Transcript of Yarning About Quiting - Introduction.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are advised that the following video may contain images and voices of people who have passed away.
Allira Cutmore - Aboriginal Health Worker - Quit for New Life: About half of our Murri and Koori women smoke during pregnancy and that's compared to 1 in 10 non-Indigenous women. Research has shown that smoking while pregnant can actually cause you to have your baby prematurely. It also increases your chance of having a miscarriage. Research has also shown that babies that have a mother that is smoking while they're pregnant causes respiratory infections or respiratory problems later on in life, also ear infections and behavioural issues as well.
Mary Munro - Aboriginal Health Education Officer: In our culture our Aboriginal people is more sickly and there's more disease in them than what the non-Aboriginal people do and it's very vital that we look after ourselves and so we are trying to get this message across to our people about not smoking and so that they can have a healthier life because life's too short.
Allira Cutmore: As a health professional to be able to provide Murri and Koori women with that one-on-one support in being able to make that big decision in stopping smoking while they're pregnant we just have to highlight that for them and the baby it's the best possible outcome to being able to improve their long-term health. Giving up it doesn't take just one attempt. I've known people that you know tried numerous times trying to give up smoking and that's why we require that extra support by our health workers and health professionals. I think one of the most important challenges is actually getting your client to engage and be willing to have that talk about stopping smoking. You might go to visit a client a few times before they'll even accept or want to have that conversation about stopping smoking but you've just got to keep tapping away and building that rapport and that trust.
Breanna: When they first talked to me about quitting I was probably about 10 weeks maybe. At the start I got like annoyed I felt like they were judging me and like they were thinking I didn't care about my baby but then towards the end I realized that they were actually caring for me and my baby I was like I actually listened to what they were saying and it got me fully thinking about all of it and then I ended up quitting thanks to them.
Natasha (Lisa): Being pregnant, I don't think any pregnant woman should be a smoker you know so I always believe that there should be that sort of advice and you know and help in line, so if somebody wasn't asked I mean, yeah I'd be very shocked.
Allira Cutmore: Pregnancy is the perfect time to be able to have that conversation about stop smoking because we feel well we've found that you know, mums are more motivated to stop smoking most mums that we come across will say yep I'll give up smoking stop smoking for my baby and actually not themselves.
Pregnant mum talking to a health professional: I don't think, I wanna. I think I just wanna quit, just quit smoking. Okay yeah I just really wanna be a good mum and I don't if that means that I have to quit smoking then I'll quit smoking yeah.
Allira Cutmore: So in this DVD we take a closer look at having the conversation about quitting with Aboriginal women. We tackle some of the challenges that can come up and present some positive approaches you might like to try. By looking at three scenarios hearing from women who have quit and health professionals who support women to quit this DVD will explore how to open a conversation about quitting, how to revisit the conversation about quitting over time, how to work with some of the barriers that can arise, and how to support Aboriginal women in a culturally appropriate way that respects each woman's individual experience.
Breanna: Well I'm really proud of myself for quitting um and now I can run around with my kids without getting like puffed or going to the park and actually playing with him instead of sitting there having a smoke.
Natasha (Lisa): Oh it would mean a lot to me it would mean that you know I've beaten one of my number one goals which is to maintain a healthy lifestyle um also you know having some extra money in my pocket to spend on my baby and just showing my baby that you know there is a healthy life out there without smoking.
[Music]
Overlay: Yarning about Quitting was developed in partnership by NSW Kids and Families, the Health Education and Training Institute (HETI), and the Centre for Population Health.
With thanks to:
Project advisors:
Artwork
Raechel Saunders, Biripi Nation.
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Voiceover: Chrissie is a young Aboriginal woman visiting the antenatal clinic at her local hospital for the first time. Chrissie and her sister Leonie are meeting with Tracy, a midwife at the clinic. Tracy has spent some time getting to know Chrissie and Leonie and has completed some of Chrissie's physical checks. Asking about smoking is an important part of antenatal care and having established some rapport with Chrissie, Tracy feels it is a good time to bring smoking into the conversation.
