to an analogue of ordinary cigarettes, you can fall into another, no less dangerous addiction.
• What can replace smoking? There are various products in pharmacies that help to quit smoking: patches, chewing gum, and so on. They can also harm the fetus. If the effect of cigarettes on the development of the fetus has been practically studied, then the effect of other drugs on the unborn child has not been studied at all. Therefore, switching to them is also not advised. Especially on your own.
• A good way to quit smoking for a pregnant woman is to give up tobacco together with her husband. In the absence of the smell of tobacco smoke, the craving for a cigarette will begin to weaken every day. Moreover, a smoking pregnant wife is unlikely to please her husband's eye. If you see the achievements achieved together, the possible return to cigarettes is reduced to 50%.
• You can give up cigarettes by reading books about the dangers of nicotine andabout how to quit smoking. The main thing is that the most pregnant woman needs to want to start a new life without the smell of tobacco smoke. Don't think about cigarettes all the time. Forbidden fruit is sweet, and such thoughts will only increase the desire to reach for a new dose of nicotine.
• Another option is to see a psychologist. It is important for a woman to understand that during pregnancy and lactation, her smoking causes more harm to the child. And after giving birth, a woman can then reproach herself all her life and run around hospitals, trying to restore the baby's lost he alth through her fault.

Think of future generations

How to quit smoking for a woman? Relatives and friends should give the expectant mother every support, especially emotionally.

In addition, it is worth thinking not only about the he alth of the child in the womb, but also about future grandchildren, who may not be due to a bad habit. The cigarette negatively affects the reproductive organs of the fetus. A newborn girl may have problems conceiving, and a boy will suffer from sperm motility. And the grandchildren will not shine with he alth. All those diseases that could be received by a child during gestation can be received by his grandchildren.

Folk methods

There are also folk methods of getting rid of cigarette cravings:

1. Dip a cigarette in milk before smoking and dry it. After that, smoke. The taste experienced at this time will for a long time discourage any smoker from taking up a cigarette again and will not cause additional harm to the fetus, like patches, chewing gum.
2. When craving a cigarette, you can rinse your mouth with a solution of soda (do the solution as for ingestion).
3. Pineapple perfectly fights cravings for a cigarette, you can eat a piece after the desire arises. It will not harm the figure, but it will benefit the child and mother.
4. Drink soothing drinks more often, give up coffee and strong brewed tea. And do not be where people smoke so that the smell of nicotine does not make you want to smoke a cigarette.

Women say: "What if I can't quit smoking during pregnancy?" The answer is simple - ask for help from loved ones. Since now you are no longer alone, and your addiction is more harmful to the child. You need to avoid stress that provokes the desire to smoke. If not contraindicated, then you can drink sedatives (should be prescribed by a doctor).

The reasons why women argue that they continue to smoke

The most powerful argument is that the woman communicated with those who smoked during pregnancy, and that nothing terrible happened, the child was born on time and he althy. Here you need to remember that each woman has a different he alth, which she passes through the genes to her baby. You also need to take into account the experience of the smoker.

The next argument of pregnant smokers sounds like this: it's too late to quit smoking, because the term is long. Yes, the harm has already been done to the child. But even in the last week of pregnancy, you can and should give up cigarettes, and during this time the fetus can at least slightly move away from nicotine poisoning. Milka non-smoking mother will help the child's development.

Another argument for those who do not want to quit smoking: a cigarette helps relieve stress better than any sedatives, and it is harmful for pregnant women to worry. However, in this case, it is not taken into account that each cigarette harms the child. And she certainly does not calm the baby, like her mother. In addition, it is a cigarette at the time of stress that is the reason why pregnancy freezes. Therefore, it is worth thinking about the dangers of nicotine before reaching for another cigarette.

It happens that a woman does not know how to replace smoking and believes that there will be no harm from one or two cigarettes a day. Some also claim that the air around is not that clean, and exhaust fumes from cars on the street can do more harm than one cigarette. In this case, the woman does not take into account that nicotine penetrates much deeper into the lungs than the air from the street.

The last excuse for smoking expectant mothers is the fear that after giving up a cigarette, she will begin to gain extra pounds, which are already provided during the gestation period. The mistake here is that excess weight depends primarily on a sedentary lifestyle. Moreover, getting into shape after childbirth is not so difficult. And getting rid of smoking, it will be much easier to return the figure.

Smoking pregnant. Doctors' advice on how to get rid of addiction

Before quitting smoking, a girl needs to ask herself why she smokes: for nothing to do, for relaxation or just for company? Answering this question willeasier to find a way out. If smoking comes from boredom, then you can find a hobby that you like. If for relaxation, then you can use medicines or just take a walk with your family or watch an interesting movie together. Well, if a girl smokes for company, then you just need not to go to the smoking room with friends, justifying your refusal by the birth of a new life. In this case, good friends themselves will support the expectant mother in her desire to quit smoking.

Also, experts recommend smoking pregnant women to write on paper the benefits of nicotine (for themselves and the child) and the harm from it. Seeing visually how nicotine negatively affects both (on the body of a pregnant woman and on the he alth of her fetus), she will want to quit the addiction. And it's better to keep this list nearby so that if you want to smoke, you can immediately read how harmful it is.

Also, doctors recommend not listening to the stories of those who smoked during pregnancy. A pregnant woman must take care of the he alth of her child. Everyone has different bodies and different he alth.

Recommendations for pregnant women

Be sure to remove from a conspicuous place all items that may remind you of a cigarette, such as an ashtray, a lighter, and so on. It is advisable to wash smoky clothes so that even a slight tobacco smell does not beckon to a cigarette. What to do if some actions remind you of a cigarette? For example, after dinner, the girl always smoked or liked to go to the toilet with a cigarette. Now this can be replaced by reading useful literature about the child. Fresh air and replenishing the body with vitamins will help you get rid of cigarette cravings faster.