• Your growing baby needs oxygen just like you. • Every time you breathe, you give your baby all the
• When you smoke, your baby is getting
— Your baby’s heart will beat faster. — Your baby will cough and sputter. — Your baby will not develop as well because there will not
• When you smoke you will have a greater risk of:
— Vaginal bleeding. — Miscarriage. — Early delivery of your baby. — Low birth weight baby. — Your baby’s breathing will lapse (apnea). — Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). — Your baby dying in the 1st year of life. — Ectopic pregnancy.
• Smoke from other people’s cigarettes can also harm your baby.
— If anyone around you smokes, ask them to please smoke outside. — Request non-smoking areas in restaurants. — Avoid areas where there is smoke. — Babies and young children exposed to smoke tend to have:
- More breathing problems. - Increased respiratory infections. - Decreased lung function.
• After your baby is born, ask others to smoke outside away from the baby.
— Smoking during pregnancy can harm you and your baby. — It is best for both of you if you stop smoking during the early stages
— It is best if you quit smoking early in your pregnancy. You can lower the
pregnancy can still benefit you andyour baby.
— Even if you quit in the last month of
your pregnancy, you will increase theoxygen flow to your baby duringdelivery.
— Becoming smoke-free reduces health risks to your unborn baby. — It will benefit both of you after the birth. — Your health and your baby’s health are very important. — Every step you take to reduce or stop cigarette smoking around you leads
Here are some options to help you kick the habit:
• Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) gives the smoker nicotine without the
• There are things that replace nicotine. These include the nicotine patch,
• Nicotine is the number 1 reason people are unable to quit smoking. • NRT should not be used as the only treatment to stop smoking. • Programs like smoking cessation classes, together with NRT, can double
• Many doctors do not regularly suggest NRT. It may be used during
• Do not use any nicotine replacement products without checking with your doctor.
• Zyban is a prescription medication and should not be used
• The best smoking cessation classes include individual and group
counseling. When looking for a program, ask about the following:
— Is the class at least 20–30 minutes long?— Are there at least 4 — 7 sessions?— Will I attend classes for at least 2 weeks?— Is the leader certified to teach a smoking cessation class/group?
The American Cancer Society, American Lung Association, or local healthdepartment usually teach these classes in your community.
• Ask your health insurance company if they have their own programs. • Ask if they will cover the cost of other programs. • Refer to the Additional Resources section for contact information.
• The Nicotine Anonymous group is like Alcoholics Anonymous. • It has a 12-step program. • Find a local meeting near you. • Look in your local phone book or search www.nicotine-anonymous.org
on your computer for more information.
Here is a plan you can follow to quit smoking:MAKE A DECISION TO QUITThe most important 1st step — make a decision to quit.
• Have you ever tried to quit before? What worked? What did not work?• Ask your doctor for help. • Contact a smoking cessation clinic to talk about what is available to you. • Make a plan.
• Pick a date to quit and mark it on your calendar. • Make it a special day like your birthday or anniversary. • Pick your quit date today. Don’t wait. Don’t use excuses not to do it.
• Mark your quit date on your calendar. • Make a list of all your reasons you want to quit. • Tell friends and family that you are quitting. • Buy some sugarless gum, carrot sticks, and healthy snacks.
spouse, family member, orsupport group.
5 DAYS BEFORE THE QUITTING DATE ON YOUR CALENDAR
• Stop buying cartons of cigarettes. • Make an appointment with your dentist to have your teeth cleaned the day
4 DAYS BEFORE THE QUITTING DATE ON YOUR CALENDAR
• Pay attention to what time of day you smoke. • Think of why you smoke. • You may want to change what you do at this time of day. • Make a list of what you want to change when you quit. You can start now. • Think of new ways to relax. • Think of something you can hold instead of a cigarette.
3 DAYS BEFORE THE QUITTING DATE ON YOUR CALENDAR
• Make a list of what you can do with the extra money you will now have.
− You are not buying cigarettes anymore.