Tracy: So that will have been really nice to hear the baby's heartbeat.
Chrissie: Yeah that was really cool yeah.
Tracy: So the baby's heartbeat was sitting around 148 beats a minute and that's within normal range and also you notice I measured your tummy, I was talking about that each week, you'll come along, each visit that you have measure your tummy just to make sure that baby is growing according to your weeks. So my role here as a midwife looking after you, is not only just looking at baby's growth and development, but it's also caring about your health as well and encourage you throughout your journey of pregnancy to look at your diet and your lifestyle. Women who smoke, or have been perhaps drinking prior to pregnancy and having any difficulties around that, then we're here to support all of our pregnant women. How have you been feeling whilst you've been pregnant?
Chrissie: No, tired yeah.
Tracy: And your Nan and your Mum, I noticed they went off they'll saying they'll go for a break to have a smoke, yeah. How do you find being pregnant, being around family members who smoke and around smoke?
Chrissie: It hasn't really bothered me, I smoke as well.
Tracy: Ok
Chrissie: Yeah
Tracy: I want you to be comfortable with telling me that and that we're here to help support women who smoke in pregnancy. What have you heard around smoking and women?
Chrissie: I've actually cut back smoking I don't smoke as much anymore. My Nan said that it wasn't good to smoke during pregnancy but I don't really I don't really know what's.
Tracy: Okay yeah, yeah so I can share a little bit of the information with you around that and you're saying you've cut back a little bit yet already? You must feel impressed with yourself for being able to do that.
Chrissie: Yeah.
Tracy: So I'll just share with you a little bit of information.
Tracy: You're saying that you weren't sorry you were saying that you weren't sure about the effects of smoking for the pregnancy and and I just wanted to talk to you about why we do encourage women to quit whilst they're pregnant. So through the umbilical cord from baby to your bloodstream, your baby relies on the oxygen that's coming through your blood supply.
Tracy: And all the nutrients, the food that you eat, the water that you drink and any chemicals and things that go into your body, caffeine and things like that that, goes through to the baby as well so each time somebody has a cigarette the actual level of nutrients and oxygen goes down.
Tracy: But could then can lead to the babies you know sort of in a pregnancy more likely to for women to have miscarriages, lead to stillbirth, or higher risk anyway. Some babies can have, are more likely to have asthma chest infections, ear infections and sickness and things like that, and in long-term learning and behavioral problems, they're linking a lot of that to smoking in pregnancy. How do you feel about after both of you seeing that information if you haven't seen it before?
Leonie: Yeah didn't have that when I was pregnant, didn't know any of that.
Chrissie: It's a bit.
Tracy: How does that make you feel Chrissie?
Chrissie: Like freaked out.
Tracy: But you know you're doing well already, in cutting back.
Chrissie nods.
Tracy: How do you think you might want to keep going with your cutting down for the pregnancy?
Chrissie: Um I don't think I want to, I think I just want to quit, just quit smoking.
Tracy: Okay.
Chrissie: Yeah I just really want to be a good mum and I if that means that I have to quit smoking then I'll quit smoking yeah so.
Tracy: And you know there's two benefits, obviously all the benefits for baby but also for your health too don't forget that it's actually helping your health for your future.
Did you notice Tracy used open-ended questions in her conversation with Chrissie?
Questions like.. How are you going with? What do you know about?
Open ended questions encourage a woman to explore what she thinks and feels about her smoking, and provide the opportunity to identify motivators for change.
Tracy: With thinking about giving away the smokes all together. What do you think may help you?
Leonie: You know I'd be here for you.
Chrissie: Yeah, my family maybe yeah family yeah.
Tracy: So having a chat with family always can be helpful because you're saying that your family do smoke and do you mind if I ask if you smoke inside the home?
