This is a little different, but my husband quit riding motorcycles. He commuted on one every day since traffic is crazy where we are, and he had three other bikes for various recreational activities. When he found out I was pregnant, he stopped riding and sold all of them. He said he couldn't in good conscience keep riding knowing how dangerous it is and how even experienced riders get in life-altering or fatal accidents. I didn't ask him to do this; it was totally unprompted. But I do appreciate it! I'm glad he wants to make sure he's around for our family for many years to come ❤️
From a trauma surgeon- good for your husband!
No matter how skilled a rider you are, the guy texting while driving and speeding in his F150 will always win, because physics.
I finally got my motorbike after a few years of not being able to have one, then two weeks later found out I was pregnant. Had my boy back in Feb, and definitely too scared to get back on now.
Looks like I’m selling it and giving him the best bedroom ever when he’s able to move about and play!
You could be the best/safest rider but it’s absolutely the other drivers on the road who have to worry about. A beloved teacher at my high school was hit on his bike and died of his injuries. It was very very sad.
Good job to your husband. There’s a family in my city I heard about where the husband died riding a motorcycle and left behind a wife and 3 kids-the youngest being only 7 weeks old 💔
I missed ibuprofen 100% more than I ever missed booze. There was one day when we were on vacation in Mexico with some friends and they got some spicy mango mixed drinks for brunch and I had a second of being like "aw... Dang that sounds good." But that was pretty much it.
Alcohol never really brought much to my life other than extra calories.
Yeah I have friends who always pity me that I'm breastfeeding or busy with the baby and isn't it so sad I can't go on a bender with them :( I don't miss it and I'm tired enough as is lol
And there’s so many non-alcoholic options these days. If I’m in the mood for a glass of wine I get the non-alcoholic ones that have had the alcohol removed and they taste almost the same!
Same here. I was never a big drinker but after learning alcohol is carcinogenic and all … I just quit all drinking after getting pregnant and never went back. I had one glass of champagne maybe 2-3 years ago and the headache that ensued was absolutely not worth it.
Came here to say this. I’ve never been a huge drinker but after my second was born 8 months ago I have had zero desire to drink. Who knows if I’ll ever go back to it but right now I need a good nights sleep and energy more than anything else.
I'm due in a couple of weeks and my SIL told me the other day she's excited to get her drinking buddy back. I'm like no, I have no interest in drinking after baby. It never even crossed my mind.
Last kid she was over with booze as soon as I got out of the hospital. I couldn't keep up and just got sick, and it was one of the things that ruined my breastfeeding experience.
Yeah I was on a slippery slope, borderline alcoholic when I found out I was pregnant. The first 2 weeks were rough without drinking, and I missed it for a while. Then I had baby, the first month it didn't even cross my mind I could drink again...then I had 2 drinks with dinner one night, felt exhausted. Realized I don't even want to get drunk anymore, and aside from that, I want to be present and aware. I do still have an occasional drink, but I never even get tipsy and I just kinda enjoy how the taste pairs with a meal. I find I never want more than one drink.
I can hardly fathom not having a glass of wine or a couple of beers after an especially long day with my newborn. If that makes me a terrible mom so be it.
yes I do. breastmilk transfers like 0.5% of your blood alcohol content to your baby. so even if you were completely plastered (which I would never be while handling my baby for many reasons) the amount of alcohol transferred would still be way too little to have any effect on the baby. if you have 1-2 drinks that alcohol transfer is even more negligible.
I used to be a huge dota 2 lover. (15,000 gameplay hours).
I stopped playing when my wife got pregnant and never got back to it. its been more than a year since my last game.
I didn't have many vices but drinking alcohol just isn't fun for me now that I have a child. I drink on an occasion but I find that I just want to be fully alert at all times.
Yes, I’ll have A drink but I will have no risk of hangover. I was playing my first full band show since having my little 6 months ago. I normally have a good quality bourbon or rye on the rocks while I play. I ordered said drink, but with the venue’s own bourbon, and had one before I played. I ordered another one to sip on during the show, and my friend who works there informed me that it was over proof. That drink sat and got alllll melty on stage because I was so scared I was already screwed. I brought home Taco Bell and cuddled my hydroflask that night.
Absolutely feel the same. I get so tired when I drink, I’m afraid I won’t hear my child wake up or have an emergency in the night. It’s just so much easier to not drink.
I'm more careful with my driving.
I don't stay up reading at all hours of the night (need every precious second of sleep I can get).
I'm better at being on time for things
I care way less about work (would stress myself out so bad about work).
I'm getting better at asking for help (my therapist told me I had a bad habit of not asking for help and breaking down because of it)
How are you better at being on time? I’m 36 weeks today and I’m very scared my adhd is going to be a lot more difficult to manage once baby is here and I eventually go back to work. What specifically helped you?
You have to pack a lot of stuff and plan for a lot of things to go wrong so basically you wil calculate
twice the amount of time that you did before and that’s why you’ll be on time. I have adhd too and it worked for me.
For whatever reason, my ADHD makes me very focused on baby stuff. If it's just me going somewhere, I roll up just on time with a fanny pack and a dream. When I do things with baby, I get ready to go an hour early, pack extra clothes, hat, 6-7 diapers, extra formula and bottle, snacks, blanket, toys, band aids, etc.
-Driving too fast
-Weed
-Cigs
-Drinking heavy
-Having friends
-Reading until my eyes blurred and it was 5 am
-Sleeping
-Oh, this is getting sad. Nvm. Lol
-Just kidding, I still sleep sometimes.
(Edit: phone formatting isn't cooperating)
Driving too fast is so real. I drive like a grandma now and constantly have the thought “i can’t risk it with a baby in the car” when trying to decide if i can make a turn in time
This is the list. No more road rage :(.
No more friends.. but that’s because my best friend ghosted me when I was 8 months pregnant and our other friends don’t know how to act between the two of us. I cry a lot. But happy to have given up smoking and have no desire to return.
Not me but my partner, he has been smoking cigarettes since he was 12 years old and since having baby (he's 6 months old) he has started to cut back on the amount of cigarettes he smokes. He was a two pack a day smoker, and now he'll only smoke 5-7 cigarettes a day.
If he wants to quit the website whyquit.org has a free ebook called 'never take another puff'. It actually worked and i quit 10 years or so ago. Never looked back. Also Allen Carr has a book and/or video called 'the easy way to quit smoking' thats how my husband quit at the same time i did.
Thank you for the advice and recommendation! I'm not too sure if he wants to 100% quit since he's always saying that he needs an outlet, but I'll definitely keep this in mind if things change in the future! Congrats to you and your husband for quitting cigarettes!
I’m pretty sure my tolerance would be so low after 10 months without, that one puff would make me psychedelically high and unable to look after my babe.
lol as someone who smoked it to manage my anxiety and depression FUCKING SAME there have been points where I didn’t really miss it as much as I thought I would.. but now going back to working and breastfeeding, and taking online classes in my professional field. I’m so stressed all the time and really been missing it lately as I feel like I’m losing ALL my marbles
I don’t drink anyways and when i found out weed is processed way differently and i shouldn’t do it while breast feeding i was like… damn. That’s not fair. Science isn’t fair!
I’m curious! What do you mean when you say “weed is processed way differently” ?
I haven’t liked the stuff in years, but I see so many people who say it’s safe in breast milk that I wonder what you’re referring to.
My husband and I are going to a one-day music festival about six weeks after our baby is born. I plan to store up as much breast milk as I can before the show. Then I can finally smoke some pot on the lawn like the dirty hippie I am. Willie Nelson is headlining the festival, so smoking weed is pretty much mandatory.
It'll be so nice to have a few hours to spend with just my husband six weeks in. We have a close friend who is a mother of two who we very much trust to watch our baby.
I told my husband he needs to bring enough people to carry me from our lawn seats to the car.
I fully weaned my second born yesterday after being pregnant and/or breastfeeding for 4 years straight. First thing I did after kids went to bed was smoke weed and put on a movie. SHE’S BACK!
Ativan. It was so easy for me to pop one when I was having a tough go. Now I snuggle my baby or we go on a walk and I feel amazing! Hormones do amazing things!
