If there are other smokers in the home or the smell of smoke is a constant reminder of smoking, it will be harder to quit the habit.
- Eliminate smoke from the home. If there are other smokers in the home or the smell of smoke is a constant reminder of smoking, it will be harder to quit the habit.
- Be firm with your choice to quit. By establishing a date to quit and sticking with that date, you will be prepared when the time comes to throw away the tobacco.
- Take baby steps. No one says you have to quit smoking cold turkey. Start out by eliminating the morning cigarette and then the one after meals. Soon there will be more time in the day and less time spent smoking.
- Thinking is the first step. Even thinking about quitting smoking before pregnancy is a step on the road to becoming a past smoker. No one ever stopped smoking without first thinking about it.
- Keep a strong support system. There are people in your life that you love but offer very little support and there are people who are strong supporters. Surrounding yourself with the strongest supporters is the best choice when quitting smoking.
- A slip and fall is okay, just get back up. If you find yourself on day three smoking a cigarette first thing in the morning, this is not a failure. You can get right back on the track by eliminating the cigarettes for the remaining part of the day.
- Understand smoking is an addiction. There are chemicals in cigarette smoke that are addictive. These chemicals are what the body needs when you crave a cigarette. Anti-smoking aids can help to nix these cravings.
- Go outside of the home for support. If there is a local AA meeting or addiction meeting, stop in and listen to the speakers from time to time. These people are on the same recovery path as you are with cigarette smoking.
- Don't believe the myths. There are many circulating myths about cigarette smoking including the thought that cigarettes do not affect the fetus. These are all untrue and as a woman who wants to have a child, they need to be left behind in favor of facts.
- Replace the cigarette smoking with another habit. Getting fit before getting pregnant is a great choice. Instead of just leaving smoking behind, try replacing that cigarette with a new habit like exercising. If you are not up for exercise, any healthy activity can be used as a replacement. Some fun activities could include crafting, scrapbooking or cooking.
- Learn the physical effects. Babies born to mothers who smoke often weigh less. But, there are other effects on the body like vasoconstriction. Vasoconstriction is the constriction of the blood vessels. These vessels are the ones that help the baby to receive nourishment during gestation.
- Keep trying. If you have tried over and over again to quit smoking, there is no reason to stop trying. At some point, the stars will all be in alignment and the mood just right to move from being a smoker to being a previous smoker.