Chrissie: Yeah, they yeah. Okay. My family does, well yeah.
Tracy: So that's a good place to start to maybe Leone, do you think you could help Chrissie with that, to have the conversation around?
Leonie: Yeah I can help her do that.
Tracy: The smoking inside the home. Obviously it can affect um all of your health and that the baby inside the womb but also little is like in your children, you're saying you've got two children as well and in the car as well to have smoke free home and smoke free car is a good step.
Tracy: So we do encourage you to you know lean on your friends and your family and but if you're finding it hard to quit the smokes all together then there are nicotine replacement therapies that you can use during the pregnancy such as a little lozenge which is about the size of a tic tac. Okay. Lozenges look a little bit like this.
Tracy: Quit for new life nurse has given us a few of these little samples to show and that's what an inhaler looks like as well, so we can go over this more with you if you decide that you would like to use a nicotine replacement therapy, if you're finding it hard.
Chrissie: OK.
Tracy: But you know quitting for pregnancy that's the the best way to go, we encourage all pregnant women to quit first by themselves but with support and then maybe think about some nicotine replacement therapy if they're having problems. And have you heard of the Quitline at all?
Chrissie: No.
Leonie: I do Sis, do you remember Brooke my friend?
Leonie: She used the Quitline.
Chrissie: Oh. Okay.
Leonie: She quit smoking, she said it helped.
Tracy: Okay yeah so there's the Aboriginal Quitline service and I've actually been down to visit them recently myself to see what the service was like and I highly recommend the Aboriginal Quitline. They meet your cultural needs and actually follow you through, you can call them after hours, which I think is great. Just a thought, how do you feel about if we called the Aboriginal Quitline together and I can link you up with one of the Aboriginal counsellors?
Chrissie: Like now?
Tracy: Yeah, we can actually use the phone.
Chrissie: Oh yeah.
Tracy: Get one of the counsellors online and um just have a little chat with them and see if um when it would best suit to give you a call. They tend to give you a call like once a week, once a fortnight whatever suits you. How do you feel about everything that we've spoken about today? Because it can be quite overwhelming when you're first book in for your first pregnancy.
Chrissie: Yeah it was a bit, I didn't know a lot of stuff but it was good, yeah.
Tracy: I just hope that you feel a little bit more confident and comfortable to be able to come back and ask us questions.
Leonie: That's good.
Did you notice how Tracey gave Chrissie the chance to think about what kind of support she might need to quit?
What did Tracy do to ensure timely support for Chrissie?
What else could Tracy have done?
Voiceover: Marlene is an Aboriginal woman pregnant with her third baby. Josie, an Aboriginal Health Worker and Evelyn a midwife are visiting Marlene at home for her 24-week check. Josie and Evelyn have talked with Marlene about smoking at all of her antenatal care visits. So far, Marlene has said that she's not interested in trying to quit. After having a yarn with Marlene about how she is going, Josie finds a good time to ask about smoking.
Josie: How you been going Marlene?
Marlene: Yeah, just a bit tired and stressed eh? Yeah, my Auntie's been coming around now for me when she can.
Evelyn: Charlie's good now?
Marlene: Yeah, after he was in hospital there with his asthma, still having his ventolin and seretide through the spacer.
Evelyn: Mm-hmm.
Marlene: And Jas' going good.
Josie: Good, and of course you got bub on the way so things are busy for ya.
Marlene: Sure is, be all that work you know trying to take care of kids and the house just a lot of stress.
Josie: Yeah it's busy isn't it? How you been going with the juuming?
Marlene: Youse'd already know eh, I tried to quit, just didn't work. I'm still smoking, looking for it more.
Josie: Have you? What since you been mubli?
Marlene: Yeah, just like for a few weeks now, just been on the stress, looking for it more.
Evelyn: That's just when you're pregnant you absorb a lot quicker.
Marlene: I don't even know what to do because I'm trying not to smoke as more and that stresses me out. But.