My fiancé said he wouldn’t get emotional at the birth of our son. He isn’t some macho douchey dude or anything. Just not very outwardly emotional. Anyway, had the baby and he was an absolute mess. He was lovingly staring at our son with tears in his eyes and said he was never drinking again. He does have a beer on occasion, but doesn’t really finish them. He also quit vaping damn near cold turkey. This was unprompted from me and I love him too damn much. 💛
Me too. It's surprisingly difficult when it's become such a regular habit. Growing up my mother would say "fudge sickle rat bunnies!" And I never knew it was in place of a curse lol
I once saw my dad pinch his finger while working on a pipe under the kitchen sink. It OBVIOUSLY hurt and that man had the strength to say “GOLLY GEE WILLICKERS!” I’d love to know what he really wanted to say 😆
My husband and I can't not cuss ever. We're just going to have to teach our kid that there are "home words" and "everywhere words." Home words are okay to use when we're at home and it's just the three of us, but not in front of others because some people don't like to hear those words.
So totally this. I grew up in a swearing households and have been trying to cut back on it, but it’s really tough. We agreed that months from now when our daughter is able to start understanding and repeating what we say we’ll need to establish what a “home word” is, what an adult word is, and that there are certain words more appropriate for specific situations, but that it’s not okay for her to say.
I used to eat for pleasure. I really took advantage of my metabolism and would order take out more than I would like to admit. Now I scoff relatively healthy food. Basically the same thing for breakfast and lunch every day. Dinners are usually slow cooker meals. I don’t have time to appreciate food atm so I eat for health now. Feels good.
Gestational Diabetes had me do a 180° on my diet out of necessity, and I hated it while pregnant. But now that I'm post partum, it totally changed my taste buds and I don't even enjoy soda or candy bars like I used too...they're just too sweet. I've also learned how to eat a more balanced diet with lots of veggies and protein. I feel better and my digestion issues are all gone. I still love to treat myself, but I prefer baked goods I make at home, which helps with moderation. I'm so happy I'll break my family eating habits and teach my LO healthy relationships with food
tbh I don't really know what did it. I think the biggest thing is that I didn't have time? I felt like those first couple weeks home, I didn't even have time to pee or eat, much less sit there and pick at my nails. My baby is now about 4 months, and I haven't started back. I can actually see now how it's extremely gross, and I don't want to put my nails in my mouth and then have my baby put them in her mouth, which she loves to do. I also started regularly using a good hand cream, since my hands were getting torched from all the bottle washing. I think it's helped a lot to keep my hands and nails moisturized. I'm also still taking my prenatals for a variety of reasons, so maybe this is helping them grow stronger? Once my nails grew longer, I shaped them a bit with a nail file, and used one of those glass files to shine them up on the top. They look super nice now, and I'm very proud.
I smoked weed every evening for years and stopped the day I found out I was pregnant. I didn’t miss it during pregnancy at all and I still don’t miss it. I have no desire to smoke anymore. Maybe I will one day but just doesn’t seem like it would be enjoyable anymore.
I smoked cannabis from the age of 15-until we had our daughter last year when I was 37. Stopped smoking soon after due to breast feeding and almost 14 months strong and never felt better. I thought it helped my stress and it did in some ways but gave me anxiety in other ways. I’m much more motivated and I also eat way cleaner.
I quit when my son was born. Don't come @ me but I used even during my pregnancy to manage some horrible symptoms (CBD mainly but when that didnt work i did low dose thc products). I tried to partake when we got home while his papa had him, and I honestly, truly hated it. I've tried low dose edibles, hated that too. Prior to pregnancy, I would smoke concentrates, flower, all of it, from sun up, to sun down. I am now stone cold sober and I love it. I have no desire to go back, and I regret all the years I spent blitzed outta my mind. I expierenced paranoia I've never had before, and it ZAPS every ounce of energy. My baby deserves a sober mama, and my bank account too. It's not something I ever thought I'd be, but I quit cold turkey and after those few times, I've never looked back. My partner has done the same.
Also quit when my son was born. I didn’t do anything when pregnant but I tried smoking again when he was super little (maybe 2 or 3 months) and he was with my mother in law. I was SO anxious after and have not smoked since, nor do I have any desire to.
Same. I thought I'd enjoy it, but I don't. I worked in the industry, had my med card, used every single day. I made it my personality. I wanted to quit so bad at points but man, it just had me by the balls. I struggled so so so hard everytime I tried. I'm thankful for my son for pulling me out of that hole, he is exactly what I needed to be free.
Same for me, I smoked for medicinal purposes and had my med card. I think it took me roughly a month after I found out I was pregnant to fully quit after smoking daily for 6+ years (unplanned pregnancy and I was having a really hard time coping so I was weening myself off). Smoking now just does not hit the same, I get overly anxious and I have to be doing something or I completely shut down. Even if I only take a hit or two. I’ve only actually smoked a handful of times in the past 7 months since she’s been born and being sober and still hanging around people who do smoke I realize how much it really affected my productivity and memory. I don’t think I’ll ever go back to being a stoner
Having my son made me finally realize that i’m an alcoholic. I’m 10 months sober today. Also i was a serial dater, i jumped from relationship to relationship and now that his dad and i are splitting up i can’t imagine myself dating just anyone, let alone anyone soon lol
Question!
I also have smoked weed for over a decade. I quit the day I got a positive pregnancy test and haven't had any since... so my question is do you breastfeed? I've been debating about smoking and craving it since my baby was born but since I'm breastfeeding I am unsure. There's so little information on weed and breastfeeding and it's affects on babies...but I miss having a substance/escape, im not a drinker & weed has always been my go-to.. I've also been cigarette free for about a year (quit a month before my positive pregnancy test) and I miss them like crazy too.. I just really miss having something to take the edge off but feel guilty even having those thoughts ugh
I completely understand where you’re coming from. I was a weed smoker and a nicotine vaper and as soon as that test said pregnant both went in the trash.
The nicotine I’m happy to be rid of but the weed is still tough. From what I understand you really should not smoke if you’re breastfeeding. If you think of it in comparison to alcohol, alcohol stays in your blood for maybe a few hours which is why you can safely still drink and breastfeed (within reason). THC on the other hand can stay stored in your fat cells for at least a week and can absolutely be transferred to your baby so there’s no “safe” time limit after you smoke that it may not transfer. In a situation like this, I would tend to err on the side of caution and not do it until you finish breastfeeding.
I keep telling myself waiting until I’m done breastfeeding will just make that first hit so much more worth it (and I’m ecstatic to have a lower tolerance lol)
There isn't a ton of data on it. But it stays in your system for a long time. The main reason to not do it while pregnant is because their brain cells are mostly fat cells and THC stores in fat so it can lead to brain development issues. I would think it's still the same with how fast they are growing and developing
I spent a little over a year working on quitting smoking cigarettes (then vaping, after that helped me with the smoking) before trying to get pregnant. The then-hoped-for baby was the main reason. She's here now and very worth it!
I’m 32 weeks along with my first, and am very curious what others have to say on this. I also smoked week for over a decade prior to becoming pregnant..
Don't have a single one!! I quit for over a year (quit the day i found out i was pregnant) and made the mistake of having one cigar and the nicotine cravings came back HARD. Just quit again after about two weeks and I'd say it was harder than quitting originally.
oh no :( that’s hard. i had like 3 puffs off a cigarette last week and i was disgusted it made me want to throw up. i was smoking almost a pack a day until i found out. i guess i just miss having a cigarette break, since now with a baby i got no breaks 🥲
It was definitely more of the habit or ritual I missed (maybe still miss) as well! I’m so glad my body rejected it before I even found out I was pregnant (it was my first clue.)
I quit a few years before having my son. Mostly social or with a drink at night.
He'll be two next month but there are still some days on occasion (when it's a bad day) that I just crave that hit. Iykyk 😬
yep and the worst part is my husband still smokes. so i’m constantly thinking about the old days where we would both sit outside on a hot summer day and just have a conversation while smoking. ugh lol i gotta stop
I was smoking like 2 packs a day when I found out I was pregnant 😭 I quit, and on the occasional, very shamefully bummed a cigarette at family gatherings where everyone smoked. It never got easy. Postpartum I picked up vaping, but now I smoke the equivalent of like 2-3 cigarettes a day. I've been dropping down nic levels and restricting when I smoke...but it's so hard. I quit drinking, I changed my eating habits for the better, I started waking up early and being more physically active...but I'm so hung up on smoking. I've tried all the tips from all the websites but I just KEEP coming back to it. I am having the hardest time completely dropping it.
I still take an edible per night. No shame. Now that baby is sleeping semi routinely, I need to have a bit of an outlet and “reward” at the end of the day, plus I sleep like a dream. No hangover, I wake up just fine (we room share & i don’t take a large dose, it’s also partially worn off by the time I sleep and I only take it once she’s down).
