Midwives improving health by cutting pregnancy smoking rates by 40%

October is Stoptober and since launching in February 2024 the Maternity Smoke Free Pregnancy Service in Essex has been transforming lives – helping almost 230 families quit smoking and give their babies the best possible start in life.

Smoking during pregnancy is known to cause complications such as premature birth, low birth weight, and developmental issues. Thanks to early support and personalised care, Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust’s service is already making a real difference and helping improve maternal and infant health.

The team, led by Kirsty Renvoize, Lead Midwife for Smoking Cessation, works with pregnant people from as early as possible in their pregnancy, with a 12-week programme of support and encouragement.

If someone becomes smoke free by 15 weeks of pregnancy their placenta will be as healthy as a non-smoker. However, stopping smoking at any point in pregnancy will increase the placental function, meaning their baby will receive more oxygen.

This will reduce the likelihood of their baby being born too early, too small and with additional health inequalities and complications such as prematurity. Stopping smoking in pregnancy will reduce the likelihood of prolonged hospital admission for their baby and additional complications in infancy such as asthma, ear nose and throat illnesses and ADHD.

We offer non-judgemental support, free nicotine replacement therapy, vapes and one-to-one sessions for behavioural support, even in coffee shops if that’s what works. My team and I find it hugely rewarding to help families become smoke free and are immensely proud of our service.

Kirsty Renvoize, Lead Midwife for Smoking Cessation, Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust

As a result, smoking at time of delivery has dropped from 7.45% in the period from April 2023 – March 2024 to just 4.61% between April 2024 and July 2025 – now below the national target of 6%. Fewer preterm births are also being recorded among people who quit, meaning stronger, healthier newborns.

One couple who’ve felt the benefits are Samantha Richards, 38, and Dean Smith-Shaw, 40, from Leigh-on-Sea. Samantha, now 30 weeks pregnant with her fourth child which is due in November, started smoking aged 11 but has now fully quit thanks to support from Southend Hospital.

Initially, when she first joined the service, the team gave her patches and a vape to help the quitting journey.

I wanted to quit, for my own health and my baby’s. It used to be that I’d crave a cigarette every hour but now don’t feel the need to smoke. I feel incredibly proud of myself, as it didn’t take me long at all to quit altogether and now, I don’t need a vape or anything.

I feel healthier, my anxiety is better, and I’m proud to be giving my baby the best start. I never felt pressured – the team were friendly, understanding, and never anything but supportive.

My clothes now don’t smell, and I feel brighter when I wake up, and I feel proud that I am protecting the health of my unborn child. I’d definitely recommend the service to everyone, it’s made a huge difference to our lives now, and our life to come

Samantha Richards

Dean has quit as well, after coming along to the stop smoking sessions and continued to be supportive and inspired by Samantha’s journey. The financial savings, health benefits, and better quality of life are all added bonuses.

Samantha found the team to be very friendly, welcoming and supportive, never feeling forced or pressured into quitting. She has regular scans and feels proud when she talks about the fact she hasn’t gone back to smoking.

The service also forms part of the National Smoke Free Pregnancy Incentive Scheme (NSPIS), which offers continued support even after the baby is born – until they’re three months old. This extended care is helping more parents stay as non-smokers long-term.

The “Swap to Stop” scheme is a UK government initiative that provides free vape kits to adult smokers to help them quit tobacco by switching to vaping. It’s part of a larger strategy to create a “smokefree England” by 2030.

Those taking part receive a reusable vape kit, e-liquids, and free behavioural support, such as a quit plan, to help them make the switch and stay smoke-free, with Samantha and Dean both benefitting from this initiative. Vapes are considered a temporary product and are used as part of cessation.

Smoking is not a life choice; it is an addiction and our service is non-judgemental. We value and work on building a strong rapport with our birthing people and their families, so that we can really engage with them and build their confidence as well as their honesty.

“It’s never too late to quit. Anyone smoking during their pregnancy can refer themselves at any point to their maternity team, support is free and available to anyone pregnant and struggling to stay smoke free.

Kirsty Renvoize, Lead Midwife for Smoking Cessation, Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust