Quit Tips

• Nibble on low-calorie snacks like carrot sticks, celery and apples
• Chew Gum, especially cinnamon, which is a flavor that helps people quit
• Stretch out your meals. Eat slowly and pause between bites. (when you quit your sense of smelling and tasting improve)
• After dinner, instead of a cigarette, suck on a hard candy or sip a favorite beverage. A walk is especially wonderful.
• Take a deep breath during cravings, exhale slowly. Remember the desire to smoke will pass.
• Call the Quit line 1-800-784-8669
• Be prepared for difficult situations
  

Research

We have known for a long time that women that smoke have babies who weigh less at birth. Researchers have further identified why with the research that found smokers were more likely to develop endothelial dysfunction. This in turn can cause dilation of blood vessels, inflammation of the vascular wall, and blood clots. "Our work provides evidence that smoking has a direct and long-term deleterious effect on vascular function in pregnancy and thus provides evidence to why babies of smokers are growth restricted." said researcher Ann Quinton.
Published May 2008 issue of BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Medication, what will help?

I recently was visiting with a new mom who smokes. During her pregnancy she was able to cut down to 5-8 cigarettes a day, but she was not able to quit smoking. Now as a new mom it has been increasingly hard to keep her cigarette smoking down to the pregnancy level. That is the nature of nicotine addiction, there will be a physical craving for more and more nicotine which means smoking more cigarettes for the same feeling of well being. She really is motivated to quit but is worried about whether she will be able to. She isn't nursing so she is researching which nicotine treatment medication that will best support her efforts to quit. We discussed various medications and she decided to talk to her physician about Chantix or Wellbutrin. Have any of you used either of these medications and have you any recommendations, or experiences that would help her decide what to take?