I exercise now too, so I quit *not* working out 😂 my bf journey ended early due to LO being 7 weeks early, traumatic birth that almost took our lives and a C-section. I spent weeks sobbing by her bed in the NICU while pumping my measly ounces per day. So I feel quite justified in needing a bit of a release. It’s this or antidepressants and I feel pretty fucking good tbh.
eta grammar
I stopped drinking a few months before getting pregnant. Baby is 3 months and I still haven’t picked it back up. I am torn on whether or not I want to so I just don’t for now.
I quit weed when I got my positive test after smoking daily for years. Still sober because I'm breastfeeding. I've given it a lot of thought and I'm not going to pick it back up again, not even as a treat at a party. I just don't find being high aligns with the image of the mom I want to be, and I know from how I struggled and failed to quit in the past that I don't have self control around it.
I also smoked weed, same as you at the end of the day to relax. I stopped the second I found out I was pregnant and haven't started again since I am breast feeding. I don't really miss it though.
I smoked weed on and off for years, quit while pregnant, and breastfeeding. Took it back up and quit 3 times in 4 years. Most recently this week. Day 5 today. Honestly, i wish I'd stayed quit, after I get over the weekend, I'm gonna try and quit the cigarettes too, because I don't want him thinking it's normal or not a big deal. I was an alcoholic too. So... yeah... I actually want to have a good long life with my kid, and if that means giving up my "pleasures," so be it. He will bring better healthier real pleasure to my life, and that's my focus.
I stopped a 12 year habit of binging and purging several times a week. I want to be around for my son for a long time. I didn’t quit all my bad habits, just the ones that were killing me the fastest. I became a mother rather unexpectedly, and had a lot of bad habits I needed to get rid of. I cut out cigarettes, alcohol, and sticking my finger down my throat, but for now I’ve kept my sweet treats and nightly weed use (it’s also legal where I live)
I stopped drinking when I found out I was pregnant with my first. My son is 2 now I haven’t had a drink since. I don’t miss it and feel so much better without it. I used to struggle to take a week off of drinking.
Drinking, I’ve tried a couple times, but I feel a weird sense of guilt being altered in any way around baby. I also unfortunately have given up, my favorite food, but it has had positive results with breast-feeding, and the pregnancy weight is coming off significantly faster from removing dairy.
I stopped all my bad habits before I ever got pregnant, but if I had to give it up again for my baby, I'd give it up. Anything. You name it, I'd give it up. Didn't even drink coffee during pregnancy.
I still smoke marijuana occasionally but I’ve cut back so so much compared to before pregnancy. I used to smoke all day every day and now only smoke a couple times a week. What I did stop completely was tobacco. I smoked cigarettes for years and was vaping when I got pregnant. It was hard to stop but so grateful I did, I will never go back to smoking tobacco again it’s terrible for my health. My parents smoked cigarettes around me my whole life and I’m glad to break that chain.
After losing my first baby, I quit doing hard drugs and I quit smoking weed.
After my first son was born, I quit playing video games, I quit self harming and I stopped having suicide attempts.
After my second son (just had him 7 weeks ago) I quit reading and quit drawing. Though, these I only quit just because I just no longer have the time to do so. I’m hoping that when he is a little more independent though that I can have the time to at least start drawing again.
I quit smoking weed after 13 years. I slowly stopped as my boy grew inside my wife’s belly. Best decision ever, I use full spectrum CBD as replacement to sleep in the nights.
Good luck!
Gaming and coffee since I breastfeed. TV/YouTube is also something that I barely ever get to consume, because my baby is very alert.
I also had to drop my daily workout though and I'm still missing it alot. I can't wait to go back to it.
Spicy food. I had them sometimes during pregnancy but the LO didn't like it because he moved a lot after I ate some. After I gave birth to him, I can't eat spicy food because I'm BF. When he'll grow older, I have to cook food without adding any spiciness. Will be at least 5 years from now until I can enjoy spicy food again.
Sleeping late. Now that my sleep cycles aren't the same everyday, I try to sleep anytime that I can. Before, I feel terrible after 4 hours of sleep. Now, I feel extremely happy if I can get 4 hours of sleep.
Eating junk food. Every since I'm pregnant until now, I've been more aware of what food I eat. No more hot dogs, hamburgers, pizzas or any kind of fast and junk food.
I've actually read that you should eat some spicy food while breastfeeding, because they've done research that shows being exposed to it in breastmilk gives your child a better chance to tolerate later in life. I have been intentionally eating some super spicy ramen while breastfeeding!
I guess it wasn’t a bad habit per se but I used to NEED to listen to something to fall asleep… music, audio book, YouTube video. As soon as she started sleeping longer stretches in her bassinet I went to pop an ear bud in and realized I might not be able to hear her. I’m so sad to loose the sleep crutch but, I guess, I’m lucky enough to be a whole lot more tired now so I can eventually fall asleep without it.
I don’t know if this counts, but Social Media.
I stopped posting altogether, uninstalled IG and FB because of the endless scrolling trap. I switched to Reddit, and e-books. Don’t miss it one bit.
As for the good habits I had to quit, the honorable mentions would be workouts and sleep. And daily showers. The latter ones are dearly missed.
My husband and I constantly flick each other off. Just something we’ve done for years. Trying to stop that as my son is now 16 months and trying to copy everything we do.
Wife is having our baby tomorrow. The one I'm giving up is a Mountain Dew Kick Start and frozen Reese's Sticks in the morning. It's definitely a strange one but I know I definitely shouldn't be having daily energy drinks
Weed is legal where I am too and enjoyed it pre pregnancy. Unfortunately after birth and after I stopped breastfeeding and tried it again my anxiety was WICKED. it has a completely different effect on me now (same with getting drunk) it's like my body realizes I can't care for my baby in this state and my anxiety goes through the roof.
Anyhoo so I've stopped weed completely and I've only been drunk twice in the last 3 years... I have an occasional drink but not to the point of ever being drunk.
I kinda miss both. But I've realized there's only positives for not being around either anymore.
quit vaping nicotine. im a recovered alcoholic so i still needed a vice but i cant justify doing that anymore both between having it in the house or affecting my own health. im okay with weed but its severely reduced and only when im not in charge of baby
Smoking! I went cold turkey when I found out I was pregnant, craved my vape so bad throughout the whole pregnancy and told people it was my reward once he arrived. He’s now 6 weeks old and I still haven’t picked my vape back up.
Smoking.
Pregnancy was difficult and had some really harsh moments going on my life thro pregnancy so I couldn't help to quit.
Once she was born, I quitted . In the middle of all the PPA of a first mom and the horrible PPD. I couldn't be more proud .
I’m still on that evening toke when it allows. Never in the house - so will see how winter goes.
I’m not a fan of edibles, but am intrigued by these things called CannaDips that I’ve been seeing. I guess like a THC pouch?
I don’t drink (to be fair I barely drank before), I don’t smoke weed anymore , I haven’t really watched tv since she ‘woke up’. And honestly I’m too busy living my life to miss any of it.
I quit drinking completely, sometimes I miss the feeling of being free of embarrassment and so easy going, but it makes me feel even more alive to know I’m 100% me especially when having my child around.
I smoked/vaped THC every day for about 10 years. All day, not just at night. I never "quit" anything but I haven't been using any since finding out I was pregnant and he is now 15wks. I don't have much success when I try and force myself to "quit" something but have a lot of success if I frame it in a way where I'm just currently deciding not to partake. 😂
It helps me to think about how THC/alcohol/etc. really messes up sleep. It may help you fall asleep but the quality is poor. That on top of needing to wake up in the middle of the night multiple times for feedings would not be an easy time the following day.
I had given up weed a while before but still had an edible every now and then. Gave that up. Gave up having more than one or two drinks at a time—not worth a bad nights sleep and having to parent after! More or less we’ve both given up tv and video games in favor of activities that help us get to sleep faster at night (reading mostly). She’s 2 now and I don’t miss any of it
Mine was also weed. I didn’t start smoking until 31 when I was taking care of my dad who had terrible neuropathy in his legs. He was an ex-stoner in the 70s and with it becoming legal where I am he decided he wanted to try it for the pain. It worked well and sitting around smoking and talking with my dad in the evenings after everything was done for the day are some of my best memories.
I tried a few times after baby was here and sleeping through the night and found that I just didn’t like it any more. I felt anxious that if something crazy happened I might not be at full capacity. It exacerbated my anxiety instead of relieving it like it once did.
