“I was smoking between 10 and 20 a day and knew I had to give up but I couldn’t do it on my own. The help I got from my midwife Julie was brilliant. She came to the house and really helped me through it. She told me that we would set a date to quit and helped me prepare all week for that day. I got an inhaler and patches and within two days I’d quit and I haven’t smoked since but she still calls me up to see how I’m doing. The readings on the carbon monoxide monitor used to scare me because of what was going through to the baby – the reading was 18 before but is now down to 2. Now I can’t even stand the smell of smoke!”
“I would encourage other mums-to-be to just give it a go, but they need support and someone to help them through it. The MAMSS project has a great approach that’s so supportive. I’m really scared though of falling off the wagon. Especially after the baby is born with all the stress and worry of a new-born baby. I don’t want to smoke again but I I’m worried because that’s what happened after my first child was born. I think support for mums post-natal is just as important as before the baby is born.”
