HOW DOES SMOKING AFFECT YOUR BABY’S HEALTH?
When you smoke, you breathe in many poisons that get in your blood and keep your baby from getting the food and oxygen it needs to grow. The sooner you quit, the sooner you can stop passing on all these poisons to your baby. Think about this every time you start to light a cigarette. Smokers are more likely to:
Lose the baby (miscarriage)
Have the baby too soon
Have trouble giving birth
Have a baby that’s stillborn or too small
Have a baby that dies soon after birth
Have a baby that gets sick a lot
LEARNING HOW TO BE A NON-SMOKER
Use what you have learned about why and when you smoke to make changes in your habits that make it easier to quit. You can’t avoid all your smoking triggers, but you can resist them, especially if you know what to do when you have the urge to light up.
The Four D’s
Use the Four D’s any time you crave a cigarette. They are simple to do. And you can use them no matter where you are.
Drink waterDrinking water may distract you, and it flushes the nicotine out of your body.
DelayWait a few minutes, and the urge for a smoke may pass.
Deep breatheTake five deep breaths and relax for a few minutes. You may not want a cigarette as much anymore.
Do something else
Spend more time with people who don’t smoke.
Do something you enjoy: call a friend, see a movie, rent a video, go window shopping.
Plan ahead if you’re going somewhere with other smokers. Think about how great you’ll look without a cigarette.
Hold a straw if you need something in your hand.
Chew gum or eat a low-cal snack.
Exercise! When you’re pregnant, the best exercise is walking 15 minutes every day. Start slow, then get faster.
Punch a pillow if you’re in a bad mood.
Sew, or knit or crochet if you know how. If you don’t, get your mom or a friend to teach you. You can make baby clothes.
AVOID SMOKING SITUATIONS
Staying away from other people who smoke can be hard, especially if there are smokers in your household. If that’s the problem, tell them you’re trying to quit because of the baby and ask for their help. See if you can get them not to smoke around you. If they don’t cooperate, go somewhere else when they light up. Maybe you can go in your own room, or outside for a walk.
You probably have friends who smoke, and you may have to stay away from them for a little while. Explain why, so you don’t lose a friend. They might surprise you by telling you they think what you’re doing is good. A friend might even decide to quit with you.
Going to parties, bars and other places where people smoke is also a trap. Try doing other things for a few weeks while you’re quitting. At work, take a walk instead of a coffee break. Any place that does not allow smoking is a good place for you!
Change Your Thinking
Use positive thinking to get pumped about quitting.
Instead of thinking: I’ll never be able to quit.
Think: I can do it if I take it one day at a time. I know it’s going to get easier if I just hang in there.
Instead of thinking: I love sitting around with a cigarette and coffee at break time. I can’t give it up.
Think: I’ll get my break time friends to go for a walk with me. They’ll help me if I tell them much I need their support.
When you smoke, you breathe in many poisons that get in your blood and keep your baby from getting the food and oxygen it needs to grow. The sooner you quit, the sooner you can stop passing on all these poisons to your baby. Think about this every time you start to light a cigarette. Smokers are more likely to:
Lose the baby (miscarriage)
Have the baby too soon
Have trouble giving birth
Have a baby that’s stillborn or too small
Have a baby that dies soon after birth
Have a baby that gets sick a lot
LEARNING HOW TO BE A NON-SMOKER
Use what you have learned about why and when you smoke to make changes in your habits that make it easier to quit. You can’t avoid all your smoking triggers, but you can resist them, especially if you know what to do when you have the urge to light up.
The Four D’s
Use the Four D’s any time you crave a cigarette. They are simple to do. And you can use them no matter where you are.
Drink waterDrinking water may distract you, and it flushes the nicotine out of your body.
DelayWait a few minutes, and the urge for a smoke may pass.
Deep breatheTake five deep breaths and relax for a few minutes. You may not want a cigarette as much anymore.
Do something else
Spend more time with people who don’t smoke.
Do something you enjoy: call a friend, see a movie, rent a video, go window shopping.
Plan ahead if you’re going somewhere with other smokers. Think about how great you’ll look without a cigarette.
Hold a straw if you need something in your hand.
Chew gum or eat a low-cal snack.
Exercise! When you’re pregnant, the best exercise is walking 15 minutes every day. Start slow, then get faster.
Punch a pillow if you’re in a bad mood.
Sew, or knit or crochet if you know how. If you don’t, get your mom or a friend to teach you. You can make baby clothes.
AVOID SMOKING SITUATIONS
Staying away from other people who smoke can be hard, especially if there are smokers in your household. If that’s the problem, tell them you’re trying to quit because of the baby and ask for their help. See if you can get them not to smoke around you. If they don’t cooperate, go somewhere else when they light up. Maybe you can go in your own room, or outside for a walk.
You probably have friends who smoke, and you may have to stay away from them for a little while. Explain why, so you don’t lose a friend. They might surprise you by telling you they think what you’re doing is good. A friend might even decide to quit with you.
Going to parties, bars and other places where people smoke is also a trap. Try doing other things for a few weeks while you’re quitting. At work, take a walk instead of a coffee break. Any place that does not allow smoking is a good place for you!
Change Your Thinking
Use positive thinking to get pumped about quitting.
Instead of thinking: I’ll never be able to quit.
Think: I can do it if I take it one day at a time. I know it’s going to get easier if I just hang in there.
Instead of thinking: I love sitting around with a cigarette and coffee at break time. I can’t give it up.
Think: I’ll get my break time friends to go for a walk with me. They’ll help me if I tell them much I need their support.
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