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QuitLine logo        Freedom is within reach.

 

SMOKING AND PREGNANCY

 

Its always smart to quit, but it's especially crucial if you're pregnant.

 

Research shows that cigarettes have adverse affects on virtually every part of your body.  If you're pregnant, toxic chemicals from smoking travel to your baby and can cause premature labor, birth defects and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

 

There are many resources to help you quit:

 

Make an appointment with your healthcare provider.  Your doctor can recommend medications that will help you through the process of quitting.

  • Call the Florida Tobacco Quit-For-Life Line.

  • Get support.  Tell your friends and family that you are going to quit smoking.  If they smoke, ask them not to smoke around you or to quit with you.

  • Clear the decks.  Get rid of the tings that remind you of smoking.  Throw away all cigarettes, lighters and ashtrays.

  • Dangle the financial carrot.  Give yourself a financial incentive to quit by putting the money you would have spent on tobacco products in a glass jar.  For pack-a-day smokers, this can be $1,500 a year or more?  Watch your savings - and you resolve - grow.

  • Make a plan and set a quit date.  Give yourself some time to prepare before launching into your quit attempt.  Make a list of all your reasons for quitting and put this list where you will see it often.  Think about reasons you smoke or chew, including routines that trigger tobacco use, and brainstorm how to change those routines and avoid cues that prompt you to light up or dip.  Mark your quit date on your calendar and get mentally prepared.

  • Keep busy on your quit day.  Change your routine.  Plan a full day with enjoyable activities.  Avoid alcohol because it can weaken your resolve.  At the end of the day, do something (other than smoking) to celebrate.

  • Replace cigarettes with alternatives like gum, cinnamon sticks, suckers, toothpicks or low-calorie snacks like carrots, celery and apple wedges.

  • Start an exercise program.  Taking a walk, doing aerobics and kickboxing or playing sports can take your mind off urges and remind you that quitting helps improve your lung capacity and overall health.

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