Stoptober - helping mums quit smoking

It’s Stoptober – and another chance to ditch the cigarettes. We have signed the NHS Smokefree Pledge, and are sharing some of our successes in helping people quit. Among them is the maternity stop smoking team.

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Press release
Maternity Stop Smoking team

Barnsley Hospital’s maternity stop smoking team has made incredible strides to help women stop smoking before their babies are born. 

For example, in 2019-2020, levels of Smoking at Time of Delivery (SATOD) stood at 14.62%. In 2023-2024, this had dropped to 9.7%. 

The team has a stop smoking incentive scheme, and since it started in April 2022, to date, 52 women have maintained a quit from smoking until their babies were eight weeks old and beyond. 

Debbie Hayes, Community/Smoke Stop Midwife, said: 

“The maternity stop smoking team of four also provides support in many other ways, including offering information on smokefree homes and cars, receiving stop smoking referrals and carrying out home visits and telephone chats. Women can also refer themselves for support.”

Chelsea’s story

Chelsea Ogilvie was referred into the maternity stop smoking team service when expecting her sixth baby. She was offered support to quit via email/text. She said: 

“It was when I was told if I could stop before 15 weeks there shouldn't be any damage to the placenta. I think that was the push I needed - that little ‘last chance’ window.”

Chelsea Ogilvie with baby Willow and Elsie aged two
Chelsea Ogilvie with baby Willow and Elsie aged two

Chelsea managed to quit and went on to give birth to a 7-pound 14-ounce baby girl. She said:

 “The kids have all said cuddles are better now! I don't smell and they sit with me longer. That could be because I've got more time - I'm not going outside every five minutes.”

Before baby arrived, Chelsea went on a ‘baby moon’ trip and paid for her passport with the money she saved from quitting smoking. She said: 

“At one point, my app said I'd been quit for 266 days and saved £1,315! It’s amazing how much smoking costs and you don’t even realise it.”

She now has ‘zero interest’ in smoking again and says the habit ‘stinks.’ She added: 

“Also stopping smoking has made me see breastfeeding differently. Before I was thinking: ‘Oh no, I don't have time to do that,’ and smoking was a factor in why I didn't think I had time which I'm ashamed of but it's true. But this time baby Willow has never had a bottle. 

“She was exclusively breastfed for an entire 12 weeks. I can also carry her in a sling which I never did before because I couldn’t have a cig with a sling on me. The stop smoking team have no idea what they’ve done for me and my family by helping me stop smoking. I didn’t just stop for the baby - it was for all my kids. I felt supported instead of judged and it made a massive difference I'll be eternally grateful for.”

Get support to quit

Are you smoking? Have you just had your baby? Do you want to quit? 

Call 01226 432193 for support or e-mail maternity.stopsmoking@nhs.net

The NHS Smokefree Pledge

In England alone, almost 75,000 people die from smoking related diseases each year. Smoking accounts for over one-third of all deaths from respiratory disease, one quarter of all deaths from cancer and over one tenth of all deaths caused by circulatory diseases. On average, smoking reduces life expectancy by 10 years.

Delivering the commitments in the NHS Smokefree Pledge will not only bring us closer to national targets to reduce smoking rates but can ultimately save tens of thousands of lives and billions of pounds in NHS resources.

Find out more at: The NHS Smokefree Pledge - ASH

Stoptober

The Stoptober campaign is based on evidence that if a smoker makes it to 28 days smoke-free, they are five times more likely to quit for good.

Barnsley Hospital supports Stoptober and helps people quit by offering Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) to patients in hospital.