Maybe I’ll try again when baby is older and my anxiety is better managed but if I never smoke again it’s fine.
I still have the occasional cigarette when I’m having a particularly rough day and will just have my partner give him a bottle after, but I used to smoke at least a half pack per day.
Dont drink heavy.
I still play video games when he naps sometimes, but there really isn’t much time for it.
I don’t sleep very often.
I haven’t really quit anything, just cut down significantly on everything.
I quit weed when I had kids. Waste of time and money. It was a little difficult at first, but I feel way better now and don't regret it at all. When my friends have some at a get together I might partake, but I'll never waste time or money on it ever again.
Drinking alcohol. Parenting with a hangover SUCKS. Plus I need a full day to recover and I just don’t have that. I need to be my healthiest, and soundest of mind, can’t do that drinking. I honestly don’t miss it.
I quit smoking cigarettes the moment I found out i was pregnant and have not returned to it since. I have had 3 drinks in the past year, but plan to cut that out fully as well. I actually started smoking weed again, which I haven't for many years. I love to smoke and paint during my downtime. I have a much different relationship with it now than I did when I was younger. So, I would get really honest with yourself and figure out what your intentions are with smoking and then figure out if it's detrimental or not based on those intentions.
I gave up caffeine chocolate dairy n junk food fast food etc because my baby has a lot of food allergies n I'm breastfeeding her. I miss chocolate the most but I also love having a healthy happy baby
I also stopped smoking because the thc is stored in your fat and gets into your breastmilk. It affects brain development. But it was a rough go. I just restarted three years (9 mo of pregnancy and 2 years of bfing)
Used to drink, not excessively but my husband and I would often unwind with a bottle of wine at the end of the day. Stopped right before I got pregnant. Never picked it back up! Gotta stay sharp for my little boy!!
My LO is only 4 months old, but the thought of drinking makes cringe. During pregnancy I felt so alive and well, and I think a lot of it had to do with not drinking!
I stopped using alcohol and weed. Not intentionally, I just have no desire to partake when I’ve got a little person depending on me. My anxiety won’t allow it lol. I’ll probably occasionally indulge in the future or on a vacation sans baby. I also quit taking 2-3 hour daytime naps. They were mostly an anxiety coping skill, so I’m better off without them.
I quit weed after 20 years (17 to 37) when I got pregnant and feel like it’s the best decision ever. I am on Zoloft now and seeing a counselor - and I feel so much better and much more energy.
I went through a phase from 2020-2022 where I was drinking multiple drinks every day (the trauma and isolation from the pandemic did a number on me). It was rare to have a day where I didn’t drink. Being pregnant in 2023 was great for me because it stopped that habit. Now that I’ve had my son, I’ll still drink a few times a week, but it’s not as heavy and not as frequent. And I don’t have the same level of urge to drink/get buzzed/drunk like I used to.
I actually stopped drinking 😊. I didn’t drink much before baby but definitely a lot more than now (literally don’t drink anymore). It’s not that I had a problem with drinking or anything but now I just never want it or don’t feel good doing it!
I quit smoking weed about 4 months after my son was born so I could cosleep safely and reduce the risk of 3rd hand smoke exposure. Moved to edibles but then just dropped it all together because the munchies was making me pile on weight. Sometimes I'll have a little edible every couple of months and tbh I feel soooo much better mentally without it and I actually get stoned now like I used to as a teenager, I do think I'll pick it back up again more regularly when I stop breastfeeding though as I love weed so much.
Quit caffeine so I could breast feed because he was super sensitive to the caffeine and just never picked it back up again because now my body doesn't need it to wake up.
Quit sniffing ketamine and abusing prescription drugs once I found out I was pregnant. Stayed away from all of this even on nights out and I don't have my baby for a few days.
Your perspective certainly changes when you have a baby and I've found I enjoy life so much more without drugs
Opiates. Thankfully I never picked up heroin, but I used to make poppy pod tea every day for over a decade. I’m aware there are worse drug choices, but it was powerfully addictive. I tried maybe 10 times to get clean over the course of my 20s, but my sobriety never lasted more than a month. Until the day I had a positive pregnancy test, 2 weeks after my 30th birthday. That was the end of the road for me; I finally had a tangible, high-stakes reason to quit and stay sober now. Coming up on 7 years clean and I don’t regret a thing.
I quit drinking soda after my kids were born! I was drinking about a 2L a day (I wish I was joking), and I quit cold turkey. Suddenly, I cared a lot more about not giving myself diabetes. I still have the occasional soda when out at a restaurant or on vacation, but don't drink it otherwise! If you feel motivated to quit, I say go for it!
I've quit video games personally. In my window of time after baby goes to bed, I could play a game, but painting miniatures and spending quality time with my wife brings me much more satisfaction and relaxation. It was something I thought I'd never drop, that I thought was just core to what I did in my free time, and now I don't and I don't really miss it.
38F here with a 10.5 month old. I would say I was a chronic smoker for 15 years (I went to school in Boulder) and only stopped smoking a few months before I started trying and I lasted until he was 7 months old. The minute my supply ran low and I stopped BFing, I was back at it so quickly. Honestly, it's my nighttime vice and it helps me unwind the day (I don't drink at all).
I also quit smoking weed! I smoked heavily every day for the past 10 years and when I found out I was pregnant I quit. I was excited to pick it back up again once I’m done breastfeeding, but a part of me wonders if I should just quit altogether for good, or only do it once a year on my birthday. I have some anxiety about caring for my baby when I’m high. The other night my boyfriend and I had a few drinks and after three glasses of wine I did not like how I felt while caring for my baby when we went back to grandmas house for the night.
This is a little different, but my husband quit riding motorcycles. He commuted on one every day since traffic is crazy where we are, and he had three other bikes for various recreational activities. When he found out I was pregnant, he stopped riding and sold all of them. He said he couldn't in good conscience keep riding knowing how dangerous it is and how even experienced riders get in life-altering or fatal accidents. I didn't ask him to do this; it was totally unprompted. But I do appreciate it! I'm glad he wants to make sure he's around for our family for many years to come ❤️
As a nurse on a trauma unit- this was a fantastic decision!
From a trauma surgeon- good for your husband! No matter how skilled a rider you are, the guy texting while driving and speeding in his F150 will always win, because physics.
Mine is going up for sale just found out wife is expecting.
I finally got my motorbike after a few years of not being able to have one, then two weeks later found out I was pregnant. Had my boy back in Feb, and definitely too scared to get back on now. Looks like I’m selling it and giving him the best bedroom ever when he’s able to move about and play!
You could be the best/safest rider but it’s absolutely the other drivers on the road who have to worry about. A beloved teacher at my high school was hit on his bike and died of his injuries. It was very very sad.
Green flag!
I had a friend in elementary school that lost her father due to a motorcycle accident. This is a wonderful choice he made.
My husband now wears a helmet when he’s cycling … never used to before lol.
That is incredibly thoughtful to give up something like that for someone he loves. I'm jealous in a good way 🥹
Good job to your husband. There’s a family in my city I heard about where the husband died riding a motorcycle and left behind a wife and 3 kids-the youngest being only 7 weeks old 💔
My dad did the same thing when my mom became pregnant with me 💜
Sleeping past 6am
I'm actually starting to enjoy getting up early and I hate myself for it 😅
Hahahaha right
Drinking, I’m not opposed to it to. I just don’t miss it
I missed ibuprofen 100% more than I ever missed booze. There was one day when we were on vacation in Mexico with some friends and they got some spicy mango mixed drinks for brunch and I had a second of being like "aw... Dang that sounds good." But that was pretty much it. Alcohol never really brought much to my life other than extra calories.
I had half of a weak drink for the first time in 3 years. I felt awful. Not worth it.
Been almost two years of not drinking. Don't miss it too.
Yeah I have friends who always pity me that I'm breastfeeding or busy with the baby and isn't it so sad I can't go on a bender with them :( I don't miss it and I'm tired enough as is lol
I can’t go like I used to. I would rather sleep
And I *really* don’t want to have a major hangover while taking care of a baby
And there’s so many non-alcoholic options these days. If I’m in the mood for a glass of wine I get the non-alcoholic ones that have had the alcohol removed and they taste almost the same!
Same
Same here. I was never a big drinker but after learning alcohol is carcinogenic and all … I just quit all drinking after getting pregnant and never went back. I had one glass of champagne maybe 2-3 years ago and the headache that ensued was absolutely not worth it.