Evelyn: That can be withdrawals, you know maybe you think it's you're feeling more stressed but it could be you're actually withdrawing from the smokes, even though you haven't cut down a lot but because of your pregnancy uptake, yeah that's increased.
Josie: Yeah hey. You do you smoke inside or and in the car?
Marlene: Nah I'm not no more. You still smoking though but you smoke outside and not inside.
Josie: Don't you think that's good?
Evelyn: Oh yeah that's really great. That's that's great. That's a big change isn't is? Really good.
Josie: So as you know we provide a service called Quit for new life and what that is, is, we have products that are called nicotine replacement therapy which are your patches, your gum, your spray. I've actually brought some lozenges here today which I actually thought you might be interested in and what they do those products I help with your cravings.
Marlene: And they work?
Josie: Yeah well it's been shown that it actually doubles your chances of quitting, if you're using some of these products and it can actually help with the symptoms, so it can help with the cutting down and quitting helps with making it more manageable and easier for you, more comfortable.
Marlene: I dunno, I tried it before you know.
Evelyn: Mmm, did you try these before or just?
Marlene: Nah, I haven't tried anything like.
Josie: You just had cold turkey last time eh?
Marlene: Yeah it's just too much stress. Yeah.
Josie: Well they're yeah that's a the best thing about these products is that they actually been proven to to really give you that extra support in trying to quit and help manage with the physical symptoms of and craving to you know.
Marlene: And how do they work? If I was to have a go at it. How does that all work?
Josie: Well every product is different, so every product has their own specific instructions that you need to follow, but for example with these ones here, it's saying there that you'd actually have one of these lozenges, they look like little Tic Tacs. So you have one of those every one to two hours when you feel that need to have a smoke. Yeah. Yeah, so it's up to you how you want to do it if you wanted to try it try it for a day or if mornings suit you or in the evenings.
Marlene: Yeah I'll see how I go with it. Might try it for a couple of days.
Evelyn: Yeah, just see if it helps with those cravings.
Josie: No that's good. That's, that's deadly.
Evelyn: Right yeah that'd be really just a start, you know just a little start and just and you know don't stress yourself out with it. Don't.
Josie: You know you have to feel comfortable in making the decision and the decisions not only just for you it's about baby as well and other kids in the family.
Marlene: And that affects them, that'll be right for baby and that.
Evelyn: Oh yeah, yeah yes. It'll actually be helping baby.
Josie: Yeah it's safer than having a cigarette. Mmm. Because juums have got all those chemicals in them and nicotine and all out all those products have nicotine in them but only, you know, a small amount compared to a juum.
Marlene: Yeah, I might as well try for a couple of days.
Evelyn: Oh that's good. Mmm, that's good yeah.
Josie: But we can give you ring in a couple of days to see how you're going with them.
Marlene: Yeah I'll give these a go first eh?
Josie: And then if that doesn't work we'll try something else.
Marlene: Hmm sounds good.
Josie: Deadly.
Take a moment to think about:
Bill: So you're thinking about trying these?
Marlene: Yeah only in the morning.
Bill: Oh yeah.
Josie: Well what do you reckon Bill, about Marlene having a go?
Bill: Um I think it's awesome that she's having a go but I don't think I'll have a go but.
Josie: Yeah now that's all right. When you're ready or not, everyone's different.
Evelyn: Hmm. But anytime you change your mind we can always support you as well.
Bill: Oh at the moment it's pretty busy at work, it gets pretty stressful and that's what you want to do, is just have a juum and calm down a little bit from stressing out.
Josie: Yeah.
Bill: But I'lll support you in it, but I don't think that I'm gonna try them, but I'll support you hundred percent.
Josie: That's deadly, like what do you think are some of the ways that you can help?
Bill: We have already stopped smoking in the house. We don't smoke in the car, but um I could back her up one hundred percent and just a bit of comfort when I'm at work, I could ring her up on my breaks to see how she's going.
