I Will Quit Smoking – With determination anyone could do it!

Why do some women feel like it’s right to smoke during there pregnancy? They say that it is too hard to quit so they just “cut down”…

Isn’t your baby your #1 priority and wouldn’t be pregnant actually make you quit cold turkey regardless how hard it was for the well being of your unborn baby?

Apart from smoking’s well-known dangers to anyone, such as increased risk for heart disease and cancer, women who smoke during pregnancy are at greater risk for giving birth to low-birthweight babies.

On average, babies born to women who smoked during pregnancy are significantly smaller than those born to women who don’t smoke. Low birthweight is one of the main causes of infant illness and disability, and of stillbirth.

The evidence that cigarette smoking may have other harmful effects on the fetus is more controversial, but some problems associated with smoking include ectopic pregnancy (where the fertilised egg implants outside the womb), miscarriage, premature labour and birth, placental abruption, vaginal bleeding, and cot death.

Some studies have shown that smoking during pregnancy may harm a child’s mental development and behaviour, leading to a short attention span and hyperactivity. Other research shows that certain birth defects may be more common in babies whose mother smoked during pregnancy. For example, a number of studies have shown a strong link between smoking in pregnancy and babies born with a cleft lip and/or palate.

The further into pregnancy you smoke, the greater your risk of complications. For example, if a pregnant woman stops smoking during the first half of her pregnancy, her baby will most likely be born a normal weight. If she continues to smoke throughout the pregnancy, she’ll probably have a low-birthweight baby. So if you’re a smoker and have not succeeded in quitting so far, stopping now, or at the very least cutting down on the number of cigarettes you smoke a day, can still benefit you and your baby.

Many women find they need help to give up or cut down. Talk to your midwife or doctor. They’ll be able to give you help and advice, and put you in touch with your local stop-smoking support scheme.Call the free and confidential NHS Pregnancy smoking helpline on 0800 169 9169. It’s staffed by trained counsellors who know how hard it is to quit, and who will listen and offer support and advice. Alternatively, you can contact www.quit.org.uk, an independent charity which also offers free phone counselling to help you quit.

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