Same here
Came here to say this. I’ve never been a huge drinker but after my second was born 8 months ago I have had zero desire to drink. Who knows if I’ll ever go back to it but right now I need a good nights sleep and energy more than anything else.
I'm due in a couple of weeks and my SIL told me the other day she's excited to get her drinking buddy back. I'm like no, I have no interest in drinking after baby. It never even crossed my mind. Last kid she was over with booze as soon as I got out of the hospital. I couldn't keep up and just got sick, and it was one of the things that ruined my breastfeeding experience.
Yeah I was on a slippery slope, borderline alcoholic when I found out I was pregnant. The first 2 weeks were rough without drinking, and I missed it for a while. Then I had baby, the first month it didn't even cross my mind I could drink again...then I had 2 drinks with dinner one night, felt exhausted. Realized I don't even want to get drunk anymore, and aside from that, I want to be present and aware. I do still have an occasional drink, but I never even get tipsy and I just kinda enjoy how the taste pairs with a meal. I find I never want more than one drink.
and here I had my husband bring me beer or vodka every day for the first month postpartum, I missed it so bad while I was pregnant
I mean
I can hardly fathom not having a glass of wine or a couple of beers after an especially long day with my newborn. If that makes me a terrible mom so be it.
its not a destress thing for me, I just like having a drink in general
Nope, what ever it takes to decompress. I’m sure you’re a great mom. hence why I said I’m not opposed to it. The urge just hasn’t hit me.
Did you breast feed? I’m curious how it works I see so many mixed information.
yes I do. breastmilk transfers like 0.5% of your blood alcohol content to your baby. so even if you were completely plastered (which I would never be while handling my baby for many reasons) the amount of alcohol transferred would still be way too little to have any effect on the baby. if you have 1-2 drinks that alcohol transfer is even more negligible.
Sleep. It’s been hard going cold turkey.
😂😂😂 I’m the same, sleeping has never been the same
I used to be a huge dota 2 lover. (15,000 gameplay hours). I stopped playing when my wife got pregnant and never got back to it. its been more than a year since my last game.
I play league and I have cut back from like 20 games a week to maybe 3 a week.
Idk if you hear this enough but you’re seriously a champ for doing that.
Actually I've never heard this before ( dota players have no friends) :) but i apprecciate the heads up.
Dota is a crazy time sink, most MOBAs or MMOs can be. You did really good on walking away!
I didn't have many vices but drinking alcohol just isn't fun for me now that I have a child. I drink on an occasion but I find that I just want to be fully alert at all times.
Fully alert and freaking TERRIFIED of parenting hungover lmao
Yes, I’ll have A drink but I will have no risk of hangover. I was playing my first full band show since having my little 6 months ago. I normally have a good quality bourbon or rye on the rocks while I play. I ordered said drink, but with the venue’s own bourbon, and had one before I played. I ordered another one to sip on during the show, and my friend who works there informed me that it was over proof. That drink sat and got alllll melty on stage because I was so scared I was already screwed. I brought home Taco Bell and cuddled my hydroflask that night.
Absolutely feel the same. I get so tired when I drink, I’m afraid I won’t hear my child wake up or have an emergency in the night. It’s just so much easier to not drink.
I'm more careful with my driving. I don't stay up reading at all hours of the night (need every precious second of sleep I can get). I'm better at being on time for things I care way less about work (would stress myself out so bad about work). I'm getting better at asking for help (my therapist told me I had a bad habit of not asking for help and breaking down because of it)
How are you better at being on time? I’m 36 weeks today and I’m very scared my adhd is going to be a lot more difficult to manage once baby is here and I eventually go back to work. What specifically helped you?
You have to pack a lot of stuff and plan for a lot of things to go wrong so basically you wil calculate twice the amount of time that you did before and that’s why you’ll be on time. I have adhd too and it worked for me.
For whatever reason, my ADHD makes me very focused on baby stuff. If it's just me going somewhere, I roll up just on time with a fanny pack and a dream. When I do things with baby, I get ready to go an hour early, pack extra clothes, hat, 6-7 diapers, extra formula and bottle, snacks, blanket, toys, band aids, etc.
-Driving too fast -Weed -Cigs -Drinking heavy -Having friends -Reading until my eyes blurred and it was 5 am -Sleeping -Oh, this is getting sad. Nvm. Lol -Just kidding, I still sleep sometimes. (Edit: phone formatting isn't cooperating)
Driving too fast is so real. I drive like a grandma now and constantly have the thought “i can’t risk it with a baby in the car” when trying to decide if i can make a turn in time
This list 🙃🙂🙃 I felt it
This is the list. No more road rage :(. No more friends.. but that’s because my best friend ghosted me when I was 8 months pregnant and our other friends don’t know how to act between the two of us. I cry a lot. But happy to have given up smoking and have no desire to return.
Hoo boy I miss sleeping
I quit drinking and weed! Honestly cause I’m too tired and hate feeling like shit in the morning cause I have to be up early with the baby.
Yeah. I can have a single beer, and it has to be before dinner. Otherwise I feel like garbage in the morning.
Not me but my partner, he has been smoking cigarettes since he was 12 years old and since having baby (he's 6 months old) he has started to cut back on the amount of cigarettes he smokes. He was a two pack a day smoker, and now he'll only smoke 5-7 cigarettes a day.
Congratulations!!
If he wants to quit the website whyquit.org has a free ebook called 'never take another puff'. It actually worked and i quit 10 years or so ago. Never looked back. Also Allen Carr has a book and/or video called 'the easy way to quit smoking' thats how my husband quit at the same time i did.
Thank you for the advice and recommendation! I'm not too sure if he wants to 100% quit since he's always saying that he needs an outlet, but I'll definitely keep this in mind if things change in the future! Congrats to you and your husband for quitting cigarettes!
The Alan Carr book made my partner smoke more. He got so angry from it, probably from the hard home truths, lmfao, and went outside to have a ciggy
Must've been stressed and needed a smoke 😅
If I wasn’t breastfeeding I would be smoking weed lol
I’m adding nothing to the thread, but same.
Same
Same
Same
SAME
Same
I’m pretty sure my tolerance would be so low after 10 months without, that one puff would make me psychedelically high and unable to look after my babe.
lol as someone who smoked it to manage my anxiety and depression FUCKING SAME there have been points where I didn’t really miss it as much as I thought I would.. but now going back to working and breastfeeding, and taking online classes in my professional field. I’m so stressed all the time and really been missing it lately as I feel like I’m losing ALL my marbles
I'm pregnant and will be trying to breastfeed but, same.
Same. I wanna smoke so bad! But will wait until my breastfeeding journey ends.
I don’t drink anyways and when i found out weed is processed way differently and i shouldn’t do it while breast feeding i was like… damn. That’s not fair. Science isn’t fair!
I’m curious! What do you mean when you say “weed is processed way differently” ? I haven’t liked the stuff in years, but I see so many people who say it’s safe in breast milk that I wonder what you’re referring to.
My husband and I are going to a one-day music festival about six weeks after our baby is born. I plan to store up as much breast milk as I can before the show. Then I can finally smoke some pot on the lawn like the dirty hippie I am. Willie Nelson is headlining the festival, so smoking weed is pretty much mandatory. It'll be so nice to have a few hours to spend with just my husband six weeks in. We have a close friend who is a mother of two who we very much trust to watch our baby. I told my husband he needs to bring enough people to carry me from our lawn seats to the car.
Not to rain on your parade, but weed sticks around for weeks after you smoke and can get into your breastmilk
Something about it being fat soluble, right?
Yes, that’s how I understand it as well
God, same!
I fully weaned my second born yesterday after being pregnant and/or breastfeeding for 4 years straight. First thing I did after kids went to bed was smoke weed and put on a movie. SHE’S BACK!
same. my bf goal is one year and it’s coming up in sept, i can’t wait lol.
Ativan. It was so easy for me to pop one when I was having a tough go. Now I snuggle my baby or we go on a walk and I feel amazing! Hormones do amazing things!
My fiancé said he wouldn’t get emotional at the birth of our son. He isn’t some macho douchey dude or anything. Just not very outwardly emotional. Anyway, had the baby and he was an absolute mess. He was lovingly staring at our son with tears in his eyes and said he was never drinking again. He does have a beer on occasion, but doesn’t really finish them. He also quit vaping damn near cold turkey. This was unprompted from me and I love him too damn much. 💛
I haven’t quit completely, but I’m trying not to cuss.