Josie: Yeah that sounds good.
Bill: Yeah, we notice the difference in the house too now we're smoking outside now.
Josie: Yeah now that's that's really good.
Bill: You still juuming eh?
Josie: Yeah still juuming, but you know as a health worker, you just learn the benefits of not smoking and just trying to spread the word to our mob and help people like Marlene and anyone that wants to have a go at it. Yeah yeah but I've cut down a little eh?
Evelyn: Yeah she's doing well.
Josie: But I'll just keep plugging away at it.
Bill: Yeah.
Josie: So how do you feel about all this?
Marlene: Yeah I feel good, you know the supports there.
Bill: It's a big change from last time you know like you're ready to make the plunge and try and give it a shot.
Marlene: Yeah looking for it more now though, if anything.
Josie: Yeah what a you know when I'm yarning with other women, I just think baby steps you know.
Bill: Well thanks for your support today ladies, um with what you're doing with Marlene, that's very helpful.
Evelyn: Good to see you.
Josie: Thanks for talking to us on your lunch break brother, we really appreciate it.
Bill: No worries, I'll see you sister girls later then. Alright. Take it easy. See you darlin.
Marlene: Later bub.
Josie: Ok. Seeya.
Did you notice that Josie and Evelyn provided Bill with the chance to say how he could support Marlene?
When Bill asked about Josie's smoking, what did you think about her response? What else could Josie have said?
Voiceover: Lisa is an Aboriginal woman who is pregnant with her second child. Lisa has been making a big effort to quit but hasn't been able to kick the last few smokes. Life is busy for Lisa and those few smokes feel like the only time she gets to stop and relax. Lisa has come to her local clinic to see Skye a midwife and Sharan an Aboriginal health worker for her 32 week check. Skye and Sharan have been seeing Lisa since her first appointment and had been providing support as she tries to quit.
Skye: Yeah and pregnancy wise how has everything been?
Lisa: Yeah good. Bubs is going really good. I don't, she's really strong and you know booting me a lot, so happy she's getting there.
Skye: And in terms of your cigarettes how are we going there?
Lisa: Yeah, really, really well actually. I'm, I've cut down from about 10 to 15 a day you know to about three to five, so.
Skye: Excellent.
Sharan: That's amazing.
Skye: That's really impressive and that's something to be really proud of.
Lisa: Yeah, yeah well I'm trying to keep it up and you know just trying to get rid of those last couple of cigarettes a day so.
Sharan: So how have you been doing that?
Lisa: With the lozenges that you gave me the last time, I've been trying those, um and they have helped a little bit, but I just find what you know when I'm out with friends or first thing of a morning when I wake up I still need to have that cigarette, you know just to let it all out and relax so.
Sharan: Yeah and last time we met we talked about some of the stresses that you sort of could identify and you were going to go away and think about what they might be and how we might counteract that and try something different so that you don't let those stresses get on top of you to have that cigarette.
Lisa: Yeah.
Sharan: Have managed to sort of had time to think about that?
Lisa: I find being around friends you know and as soon as they light up a cigarette that's the first thing that I go to do you know just out of habit, so it's just I'm finding it really hard break my habits and the moment, just those last couple.
Sharan: You're doing really incredibly well. So if you were in that instance what would you do? Like if you if it were out the front and family or friends turned up?
Lisa: Um, I think I've just got to try and be a little bit more stronger within myself you know and and I'm, have more mind over matter you know and just think about my baby more than my craving of nicotine so.
Sharan: Yeah, yeah, yeah and you've obviously done some research because you know the link with the smoking and baby and the harm behind that.
Lisa: Absolutely and I don't want that for my baby. I want a healthy baby. Yeah.
Sharan: And you will have a healthy baby.
Skye: Yeah absolutely and this is more long term as well, like it's not just to protect this baby now.
Lisa: No it's a long-term thing, the extra cash you know and the the fitness level of me about walking five meters down the road and getting a stitch you know or having to cough.
