Oh, No- now I have to quit smoking!
Ok, maybe that wasn’t your first thought, but it was mine.
I had been smoking for years before I became pregnant, and I was pretty sure I needed to smoke for my anxiety. Unfortunately, there are many women who feel the same way I did.
I knew I had to quit, and I bet your clients know it too. Just for “fun”, I ran a quick Pub Med search of prenatal and postpartum smoking. These are just some of the scary results:
Prenatal: Preterm birth, low birth weight, gestational diabetes. Postpartum: celiac disease, thyroid disease, lung disease, cardiovascular disease, SIDS, dental caries, hearing loss, behavioral health challenges, early menarche, changes in gut microbiota, atopic dermatitis, ADHD, obesity…
Thanks to the support of my family, friends, and the prenatal medical professionals, I was able to quit. But it wasn’t easy.
In addition to the counseling and education, and sometimes medication supports, that you provide as CPSP’s, there are some great free programs you can offer clients to help them quit.
Check out the Impact Sonoma webpage. Your clients can access support via text, telephone, and free apps including No Butts, Smokefree Women, and SmokefreeMOM (text MOM to 222888 for 3-6 messages a day for at least 6 weeks depending on quit date and due date).
The California Smokers Helpline offers supports in English, Spanish, and 5 Asian languages. Including a program to provide free nicotine patches to help family members of pregnant women quit.
Thank you- you make a positive difference every day!
-Liz
