New Centre to Help Mums-To-Be Stop Smoking

9 June 2010, 09:42

You know it’s not good for you to smoke if you’re pregnant or to smoke around your children but it’s so hard to stop – especially if you’re feeling stressed, tired or anxious.

You know it’s not good for you to smoke if you’re pregnant or to smoke around your children but it’s so hard to stop – especially if you’re feeling stressed, tired or anxious.

But help is now at hand! A new service has been set up in Stevenage for pregnant women and mums with young children who want to give up smoking.

If you come down to the Bedwell Community Centre anytime between 1-3pm on a Wednesday afternoon there will be someone for you to talk to.

And to make it a bit easier they have laid on a crèche so that your children can have fun and be looked after whilst you are talking to one of the team – all you need to do is give them a ring a couple of days in advance on 0800 389 3 998 and let them know that you are coming.

Rachel specialises in supporting mums-to-be and parents to quit smoking. She says:

“It’s really important that mums to be and parents of young children know that we are help to help them. Some people are worried about being judged or thought badly of but it’s not like that at all.

“We understand how difficult some people find even the thought of giving up smoking so the last thing we want is for them to feel that we are going to judge them. Actually it is just the opposite.”

Liz Fischer is the manager of the Hertfordshire Stop Smoking Service. She’s been telling Heart:

“In cigarette smoke there are about 4,000 chemicals and at least 300 of those are known to be harmful, and there are about 50 actually cancer-causing chemicals within tobacco smoke. So those go straight to the baby.

“When you’re pregnant your metabolism works faster and your body tends to excrete nicotine quicker. So when you’re pregnant those cravings can be more significant.”

If your children are under 5 you can call into the Bedwell Children’s Centre at the same time. There are loads of activities on offer, people to talk to and information to take away with you on health, education, childcare, family supports and employment services.

For more information go to www.hpherts.nhs.uk