If you’re coping with infertility or want to get pregnant, you have to give up cigarettes. Here are five ways to quit smoking when you’re TTC (trying to conceive), ranging from visualization to NicoDerm.
Before the tips, a quip:
“I used to smoke two packs a day and I just hate being a nonsmoker,” said Michelle Pfeiffer. “But, I will never consider myself a nonsmoker because I always find smokers the most interesting people at the table.”
You may always be a smoker at heart – just not in action. For help quitting smoking, click on the NicoDerm patches (they worked for my brother in law!). And, read on for five ways to quit smoking when you’re trying to conceive a baby…
5 Ways to Quit Smoking When You’re TTC (Trying to Conceive)
1. Expect the worst. Withdrawal symptoms include anxiety, irritability, trouble sleeping or focusing, depression, or headaches. But – these symptoms of quitting smoking will ease up after five weeks, so hang in there. These ways to deal with depression will help improve your mood.
2. Consider nicotine replacement therapies. You don’t need a doctor’s prescription for NicoDerm patch; it provides a stream of nicotine to reduce the withdrawal effects of quitting smoking. If you’re tried NicoDerm and it didn’t work, your doctor can recommend a different nicotine patch, gum, or lozenge – or even prescribe a medication.
3. Quit one thing at a time. An effective way to quit smoking when you’re trying to conceive is to focus on giving up cigarettes alone. Don’t try to lose weight or increase your fitness levels at the same time as you’re trying to quit, or you’ll feel overwhelmed and more likely to fail.
4. Rub your belly. If you’re quitting smoking because you’re trying to conceive, visualize your baby or pregnancy. When the worst cravings hit, rub your belly or your back. Picture your tiny baby in your womb – or your healthy pink infant in your arms. If visualization interests you, read 5 Tips for Creating a Visualization Board for Fertility.
5. Consider alternative therapies to quit smoking. Acupuncture, hypnosis, aromatherapy, and meditation can help you give up cigarettes when you’re trying to get pregnant. These complementary or alternative therapies may help you stop the cravings and deal with withdrawal symptoms. These tips for improving the success of acupuncture may improve your chances of success if you’re thinking about acupuncture for quitting smoking or fertility.
If you have any questions about quitting smoking with you’re trying to conceive – or tips to help smokers quit! – please comment below…and, let me know if you’d like more tips for quitting smoking. I can dig ‘em up for you. 
~ Resources for Getting Pregnant & Fertility ~
If you're trying to conceive a baby, learn about getting pregnant easily and naturally.
Are you or your partner coping with low fertility levels? Try FertilAid for Women or FertilAid for Men.
And don't forget about vitamins and minerals, which are essential to a healthy pregnancy! Make sure you're taking the right Pregnancy Plus Prenatal Vitamins.
Great post. Ived learned so much from you..thanks
As a smoker I am finding that I am addicted to the act of smoking as much as I am the smoke itself. I crave picking something up, putting it in my mouth, stomping it out. I need to have something to do with my hands and I find myself using cigarettes as “thinking” aids.
I am hoping that the newest product out will help me with this. They are called vaporizers, have you heard of them? I am going to try them and even wrote a post about them. if you are as addicted to the act of smoking as I am they my help.
I have also started a simple program to help save other lives by helping buy and distribute vaporizers to other smokers that need or want to quit. People on oxygen that still smoke are d-a-n-g-e-r-o-u-s and vaporizers can stop or at least greatly reduce people blowing themselves up while on oxygen.
Hi Richard,
Interesting — I haven’t heard of vaporizers to help people try to quit smoking! But if it works for women who are trying to conceive, then I’m all for it
Good luck — I hope you help alot of people quit.
Laurie