A new way to think about quitting smoking

The way to quit smoking is to re-learn everything you thought you knew about how to quit. Instead of just throwing your cigarettes out one morning and trying to stop smoking, you can use the free EX quit smoking plan to prepare yourself by re-learning life without cigarettes. EX will help you pick your smoking habit apart into little pieces you can tackle one by one. Once you begin, you'll start to look at quitting smoking not as one huge war, but as a series of small battles you can actually see yourself winning.

By the time you are ready to quit smoking, you’ll be able to do more than just toss your pack in the trash and cross your fingers. You'll have already done a lot of the hard work.

And since you’re already re-learning life as a pregnant woman, now is the perfect time to re-learn life without cigarettes. Inside this site, you'll find lots of tools, resources, information and exercises that'll help you prepare to quit smoking.

And it’s all free. There's a catch, right? Nope. Here at National Alliance for Tobacco Cessation, helping people stop smoking is what we do.

The EX Plan is broken down into three steps:

Re-learn Habit: Ever notice that certain things, like financial stress from the pregnancy or just eating a meal, seem to make you want to smoke? These things are called smoking triggers. EX will help you re-learn how to handle them without smoking.

Re-learn Addiction: When you smoke, the nicotine in your cigarettes causes receptors in your brain to get that "nice" feeling. And that "nice" feeling makes you want to smoke more. EX will show you how to break this cycle and double your chances of quitting smoking for good.

Re-learn Support: The right kind of support can greatly increase your chances of quitting. You'll learn how your friends and family can help you quit smoking, even if that means just giving you some space. You’ll also have access to the EX online community, where you can connect with other pregnant smokers trying to quit along with the quit smoking experts at Mayo Clinic.

And don't forget to let your prenatal care provider know, as they'll be a great resource during the process.

After your baby is born

Staying quit is the best thing you can do for you and your baby. If you stay quit, your baby will be at lower risk for chest colds, coughs, ear infections and asthma problems. You'll also lower your baby's risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and of becoming a smoker himself.

It's important to remember all of these health benefits when your addiction starts fighting back. But by then, you'll be smarter. You'll know when cravings are going to be their strongest. You'll have medication. You'll have surrounded yourself with support. And you'll have your smiling baby to remind you why you quit in the first place.

Click here to learn how to personalize the EX Quit Smoking Plan just for you.
Click here to see how other mothers are re-learning their lives without cigarettes.