Dr Tom Pettinger supports the Living Well stop smoking campaign

In this film Dr Pettinger, a Consultant in Obstetrics & Gynaecology at Bradford Royal Infirmary talks about the problems smoking causes for babies during pregnancy and later in their lives.

He says that some of these problems are the most serious that the team deal with in maternity care, like miscarriage and stillbirth and preterm birth which can cause many complications later in life. So, quitting smoking is absolutely the best thing you can do for your baby, both before and after their birth and for your own health as well. Dr Tom Pettinger says that the team know it isn’t easy but there’s lots of help available.

Lucy Downing Maternity Support Worker at Bradford Royal Infirmary talks about the way her team works to offer one to one support for pregnant women. They give advice and talk about the harms that smoking causes, to encourage them to quit. Lucy’s team can prescribe Nicotine Replacement Therapies (NRT) and will meet with you each week to support you. Our Living Well stop smoking service work with Maternity Services, so you can choose either option to support you on your quit journey.

Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death globally and quitting is the single best thing a smoker can do to improve their health, reducing the risks of heart attack, stroke, coronary heart disease and cancer. Smokers know it isn’t easy, but with help from our free service, even if you have tried before, this time you CAN quit, and we CAN help!

If you’re ready to start your own quit journey, you’re three times more likely to quit using Maternity Services or the Living Well stop smoking service.

At your first appointment a specially trained Living Well stop smoking advisor will discuss everything with you and create a tailored, personal quit plan that works for you. They will help you decide the best way to combat nicotine cravings and can also prescribe Nicotine Replacement Therapies (NRT). The service is completely free of charge, you will only pay for prescribed NRT treatments if you usually pay for your prescriptions.

To find help and advice to quit smoking, ask Maternity Services at your next hospital appointment or contact the Living Well stop smoking service on 01274 437700. Appointments can be made face to face, over the phone and by email, whatever works best for you.

You can also find out more here