Bradford Stop Smoking Service supported Kate and her mum to quit smoking
Kate was 23 years old and living with her mum when she was referred to the Stop Smoking Service by her midwife at 10 weeks pregnant. She was contacted the same day by an advisor who arranged her first appointment at a stop smoking clinic.
At her first appointment, Kate informed the advisor that she had already cut down and was smoking eight cigarettes a day. The stop smoking advisor talked about the pregnancy risks to Kate and the benefits to her baby of quitting including the support available for her to stay smokefree throughout her pregnancy.
The advisor also discussed the risks of exposure to secondhand smoke and the importance of having a smokefree home. Kate talked about her mum who smoked in the house and who, at the age of 43, had recently been diagnosed with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD). The advisor offered to support Kate’s mum and discussed the advantages of them quitting together.
Kate attended a follow-up appointment a week later with her mum and over the next few weeks, they gradually reduced the number of cigarettes they were smoking. At 18 weeks pregnant Kate reported that she was completely smokefree and that her mum had also managed to stay smokefree.
They continued attending regular stop smoking appointments until Kate was 38 weeks pregnant when they both decided that they were confident enough to stay smokefree.
The stop smoking advisor recently made contact with Kate to find out if she was still smokefree. Kate said that her little girl was now 19 months old and that both she and her mum remained smokefree. She talked about how before quitting smoking, they would smoke in the kitchen and that they had both tried to quit several times in the past by cutting down. Kate said that being referred to the Stop Smoking Service had made ‘all the difference’ as the advisor had kept them on track and supported them on their journey to becoming smokefree.