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Quitting Smoking: It's Personal

Jan 18, 2012; 11:29 AM ET

People start smoking for their own reasons. They often need to find their own reasons to stop, too.

Janet, for example, had been a struggling artist. No one in her family smoked cigarettes. Her parents were surprised when Janet began smoking after taking a job at a music club.

That's where she met Paul, an office manager. Both of his parents smoked, and he took up the habit himself when he was in his teens.

Nearly everyone in Janet's family gave her - and then Paul - a hard time about smoking. Janet's mom, in particular, often talked about how they were both at risk for cancer, heart disease, and lung damage. When Janet and Paul were married, Janet didn't want her mother to see her smoking in her wedding dress.

Finding reasons to quit smoking

It was the decision to start a family that spurred them to quit smoking. First, Janet's doctor told her that smoking could make getting pregnant more difficult. "Quit now, and you'll have a better chance of conceiving," he said.

Her doctor also told her that smoking increased the risk of:

-Excess bleeding and other complications during delivery

-Going into labor early

-Having a small baby

-Her baby being born with a heart problem

-Her child having future health problems

Both she and her doctor agreed it would be best for her to stop smoking before getting pregnant. And, says Janet, it was a relief to make the decision.

But she also wanted Paul to quit with her. It would make it easier on her, for one thing. Secondly, babies who are around smoke are at risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), asthma, and other respiratory illnesses.

Paul always said he smoked because his parents did. He asked himself, "Do I want my son or daughter to smoke?" It was a life-changing moment.

Creating a new life

At first, they tried quitting cold turkey, but it was harder than they thought it would be. They met while smoking. They smoked together as they drank their morning coffee. They smoked together after dinner. Much of their relationship, it seemed, involved cigarettes.

"We needed to start over," Paul said.

They picked a quit day together. Before it arrived, they threw out all the ashtrays and lighters. They had their car detailed to get rid of the smoke smell. And they told their friends and family their smoking days were over.

For more tips on how to change your habits to make quitting easier continue to myOptumHealth.com.

By Lisa Ladd-Wilson

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