Guy's and St Thomas' supports women to be smoke free during pregnancy

A woman who was supported by Guy's and St Thomas' to stop smoking during her pregnancy is encouraging other pregnant women to quit.

She is sharing her experience and highlighting the support she received while pregnant to coincide with London’s first Smoke Free Pregnancy Week.

Sandra had been smoking for many years and had successfully become smoke free during her first pregnancy. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, after finishing breastfeeding, she started to smoke again. When she became pregnant with her second baby in 2023, she wanted to be smoke free and received help from her midwife to achieve this.

When Sandra attended her first appointment with Guy's and St Thomas’ maternity service, her midwife referred her to the Phoenix team, our in-house service that offers smoking cessation support. At her first appointment with the team, her smoke free pregnancy midwife, Sofia, discussed her smoking history and explored the support available to help her to successfully stop smoking. Sandra felt ready to quit, and together, they came up with a plan to support her to become smoke free.

Sandra said: "During my pregnancy with my second baby my smoke free pregnancy midwife, Sofia, did an incredible job helping me recognise my strengths and ultimately stop smoking completely while I was pregnant. Sofia was not only professional but also exceptionally lovely and caring throughout the entire process.

The service provided was top-notch, and I always felt supported. I had the opportunity to contact Sofia anytime I needed, and she was always there to listen to my worries and experiences. Thanks to her guidance and support, I am now smoke free and healthier than ever.

Sofia Benajeh, a smoke free midwife at Guy’s and St Thomas’ said: “We’re raising awareness of Smoke Free Pregnancy Week as protecting your baby from tobacco smoke is one of the best things you can do to give your child a healthy start in life. Smoking while pregnant and exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke increases the risks to your baby before birth, in infancy and into childhood.

"While becoming smoke free can feel daunting or even impossible, Sandra’s story shows that it is possible. If you smoke and we’re providing your antenatal care, please talk to your midwife about the support that’s available. The sooner you quit, the better.

Even if you become smoke free during the later stages of your pregnancy, it will still make a big difference to both your and your baby’s health.

Guy’s and St Thomas’ maternity service can support pregnant women under their care, and others in their household, to become smoke free. Ask your midwife to refer you to the smoke free pregnancy midwives, or you can contact them directly on [email protected].

At every appointment with Guy’s and St Thomas’ maternity service, all pregnant women are offered carbon monoxide screening because high levels of carbon monoxide in pregnancy can increase the risks to the pregnancy and baby. Smoking or being exposed to second hand smoke are the biggest causes of high carbon monoxide levels. There are also other reasons why these levels could be high.

Anyone keen to stop smoking can also register with Stop Smoking London’s new free text messaging support service. It provides daily motivational texts to support your quit journey, tailored around the five most common reasons for quitting. You can also get in touch with Stop Smoking London’s free helpline at 0300 123 1044.