Great news from our Living Smokefree team with their awesome mahi helping 78 pregnant (hapuu) women become smoke free this year.
With the team’s support, these pregnant (hapuu) women were able to commit to a quit date and become smoke free to help improve the health of themselves and their peepi (babies).
Of the 78 pregnant hapuu women, 55% were Maaori and 32% were Pacific.
The team say they routinely seek input from the community, particularly Maaori and Pacific people, and their model of care has a strong equity focus to help achieve positive outcomes.
“It’s important to support women who are hapuu with their wider health and wellbeing challenges to enable them to focus on stopping smoking and remaining smoke free throughout their pregnancy and longer,” says Michelle Lee, Smokefree Advisor Maternity.
The Living Smokefree team supports hapuu women with weekly home visits or consultations that are delivered at local drop-in clinics. They also help with behavioural strategies, nicotine replacement therapy and financial incentives for becoming smoke free.
One of those wahine is Danielle, who wanted to stop smoking for her tamariki, and her health including her asthma condition.
“I found social situations challenging but with the support and nicotine replacement I was able to quit. It helped me so much.
If you need support like I did- definitely go to Smokefree,” says Danielle.
Our Smokefree team also provides support to refer whaanau to other wrap-around support services to help with their new bubba and parenthood.
This includes access to a wide range of services including breastfeeding support, antenatal classes, healthy housing assessments, pepipods, immunisations, alcohol harm minimisation, counselling, Well Child Tamariki Ora providers and more.
If you are hapuu and would like support to stop smoking, you are eligible to receive up to $500 worth of grocery and baby goods vouchers if you successfully stop smoking over a 12-week period following your quit date and using Living Smokefree programme.
The results are carbon monoxide validated.
Anyone can refer to our Smokefree service directly by just contacting the team on 0800 569 568 or emailing smokefree@middlemore.co.nz.