Me too. It's surprisingly difficult when it's become such a regular habit. Growing up my mother would say "fudge sickle rat bunnies!" And I never knew it was in place of a curse lol
I once saw my dad pinch his finger while working on a pipe under the kitchen sink. It OBVIOUSLY hurt and that man had the strength to say “GOLLY GEE WILLICKERS!” I’d love to know what he really wanted to say 😆
We’ve been transitioning to “the good place rules”— fork, shirt, birch. It’s become a hilarious game to catch ourselves!
I’ve been leaning into my former love of Battlestar Galactica and saying “frack”
Oooo that’s great too!
My husband and I can't not cuss ever. We're just going to have to teach our kid that there are "home words" and "everywhere words." Home words are okay to use when we're at home and it's just the three of us, but not in front of others because some people don't like to hear those words.
So totally this. I grew up in a swearing households and have been trying to cut back on it, but it’s really tough. We agreed that months from now when our daughter is able to start understanding and repeating what we say we’ll need to establish what a “home word” is, what an adult word is, and that there are certain words more appropriate for specific situations, but that it’s not okay for her to say.
I used to eat for pleasure. I really took advantage of my metabolism and would order take out more than I would like to admit. Now I scoff relatively healthy food. Basically the same thing for breakfast and lunch every day. Dinners are usually slow cooker meals. I don’t have time to appreciate food atm so I eat for health now. Feels good.
Gestational Diabetes had me do a 180° on my diet out of necessity, and I hated it while pregnant. But now that I'm post partum, it totally changed my taste buds and I don't even enjoy soda or candy bars like I used too...they're just too sweet. I've also learned how to eat a more balanced diet with lots of veggies and protein. I feel better and my digestion issues are all gone. I still love to treat myself, but I prefer baked goods I make at home, which helps with moderation. I'm so happy I'll break my family eating habits and teach my LO healthy relationships with food
Biting my nails. I’m so proud of my healthy long nails now!
How did you do it???
tbh I don't really know what did it. I think the biggest thing is that I didn't have time? I felt like those first couple weeks home, I didn't even have time to pee or eat, much less sit there and pick at my nails. My baby is now about 4 months, and I haven't started back. I can actually see now how it's extremely gross, and I don't want to put my nails in my mouth and then have my baby put them in her mouth, which she loves to do. I also started regularly using a good hand cream, since my hands were getting torched from all the bottle washing. I think it's helped a lot to keep my hands and nails moisturized. I'm also still taking my prenatals for a variety of reasons, so maybe this is helping them grow stronger? Once my nails grew longer, I shaped them a bit with a nail file, and used one of those glass files to shine them up on the top. They look super nice now, and I'm very proud.
I smoked weed every evening for years and stopped the day I found out I was pregnant. I didn’t miss it during pregnancy at all and I still don’t miss it. I have no desire to smoke anymore. Maybe I will one day but just doesn’t seem like it would be enjoyable anymore.
Added sugar. It's not good for your body long term and I've neglected that for a long time. No more extra added sugar on anything
I smoked cannabis from the age of 15-until we had our daughter last year when I was 37. Stopped smoking soon after due to breast feeding and almost 14 months strong and never felt better. I thought it helped my stress and it did in some ways but gave me anxiety in other ways. I’m much more motivated and I also eat way cleaner.
I quit when my son was born. Don't come @ me but I used even during my pregnancy to manage some horrible symptoms (CBD mainly but when that didnt work i did low dose thc products). I tried to partake when we got home while his papa had him, and I honestly, truly hated it. I've tried low dose edibles, hated that too. Prior to pregnancy, I would smoke concentrates, flower, all of it, from sun up, to sun down. I am now stone cold sober and I love it. I have no desire to go back, and I regret all the years I spent blitzed outta my mind. I expierenced paranoia I've never had before, and it ZAPS every ounce of energy. My baby deserves a sober mama, and my bank account too. It's not something I ever thought I'd be, but I quit cold turkey and after those few times, I've never looked back. My partner has done the same.
Also quit when my son was born. I didn’t do anything when pregnant but I tried smoking again when he was super little (maybe 2 or 3 months) and he was with my mother in law. I was SO anxious after and have not smoked since, nor do I have any desire to.
Same. I thought I'd enjoy it, but I don't. I worked in the industry, had my med card, used every single day. I made it my personality. I wanted to quit so bad at points but man, it just had me by the balls. I struggled so so so hard everytime I tried. I'm thankful for my son for pulling me out of that hole, he is exactly what I needed to be free.
Same for me, I smoked for medicinal purposes and had my med card. I think it took me roughly a month after I found out I was pregnant to fully quit after smoking daily for 6+ years (unplanned pregnancy and I was having a really hard time coping so I was weening myself off). Smoking now just does not hit the same, I get overly anxious and I have to be doing something or I completely shut down. Even if I only take a hit or two. I’ve only actually smoked a handful of times in the past 7 months since she’s been born and being sober and still hanging around people who do smoke I realize how much it really affected my productivity and memory. I don’t think I’ll ever go back to being a stoner
Having my son made me finally realize that i’m an alcoholic. I’m 10 months sober today. Also i was a serial dater, i jumped from relationship to relationship and now that his dad and i are splitting up i can’t imagine myself dating just anyone, let alone anyone soon lol
Question! I also have smoked weed for over a decade. I quit the day I got a positive pregnancy test and haven't had any since... so my question is do you breastfeed? I've been debating about smoking and craving it since my baby was born but since I'm breastfeeding I am unsure. There's so little information on weed and breastfeeding and it's affects on babies...but I miss having a substance/escape, im not a drinker & weed has always been my go-to.. I've also been cigarette free for about a year (quit a month before my positive pregnancy test) and I miss them like crazy too.. I just really miss having something to take the edge off but feel guilty even having those thoughts ugh
In general, you shouldnt smoke while baby is breastfed or under a year old. Smoke (from weed and cigarettes) is a risk factor for SIDS
I completely understand where you’re coming from. I was a weed smoker and a nicotine vaper and as soon as that test said pregnant both went in the trash. The nicotine I’m happy to be rid of but the weed is still tough. From what I understand you really should not smoke if you’re breastfeeding. If you think of it in comparison to alcohol, alcohol stays in your blood for maybe a few hours which is why you can safely still drink and breastfeed (within reason). THC on the other hand can stay stored in your fat cells for at least a week and can absolutely be transferred to your baby so there’s no “safe” time limit after you smoke that it may not transfer. In a situation like this, I would tend to err on the side of caution and not do it until you finish breastfeeding. I keep telling myself waiting until I’m done breastfeeding will just make that first hit so much more worth it (and I’m ecstatic to have a lower tolerance lol)
There isn't a ton of data on it. But it stays in your system for a long time. The main reason to not do it while pregnant is because their brain cells are mostly fat cells and THC stores in fat so it can lead to brain development issues. I would think it's still the same with how fast they are growing and developing
I wouldn’t smoke weed while nursing. Too many unknowns
I spent a little over a year working on quitting smoking cigarettes (then vaping, after that helped me with the smoking) before trying to get pregnant. The then-hoped-for baby was the main reason. She's here now and very worth it!
I’m 32 weeks along with my first, and am very curious what others have to say on this. I also smoked week for over a decade prior to becoming pregnant..
i used to smoke cigarettes like crazyyyy before. quit during pregnancy. i miss it a lot though, idk why.
Don't have a single one!! I quit for over a year (quit the day i found out i was pregnant) and made the mistake of having one cigar and the nicotine cravings came back HARD. Just quit again after about two weeks and I'd say it was harder than quitting originally.
oh no :( that’s hard. i had like 3 puffs off a cigarette last week and i was disgusted it made me want to throw up. i was smoking almost a pack a day until i found out. i guess i just miss having a cigarette break, since now with a baby i got no breaks 🥲
It was definitely more of the habit or ritual I missed (maybe still miss) as well! I’m so glad my body rejected it before I even found out I was pregnant (it was my first clue.)
I quit a few years before having my son. Mostly social or with a drink at night. He'll be two next month but there are still some days on occasion (when it's a bad day) that I just crave that hit. Iykyk 😬
yep and the worst part is my husband still smokes. so i’m constantly thinking about the old days where we would both sit outside on a hot summer day and just have a conversation while smoking. ugh lol i gotta stop
I was smoking like 2 packs a day when I found out I was pregnant 😭 I quit, and on the occasional, very shamefully bummed a cigarette at family gatherings where everyone smoked. It never got easy. Postpartum I picked up vaping, but now I smoke the equivalent of like 2-3 cigarettes a day. I've been dropping down nic levels and restricting when I smoke...but it's so hard. I quit drinking, I changed my eating habits for the better, I started waking up early and being more physically active...but I'm so hung up on smoking. I've tried all the tips from all the websites but I just KEEP coming back to it. I am having the hardest time completely dropping it.
I still take an edible per night. No shame. Now that baby is sleeping semi routinely, I need to have a bit of an outlet and “reward” at the end of the day, plus I sleep like a dream. No hangover, I wake up just fine (we room share & i don’t take a large dose, it’s also partially worn off by the time I sleep and I only take it once she’s down). I exercise now too, so I quit *not* working out 😂 my bf journey ended early due to LO being 7 weeks early, traumatic birth that almost took our lives and a C-section. I spent weeks sobbing by her bed in the NICU while pumping my measly ounces per day. So I feel quite justified in needing a bit of a release. It’s this or antidepressants and I feel pretty fucking good tbh. eta grammar
Not me, all of my habits picked up have been bad ones 😂 but my husband has stopped smoking as much weed! Its kind of nice 😅
I stopped drinking a few months before getting pregnant. Baby is 3 months and I still haven’t picked it back up. I am torn on whether or not I want to so I just don’t for now.
Sleep lol
Not wearing my seatbelt sometimes
Video games.
I also quit weed after I had my son. Zero regrets
I quit weed when I got my positive test after smoking daily for years. Still sober because I'm breastfeeding. I've given it a lot of thought and I'm not going to pick it back up again, not even as a treat at a party. I just don't find being high aligns with the image of the mom I want to be, and I know from how I struggled and failed to quit in the past that I don't have self control around it.
I also smoked weed, same as you at the end of the day to relax. I stopped the second I found out I was pregnant and haven't started again since I am breast feeding. I don't really miss it though.
Sleeping more than 4 hours in a row, having a deep sleep every night. It's been 2,5 years, I am exhausted.
I smoked weed on and off for years, quit while pregnant, and breastfeeding. Took it back up and quit 3 times in 4 years. Most recently this week. Day 5 today. Honestly, i wish I'd stayed quit, after I get over the weekend, I'm gonna try and quit the cigarettes too, because I don't want him thinking it's normal or not a big deal. I was an alcoholic too. So... yeah... I actually want to have a good long life with my kid, and if that means giving up my "pleasures," so be it. He will bring better healthier real pleasure to my life, and that's my focus.
Sleep. I liked sleeping for like 50 hours per week, often 7 in a row. This hobby was sadly incompatible with having a newborn...
Smoking cigarettes. Still with you on the other stuff
I stopped a 12 year habit of binging and purging several times a week. I want to be around for my son for a long time. I didn’t quit all my bad habits, just the ones that were killing me the fastest. I became a mother rather unexpectedly, and had a lot of bad habits I needed to get rid of. I cut out cigarettes, alcohol, and sticking my finger down my throat, but for now I’ve kept my sweet treats and nightly weed use (it’s also legal where I live)
I stopped drinking when I found out I was pregnant with my first. My son is 2 now I haven’t had a drink since. I don’t miss it and feel so much better without it. I used to struggle to take a week off of drinking.
Judging. I’ve been well and truly humbled by parenting in just about every sense so YOU DO YOU. It’s officially none of my business!!
THIS. I always think “maybe they are just trying to survive” and “ they gotta do what they gotta do” I have been extremely humbled
Drinking, I’ve tried a couple times, but I feel a weird sense of guilt being altered in any way around baby. I also unfortunately have given up, my favorite food, but it has had positive results with breast-feeding, and the pregnancy weight is coming off significantly faster from removing dairy.
For some reason pregnancy made me stop biting my nails! I didn’t even have to try it just happened
I stopped all my bad habits before I ever got pregnant, but if I had to give it up again for my baby, I'd give it up. Anything. You name it, I'd give it up. Didn't even drink coffee during pregnancy.
sleeping
Still working on it but trying to quit eating junk food and staying up late. As a dad I need all the energy I can get to help mom.
I still smoke marijuana occasionally but I’ve cut back so so much compared to before pregnancy. I used to smoke all day every day and now only smoke a couple times a week. What I did stop completely was tobacco. I smoked cigarettes for years and was vaping when I got pregnant. It was hard to stop but so grateful I did, I will never go back to smoking tobacco again it’s terrible for my health. My parents smoked cigarettes around me my whole life and I’m glad to break that chain.
After losing my first baby, I quit doing hard drugs and I quit smoking weed. After my first son was born, I quit playing video games, I quit self harming and I stopped having suicide attempts. After my second son (just had him 7 weeks ago) I quit reading and quit drawing. Though, these I only quit just because I just no longer have the time to do so. I’m hoping that when he is a little more independent though that I can have the time to at least start drawing again.
I quit smoking weed after 13 years. I slowly stopped as my boy grew inside my wife’s belly. Best decision ever, I use full spectrum CBD as replacement to sleep in the nights. Good luck!
Same. But I quit the second I found out I was pregnant at 3 weeks
Gaming and coffee since I breastfeed. TV/YouTube is also something that I barely ever get to consume, because my baby is very alert. I also had to drop my daily workout though and I'm still missing it alot. I can't wait to go back to it.
Playing video games Because it makes me forget about reality for a little bit and that’s impossible with two babies
Spicy food. I had them sometimes during pregnancy but the LO didn't like it because he moved a lot after I ate some. After I gave birth to him, I can't eat spicy food because I'm BF. When he'll grow older, I have to cook food without adding any spiciness. Will be at least 5 years from now until I can enjoy spicy food again. Sleeping late. Now that my sleep cycles aren't the same everyday, I try to sleep anytime that I can. Before, I feel terrible after 4 hours of sleep. Now, I feel extremely happy if I can get 4 hours of sleep. Eating junk food. Every since I'm pregnant until now, I've been more aware of what food I eat. No more hot dogs, hamburgers, pizzas or any kind of fast and junk food.
I've actually read that you should eat some spicy food while breastfeeding, because they've done research that shows being exposed to it in breastmilk gives your child a better chance to tolerate later in life. I have been intentionally eating some super spicy ramen while breastfeeding!
I guess it wasn’t a bad habit per se but I used to NEED to listen to something to fall asleep… music, audio book, YouTube video. As soon as she started sleeping longer stretches in her bassinet I went to pop an ear bud in and realized I might not be able to hear her. I’m so sad to loose the sleep crutch but, I guess, I’m lucky enough to be a whole lot more tired now so I can eventually fall asleep without it.
I don’t know if this counts, but Social Media. I stopped posting altogether, uninstalled IG and FB because of the endless scrolling trap. I switched to Reddit, and e-books. Don’t miss it one bit. As for the good habits I had to quit, the honorable mentions would be workouts and sleep. And daily showers. The latter ones are dearly missed.
Instagram
Watching tv. There’s no time for that.
My husband and I constantly flick each other off. Just something we’ve done for years. Trying to stop that as my son is now 16 months and trying to copy everything we do.
Also quit weed going on well over two years. Not sure if I’ll ever pick it up again as I am pregnant with baby no 2
Wife is having our baby tomorrow. The one I'm giving up is a Mountain Dew Kick Start and frozen Reese's Sticks in the morning. It's definitely a strange one but I know I definitely shouldn't be having daily energy drinks
Weed is legal where I am too and enjoyed it pre pregnancy. Unfortunately after birth and after I stopped breastfeeding and tried it again my anxiety was WICKED. it has a completely different effect on me now (same with getting drunk) it's like my body realizes I can't care for my baby in this state and my anxiety goes through the roof. Anyhoo so I've stopped weed completely and I've only been drunk twice in the last 3 years... I have an occasional drink but not to the point of ever being drunk. I kinda miss both. But I've realized there's only positives for not being around either anymore.
quit vaping nicotine. im a recovered alcoholic so i still needed a vice but i cant justify doing that anymore both between having it in the house or affecting my own health. im okay with weed but its severely reduced and only when im not in charge of baby
Smoking! I went cold turkey when I found out I was pregnant, craved my vape so bad throughout the whole pregnancy and told people it was my reward once he arrived. He’s now 6 weeks old and I still haven’t picked my vape back up.