• Buy a small see-through bank so you can see how much money you
• People to call when you need help: support group, family, or friends.
2 DAYS BEFORE THE QUITTING DATE ON YOUR CALENDAR
• Wash your clothes to get rid of the smell of cigarette smoke.
1 DAY BEFORE THE QUITTING DATE ON YOUR CALENDAR
• Think of a reward to give yourself after you quit. • Have your teeth cleaned. • At the end of the day, throw away all cigarettes and matches. Put away
• Keep busy all day. • Drink lots of water. • When you drink alcohol, coffee, and other drinks, do you want to smoke a
cigarette? Don’t drink these drinks now.
• Change the way you usually do things so you won’t think about smoking. • Call a friend who supports you in quitting. • Play with a pencil or rubber band if you miss
• If you need something in your mouth, try a
toothpick, straw, veggie stick, or healthysnack.
• Be happy and think about good things. • Take deep breaths to relax. • Brush your teeth frequently. • Put $3 to $4 in your see-through bank every day. • Celebrate this special day by doing something for yourself!
• Congratulate yourself!• Watch your savings grow and feel your health improve.
• Drink lots of water. • Limit coffee or soft drinks. They can make you want to have a cigarette. • Don’t eat sweets or fatty foods.
− Eat low-calorie foods or snacks like carrots, celery, and other vegetables;
sugarless gum, sugar-free mints, air-popped popcorn, low-fat cottagecheese or low-fat yogurt.
− Join an exercise group. This is healthy and gives you a new activity.
− Go to sleep earlier and get more rest.
• Change your old habits. Do something that is not related to smoking.
− Take a walk. − Drink a glass of water. − Take a deep breath. − Get busy with a new task. − Call someone who supports you.
− Take a different route to work. − Eat breakfast in a different place. − Take a walk after you eat. − Get up from the table right after eating.
− Take a warm bath or shower, read a book, or exercise.
• Tell yourself every day why you are quitting. • Don’t go to places that make you think of smoking. • Make a plan to relax. • Listen to relaxing music. • Watch a funny movie. • If you have a problem, come back to it later. • Ask your family, friends, and support group for help. • Don’t drink alcohol.
• Have you ever asked yourself why it is so hard to quit smoking?
− When we smoke, we become addicted to nicotine.
• You may feel some of the symptoms of withdrawal when you quit:
• The American Cancer Society suggests that you use the “4 As” when you
are tempted to have just one puff or to have just one more cigarette.
Stay away from the places where you are tempted
Take a different route to work; take a quick walk.
Eat a quick snack or chew some sugarless gum.
Exercise or start a new hobby. Distract yourself
• Get plenty of rest. • Eat a good diet of whole grains, fresh fruits, and vegetables. • Don’t drink caffeine. • Go places that do not allow smoking. • Keep a journal or diary.
Maintain Your New Healthy Habit of Not Smoking
• The final step in your plan is to STAY OFF CIGARETTES. • The American Heart Association wants you to know:
— 20 minutes after quitting your blood pressure drops back to normal. — 8 hours after you quit the carbon monoxide (poison) in your blood
— 24 hours after you quit, the chances of a heart attack decrease— 2 weeks to 3 months after quitting, your circulation improves and your
— 1 year after you quit smoking, your risk of coronary heart disease is half
Other ResourcesContact these organizations for more information on how to quit smoking:
American Heart Association www.americanheart.org 1-800-AHA-USA1 American Cancer Society www.cancer.org 1-800-227-2345 American Lung Association www.lungusa.org 1-800-586-4872 Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) www.cdc.gov
• It is not easy to quit smoking. Keep trying.
— If you will not quit, try to smoke as little as possible.
— Change to a light brand cigarette. — Smoke half a cigarette rather than a whole one (do not relight
— Limit the number of cigarettes per day. — Don’t have any more available.
Pregnancy is a great time to make healthy changes in your life. There are many types of programs available to help you stop smoking. Remember to reward yourself every day for cutting down and quitting smoking. You deserve it!
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