A WORCESTERSHIRE mum-to-be and former smoker has revealed she has reached six months without lighting up as new figures show fewer county women are smokers when they have a baby.
According to figures from NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire since April 2022 the number of women who smoke when their baby is born has fallen in Herefordshire and Worcestershire from 10.8 per cent to 8.8 per cent, which is just below the England average of 8.9 per cent.
In Worcestershire, a unique Stop Smoking in Pregnancy Service is offered within Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.
A team of dedicated stop-smoking advisors are available to support pregnant women and families in their home with one-to-one behavioural support and free nicotine replacement therapy.
Speaking anonymously, the county mum-to-be said she had been smoking since she was 14 years old and was smoking roll ups at the start of her pregnancy.
“I had tried quitting in the past with support from a practice nurse and using refillable vapes but was unable to quit,” she said.
“When I found out I was pregnant I did try and reduce smoking but couldn’t cut it out completely.
After speaking to her midwife, she was referred to the service and could ‘tell straight away’ it was a different approach to previous bids to quit.
“I felt the appointment was personal and I wasn’t just a number in a line of people to be seen,” she said.
“I set my quit date for two weeks later and tried reducing first.
“My stop smoking advisor was due to go away and I decided I wanted to have quit by the time she came back so decided to bring my quit date forward.
“I am now 38 weeks pregnant and have been quit for 182 days. Before pregnancy I had high blood pressure but since quitting smoking my blood pressure is now normal.”
An enhanced programme of training to help midwives to support women to improve their health and wellbeing during pregnancy will be rolled out later this year.
Anyone who is pregnant and lives in or receives midwifery care in Worcestershire can access stop smoking support by emailing: [email protected].
Alternatvely call Heidi Hulbert on 07568 601709 (Kidderminster & Malvern); Shelley Halford, 07568 601710 (Redditch & Bromsgrove); Liz Hammond, 07568 601711 (Worcester & Wychavon).
