Examples of strategies
Australian Quit line
Smoking is extremely addictive (and smokers generally know this to be the case). Many people who smoke find it very difficult to quit and will usually have multiple attempts and/or relapses before they finally stop. You may decide to quit because you are planning a pregnancy (or are already pregnant). Or you may be trying to support your partner by quitting, as well as preparing to have a 'smoke-free environment' for when your new baby arrives.
In most western countries (Australia included), smoking rates tend to be about 20% to 30% of the population. In Australia, about 25% of pregnant women smoke. It is believed that about 25% of these women will actually stop smoking before they have their first pregnancy visit with their caregiver. However, when comparing these 'spontaneous quitters' with the 75% of women who continue to smoke during their pregnancy, they usually:
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Will have smoked less before they were pregnant. |
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Had stopped smoking for some period of time in the past, before the pregnancy. |
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Tend to have a non-smoking partner. |
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Have good support and encouragement when quitting. |
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Have stronger beliefs about the dangers of smoking. |
Most pregnant women who continue to smoke will feel guilty about their smoking habit, yet find it very difficult to give up. In many cases, they become 'closet smokers', to avoid the criticism of others (especially when their pregnancy becomes obvious). Some women will tell their pregnancy caregiver that they smoke. However, others do not, or will 'downplay' how many cigarettes they are smoking, depending on how understanding their caregiver is.