Skye: Yeah and I suppose the the positive you know feedback it gives your baby, as your baby grows up to not be a smoker as well.
Lisa: That's right I mean I grew up with a smoking mum and a smoking dad you know so I was smoking in the womb myself, you know.
Skye: Yeah.
Lisa: So yeah I definitely don't want that for my baby.
Did you notice how Sharan and Skye used open ended questions to allow Lisa to:
Sharan: And have you thought about how much money you've saved already?
Lisa: Absolutely, you know like I have quite enjoyed their extra cash that I've had in my pocket rather than spending it on daddy cigarettes.
Sharan: Yeah that's awesome. That's really, really good. So we've just got to get you to that point where you you just say I'm smoke-free.
Sharan: There are different options that we have available to help you with that.
Lisa: Okay.
Sharan: So would you like to talk about that, look at sort of?
Lisa: Yeah, I'd like any help that I can get.
Sharan: Lovely, okay. So we have here, we've tried the lozenges okay and they've been good to cut you to right down.
Sharan: We've had some success.
Lisa: Yeah, definitely. I have found that they you know they did help a little bit I said.
Sharan: These are patches and we do talk a little bit about that in the very beginning, back in the early days. Now you only need to wear that for 16 hours a day.
Lisa: What?
Sharan: So when you go to bed basically you take it off, you need to have that ideal break.
Sharan: But you leave it on for the rest of the time. So you put one on take that off at night and you put a new one on in the morning.
Sharan: So I really think that a combination those might help you get you over that line. I'm not sure how you feel about that, if it's something that you would like to try or?
Lisa: Well I definitely would like to try it um you know and I really do hope they work. As I said, you know, I've been trying really, really hard to give it up but you know I'm just really, really struggling with these last few, um so yeah.
Sharan: Okay well but apart from the nicotine replacement therapy, there was also another option and that is Quitline. Have you heard of Quitline?
Lisa: I have heard of them and I've seen posters around for them but I'm, I've never really taken the time to sort of get the number down or call.
Sharan: Okay, well I can give you their details, in fact I can actually forward your information to them and they can call you.
Lisa: Oh really?
Sharan: And so if you're out somewhere or anything, oh I need that smoke, I need someone to help me, talk to me, talk me through this and not let me smoke, you can ring them. They have Aboriginal Quitline counselors who are very skilled in talking you through that craving and getting you at the other side and give you lots of tips on how to go about avoiding having that cigarette or how to keep going on your, you know, smoking less journey. So I can give you those details as well.
Lisa: Yeah, that'll be really well with them.
Sharan: No problem at all. Excellent.
Skye: Great. So do you think maybe we should have a little listen to this baby and see how things are going with her for the day?
Lisa: Yeah, definitely I'd love that. Yeah.
Sharan and Skye shared some ideas that might assist Lisa to continue on her journey to quit.
Are there other strategies Sharan and Skye could have explored with Lisa to help her overcome her barriers to quitting?
Breanna: With my first pregnancy I tried and tried and just couldn't make it to the point where I actually quit fully and with this one I've seen like videos of people that have babies, when they're been smoking the whole way through and it just looks awful, how the baby's turned out real small and stuff and I want my baby to be healthy.
Natasha (Lisa): I remember the first time somebody spoke to me about smoking, it was not too confronting as it was something that I really wanted to knuckle down and do. The lady was really nice and was really open with me so I found it, you know, very, very easy to talk to and you know, get all that out of the way.
Joanne Andrew, Child and Family Health Nurse: I think I've learned a lot in the 15 years that I've been working with Aboriginal families. That it's okay to ask the difficult questions because when I first started, back in the day when I was a very green person that had lived in a city, Sydney, my whole life and gone out into the middle of the outback, I thought I won't ask that question, don't wanna upset the apple cart. I'm just fitting in, I've got to get them to trust me. Got to get them to know me before I would sort of go there. I'll build the relationship then the rest will come but part of building the relationship, I believe, is showing people that you actually care enough about you and your health and your family and everything in the bigger picture. That I'm okay to ask these questions and having the confidence that if you don't answer me, that's okay, you might next time. And just planting that seed that, little by little each time that I see you, I'm not going to shy away from those things that are difficult.