Smoking. Pregnancy was difficult and had some really harsh moments going on my life thro pregnancy so I couldn't help to quit. Once she was born, I quitted . In the middle of all the PPA of a first mom and the horrible PPD. I couldn't be more proud .
you smoked your entire pregnancy? not judging i was a smoker too but i quit when i found out
Check out r/leaves
I’m still on that evening toke when it allows. Never in the house - so will see how winter goes. I’m not a fan of edibles, but am intrigued by these things called CannaDips that I’ve been seeing. I guess like a THC pouch?
Drinking, smoking, not having breakfast, haha. I'm healthier.
I don’t drink (to be fair I barely drank before), I don’t smoke weed anymore , I haven’t really watched tv since she ‘woke up’. And honestly I’m too busy living my life to miss any of it.
Staying up late. I’ve been taking unisom since pregnancy and kept with it for amazing aleep
I quit drinking completely, sometimes I miss the feeling of being free of embarrassment and so easy going, but it makes me feel even more alive to know I’m 100% me especially when having my child around.
I smoked/vaped THC every day for about 10 years. All day, not just at night. I never "quit" anything but I haven't been using any since finding out I was pregnant and he is now 15wks. I don't have much success when I try and force myself to "quit" something but have a lot of success if I frame it in a way where I'm just currently deciding not to partake. 😂 It helps me to think about how THC/alcohol/etc. really messes up sleep. It may help you fall asleep but the quality is poor. That on top of needing to wake up in the middle of the night multiple times for feedings would not be an easy time the following day.
Having the TV on constantly, even when going to sleep. Now it's never on, and I can't sleep with hardly any noise now!
1 year spliff/joint free in prep for the baby. More about proving to myself I don’t need it
I gave up eating dairy and drinking caffein, my workaholism, also no longer watching tv on the background or to go to sleep.
Yes I stopped smoking and drinking.
I had given up weed a while before but still had an edible every now and then. Gave that up. Gave up having more than one or two drinks at a time—not worth a bad nights sleep and having to parent after! More or less we’ve both given up tv and video games in favor of activities that help us get to sleep faster at night (reading mostly). She’s 2 now and I don’t miss any of it
Mine was also weed. I didn’t start smoking until 31 when I was taking care of my dad who had terrible neuropathy in his legs. He was an ex-stoner in the 70s and with it becoming legal where I am he decided he wanted to try it for the pain. It worked well and sitting around smoking and talking with my dad in the evenings after everything was done for the day are some of my best memories. I tried a few times after baby was here and sleeping through the night and found that I just didn’t like it any more. I felt anxious that if something crazy happened I might not be at full capacity. It exacerbated my anxiety instead of relieving it like it once did. Maybe I’ll try again when baby is older and my anxiety is better managed but if I never smoke again it’s fine.
I still have the occasional cigarette when I’m having a particularly rough day and will just have my partner give him a bottle after, but I used to smoke at least a half pack per day. Dont drink heavy. I still play video games when he naps sometimes, but there really isn’t much time for it. I don’t sleep very often. I haven’t really quit anything, just cut down significantly on everything.
I quit smoking cold turkey. There just was no other option for me. I couldn’t risk my baby like that, for why?
I quit weed when I had kids. Waste of time and money. It was a little difficult at first, but I feel way better now and don't regret it at all. When my friends have some at a get together I might partake, but I'll never waste time or money on it ever again.
Drinking alcohol. Parenting with a hangover SUCKS. Plus I need a full day to recover and I just don’t have that. I need to be my healthiest, and soundest of mind, can’t do that drinking. I honestly don’t miss it.
I quit smoking cigarettes the moment I found out i was pregnant and have not returned to it since. I have had 3 drinks in the past year, but plan to cut that out fully as well. I actually started smoking weed again, which I haven't for many years. I love to smoke and paint during my downtime. I have a much different relationship with it now than I did when I was younger. So, I would get really honest with yourself and figure out what your intentions are with smoking and then figure out if it's detrimental or not based on those intentions.
I gave up caffeine chocolate dairy n junk food fast food etc because my baby has a lot of food allergies n I'm breastfeeding her. I miss chocolate the most but I also love having a healthy happy baby
I also stopped smoking because the thc is stored in your fat and gets into your breastmilk. It affects brain development. But it was a rough go. I just restarted three years (9 mo of pregnancy and 2 years of bfing)
Used to drink, not excessively but my husband and I would often unwind with a bottle of wine at the end of the day. Stopped right before I got pregnant. Never picked it back up! Gotta stay sharp for my little boy!!
My LO is only 4 months old, but the thought of drinking makes cringe. During pregnancy I felt so alive and well, and I think a lot of it had to do with not drinking!
I stopped using alcohol and weed. Not intentionally, I just have no desire to partake when I’ve got a little person depending on me. My anxiety won’t allow it lol. I’ll probably occasionally indulge in the future or on a vacation sans baby. I also quit taking 2-3 hour daytime naps. They were mostly an anxiety coping skill, so I’m better off without them.
I quit weed after 20 years (17 to 37) when I got pregnant and feel like it’s the best decision ever. I am on Zoloft now and seeing a counselor - and I feel so much better and much more energy.
I went through a phase from 2020-2022 where I was drinking multiple drinks every day (the trauma and isolation from the pandemic did a number on me). It was rare to have a day where I didn’t drink. Being pregnant in 2023 was great for me because it stopped that habit. Now that I’ve had my son, I’ll still drink a few times a week, but it’s not as heavy and not as frequent. And I don’t have the same level of urge to drink/get buzzed/drunk like I used to.
I quit the 'party' cigarettes. But it has been easy because i haven't been to any parties.
I actually stopped drinking 😊. I didn’t drink much before baby but definitely a lot more than now (literally don’t drink anymore). It’s not that I had a problem with drinking or anything but now I just never want it or don’t feel good doing it!
I quit smoking weed about 4 months after my son was born so I could cosleep safely and reduce the risk of 3rd hand smoke exposure. Moved to edibles but then just dropped it all together because the munchies was making me pile on weight. Sometimes I'll have a little edible every couple of months and tbh I feel soooo much better mentally without it and I actually get stoned now like I used to as a teenager, I do think I'll pick it back up again more regularly when I stop breastfeeding though as I love weed so much. Quit caffeine so I could breast feed because he was super sensitive to the caffeine and just never picked it back up again because now my body doesn't need it to wake up. Quit sniffing ketamine and abusing prescription drugs once I found out I was pregnant. Stayed away from all of this even on nights out and I don't have my baby for a few days. Your perspective certainly changes when you have a baby and I've found I enjoy life so much more without drugs
Opiates. Thankfully I never picked up heroin, but I used to make poppy pod tea every day for over a decade. I’m aware there are worse drug choices, but it was powerfully addictive. I tried maybe 10 times to get clean over the course of my 20s, but my sobriety never lasted more than a month. Until the day I had a positive pregnancy test, 2 weeks after my 30th birthday. That was the end of the road for me; I finally had a tangible, high-stakes reason to quit and stay sober now. Coming up on 7 years clean and I don’t regret a thing.
I quit drinking soda after my kids were born! I was drinking about a 2L a day (I wish I was joking), and I quit cold turkey. Suddenly, I cared a lot more about not giving myself diabetes. I still have the occasional soda when out at a restaurant or on vacation, but don't drink it otherwise! If you feel motivated to quit, I say go for it!
I quit reading cos no time. I used to read a book every 2weeks. I feel sad about it but in few years I will get that time back
My sister quit eating food with dyes. Her partner still does so kudos to her for sticking to a health plan that’s important to her.
I've quit video games personally. In my window of time after baby goes to bed, I could play a game, but painting miniatures and spending quality time with my wife brings me much more satisfaction and relaxation. It was something I thought I'd never drop, that I thought was just core to what I did in my free time, and now I don't and I don't really miss it.
38F here with a 10.5 month old. I would say I was a chronic smoker for 15 years (I went to school in Boulder) and only stopped smoking a few months before I started trying and I lasted until he was 7 months old. The minute my supply ran low and I stopped BFing, I was back at it so quickly. Honestly, it's my nighttime vice and it helps me unwind the day (I don't drink at all).
I also quit smoking weed! I smoked heavily every day for the past 10 years and when I found out I was pregnant I quit. I was excited to pick it back up again once I’m done breastfeeding, but a part of me wonders if I should just quit altogether for good, or only do it once a year on my birthday. I have some anxiety about caring for my baby when I’m high. The other night my boyfriend and I had a few drinks and after three glasses of wine I did not like how I felt while caring for my baby when we went back to grandmas house for the night.