Talking about smoking cessation with pregnant women: Exploring midwives' accounts

The aim of the current study was to use interviews to explore midwives’ experiences of talking to pregnant women about smoking cessation. Eight midwives based in one UK hospital took part in face-to-face semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis revealed that midwives were aware of health risks associated with smoking, saw providing smoking cessation advice as part of their role, would value more support from GPs, and were clear that support and a woman-centred approach were key. Failure to refer women for support was related to cumbersome or misunderstood referral procedures rather than reluctance to refer.