Allira Cutmore, Aboriginal Health Worker, Quit for New Life: Giving up smoking for anyone can be extremely hard, but I think for Aboriginal people it's that bit harder because it's so accepted within our community and our culture. It plays a major part in our lives, particularly you know, having a cuppa, having a smoke, you think with them.
Vivian Cain, Aboriginal Family Health Worker: Health workers have to keep in mind that the majority of Aboriginal women face a lot of emotional, physical and sexual abuse in their lives that then that they carry with them. Their cigarette then becomes their pal their silent pal then that they can talk only to the puff that they're having at that time. So that's not going to fix the, that's just putting the bandaid on the issues that the female is feeling, but it's also a best friend. As Aboriginal health workers it's our job to be out there to try and help the females deal with their issues, bit by bit. Or get them to the right place where they can talk to somebody about how they're feeling and what's their past and where they're heading in the future. And hopefully in the future we can get them to drop the cigarettes.
Jessica Westaway, Aboriginal Family Health Worker: So the things I find challenging are probably that I am a social smoker, so sometimes I feel like a bit of a hypocrite. But being in this position now as an Aboriginal health worker for years I've actually and I have actually quit in this process over the last couple of years, quit smoking for about eight months and then started it back up. But yeah, just being.. I just feel sort of like a hypocrite sometimes because I'm trying to teach them and help them to give up smoking. So that's quite challenging.
Vivian: So I am a smoker and but I make that quite clear at the start of our conversation that you know, ways that I get around not having a cigarette or what triggers me and then I, you know, I talk to the women about it as well to say more what triggers you to have a cigarette or what company are you in?
Joanne: A lot of women say that, you know, they believe when people don't ask about their smoking, when no one ever brings it up or no one is sort of willing to talk about it that it actually decreases their belief in themselves. Like they have said to me before that well nobody actually talks to me about quitting, so they mustn't think I can do it. It's a really important thing to keep at it. It's not just that one conversation that you have at one visit and never bring it up again. It's that constant bringing it to their attention, all the time, because it helps them believe in themselves and also you believe in me because you're asking me about this and you're willing to keep going there and keep going, so you're going to be with me on my journey.
Jessica: There is a time I have helped an Aboriginal woman along the journey of her giving up smoking. She was early days of pregnancy and she said to me, I've really got to give up these smokes, because you know I'm going to have a baby and it was her first child. So I just said to like, I supported her and said you know you can do it and I think your partner can give up smoking as well and they both actually gave up smoking for nine months and along that journey every time I did see her, which was on weekends as well, I just kept supporting her and high five-ing her and telling her, you know, you've done great and just think of how healthy your baby is going to be at the end of it all and not just you, but your partner and your baby as well. So yeah, at the end of that nine months when the baby was born they did continue giving up smoking for three weeks but now they're both smoking again but they were also hoping to join quit for new life again and get back on that pathway of giving up. So for me that's something I'll probably remember for the rest of my life. Sorry, it's really good.
Breanna: I ended up quitting about 20 weeks ago. Yep, it's been very hard. All the information that I got was extremely helpful. Like if I had that, if I didn't have that I probably be quit now.
Natasha (Lisa): I am super, super surprised. I've always thought, you know, I was going to be a smoker for the rest of my life because it's the only thing I've you know really kept on with. But now for my baby's sake it's it's definitely given me a new lease on life and to get healthy for my baby.
Breanna: Knowing that my baby will be healthy help me quit. And like, people around me giving me support, like my midwife ladies. They helped me a lot yeah. Keep pushing me and pushing me.
