How we can help a family to become smoke-free
If a pregnant person smokes or has a high CO reading at any point in their pregnancy they will be referred to the Smokefree Pregnancy Service automatically. It is NEVER too late to quit smoking during pregnancy. CO leaves the bloodstream within 48 hours so the benefits of quitting has a positive impact on the baby’s oxygen levels from that point onwards. If the pregnant person does not smoke but other household members do, we will offer them details for their local ‘Stop Smoking’ service where they can receive support to become smoke free.
What can you expect from the service?
The service will provide advice to all household members who smoke either face-to-face or through messaging or telephone contacts. We will provide quit aids and behavioural support to the pregnant person and one household member.
Top tips
Top tips from maternity support teams and families that have used the smoke-free service across Suffolk and North east Essex.
Use a nicotine replacement treatment (NRT) or vape to help ease cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Nicotine metabolism increases during pregnancy and can lead to increased urges to smoke.
When a craving starts, remember it will only last six minutes! Use NRT, keep busy and it will pass.
Do more activity, go to bed earlier and sleep well. It’s easier for household members if they avoid alcohol too.
Choose a good quit date, one when it feels right and when it would be easier to avoid temptation. Quitting on a Sunday seems to be successful for many smokers.
Keep appointments with the specialist midwives and support workers. Seeing them regularly to go through the behaviour support programme and using the quit products (as recommended by the midwife) quadruples the chances of quitting for good.
Get rid of all cigarettes, lighters, matches and ashtrays
Put scan pictures around the house – perhaps in the places you liked to smoke the most.
After baby arrives
The Smokefree Pregnancy team will support for up to six weeks after the baby is born. In the early days of being a parent it can feel overwhelming and very tiring, so we want to help new parents remain smoke free during that time and prevent them starting again. On discharge from the Smokefree Pregnancy Service we will inform the Health Visitor and GP. This is to ensure that the relevant healthcare professionals have the required information to continue to offer support if required. If you need help with remaining smoke free after we have discharged you, please contact:
Feel good suffolk
Essex Wellbeing Service
Lottie & Luke's story
When Lottie first saw her midwife her CO reading was very high at 41ppm, although she had stopped smoking the previous week. Lottie lived with her partner and her uncle, who both smoked in their flat. Ellen, the Maternity Support Worker, visited them all at home and explained the impact of second and third-hand smoke. They were all shocked that this could also cause serious harm to the unborn baby so they all opted for a vape as a quit aid. Lottie also had severe mental health (MH) difficulties and although she was having support with the local specialist MH recovery team she had developed agoraphobia and her medication had been stopped. Ellen worked closely with all MH services to ensure Lottie’s wellbeing was prioritised and she received one-to-one care. At the second visit, her partner Luke proudly informed Ellen that he was also now smoke free despite stresses of an eviction notice and ongoing worries about Lottie’s MH. They were very proud of themselves and their CO readings were that of a non-smoker. This was amazing news! Praise and encouragement was given to them both. They continued to remain smoke free throughout Lottie’s pregnancy, Lottie’s MH improved, and she was able to leave the house. Lottie and Luke now have a healthy baby boy. They are smoke free and vape free! They feel so much better in themselves and are so grateful for the support they received.
We are grateful for the help, vapes, and support throughout my pregnancy for me and my partner to stop smoking. Now our little man is here we are both still smoke free and hate the sight and smell of fags. /10 We feel so much better now we don’t smoke.
Contact details for your smoke-free midwives for Suffolk and North east Essex
