How to quit smoking during pregnancy

I remember reading a post a couple of days ago from someone who wanted to stop smoking during a pregnancy.

I read an article on that and wanted to share what I read.

The article said that drinking a glass of milk or eating dairy products or eating fresh fruits and raw vegetables or drinking fresh fruit juice made the cigarettes taste bad and would help deter people from smoking.


I think if you made it a point to drink or eat some of these just before you smoke, it might help you make up your mind not to smoke at all.

Here's a recipe for a decoction that could help also. Take two teaspoons of coriander seeds in a glass or water. Boil the water with the seeds till it is reduced to half the quantity. strain it and drink this decoction when you crave a smoke, before you smoke. You could also use Ajwain seeds along with the coriander seeds.


Every time you feel like smoking, consciously take up another activity that occupies you physically and mentally like a craft or crochet or origami or knitting a complex pattern. Maybe if you get involved in doing something else, you won't need the cigarette.

I don't smoke, and didn't at any point in time, so I won't be able to give you first hand tips on what will help. But try all of this (its mostly from de-addiction articles) and tell me if anything works!


Good Luck!
Sonali.

Avoid during pregnancy

Since we are discussing pregnancy, I thought we'd discuss some of the "DON'Ts" during pregnancy. Apart from the foods to avoid, there are other thing which could be detrimental to your pregnancy or your baby.

1.Travelling by auto. I heard of a couple of people who lost their babies because they travelled by auto during their pregnancy. My Gynaec told me that because of the small wheel size of autos and because of the "wonderful" condition of our roads, travelling by auto during pregnancy can result in an abortion.

2. Running Up or Down steps. Despite all the hindi movies where pregnant heroines dance and prance around town and spring up and down steps, it is not advisable in real life. In real life, any sudden, jerky movements are not advised.

3.Sitting with your legs folded under you or crossing your legs while sitting in a chair: This may be an old wives tale or it may not be but I am putting it here and leaving it to your discretion whether or not to follow it. My Gran says that sitting in either of these positions causes the umbilical chord to loop itself around your baby. This could cause serious complications during the birthing process. Even in alternate healing techniques like Reiki and Su Jok, they say crossing your legs dis harmonizes your energy and is best avoided.

4.Lifting heavy weights: The way our bodies are balanced during pregnancy is precarious enough. Carrying weights puts harmful pressure on your baby and your own back.

5. Smoking, Drinking, Doing Drugs: I think the implications of these have been hammered in time and again. If you are sensible and smart, you won't do any of these while you are pregnant. But then again, not everyone is smart, right?

6.Watching / Reading Violent / Sad Films /books: When your emotions are on a roller coaster, your hormones respond to them. When you are happy and at peace, it is best for your baby. This is the ideal situation in which it will grow and develop best. Don't you want to give your baby the very best life has to offer? Start now.

This is all I can think of for the moment. I would greatly appreciate it if you would add anything that comes to your mind in relevance to this post. The more the brains, the more the information! Enjoy your pregnancy!

Foods to Avoid When Pregnant

Some foods are not good for you during pregnancy. For various reasons, they affect your foetus badly and your chances of carrying the pregnancy to term reduce greatly.

Here is a list of the things I was told to avoid.

Papaya: In India, traditionally, when a lady found out she was pregnant and did not want the child (pre-birth-control era and in rural areas), she would eat papaya. Nowadays it is said that the papaya seed has hormones that cause abortions in the early stages of pregnancy. The problem is that when you eat a papaya, some of the seeds are still forming and so are difficult to avoid ingesting along with the pulp. To simplify things, I just stayed FAR away from papayas the entire time that I was pregnant.

Sugar Cane Juice & Sugar Cane: Because of the way it is harvested and stored in India, sugar canes and their juice have a very high bacterial content. These bacteria can cause severe infections which can lead to termination of pregnancy.

Ajino Moto (MSG): Ajino Moto is a flavouring used by cooks to make chinese food taste better. It is usd by chefs in all restaurants, large and small quite indiscriminately. Ajino Moto or Mono Sodium Glutamate is a carcinogen (it causes cancer) and is just not good for human consumption. However, in the small quantities present in your Chinese food, it does not immediately harm and adult. The important thing to keep in mind, though is that a dose that is not lethal for an adult may well be so for a foetus. Even if it causes no immediate harm, it may cause long lasting damage that will surface only later. Why take a chance?

Pineapples: For some reason, this fruit tends to cause a lot of allergies and is best avoided in pregnancy.

Saunf / Dil: I don't know if this is an old wives' tale, but I was told to avoid saunf at all costs, as it was too heaty and not good for the baby especially its complexion.

Generally speaking, have foods that are cooling and avoid excess of heaty foods. Have plenty of fruit and vegetables. Keep your nutrition levels high. You don’t need a lot of fat in your diet. Eat healthy. Enjoy eating.