First Breath

First Breath is a free, statewide program that helps pregnant women, new mothers, and their families quit smoking. Smoking has many harmful effects on a person's health, but these effects are doubled for babies both during pregnancy and after birth. Effects vary from case to case pertaining to overall health and nutrition of the baby, but there are no risk-free levels of exposure. Among the effects of secondhand smoke babies experience include frequent and severe asthma attacks, ear infections, SIDS and even death. According to the CDC, smoking during pregnancy results in more than 1,000 infant deaths annually.

The First Breath program provides no judgement, just support. Pregnant and new mothers (with babies up to 6 months old) receive monthly one-on-one counseling with a First Breath Quit Coach and text message support. Each mom will setup a “quit plan” with the coach that is personalized for them and will receive educational materials, home visits, phone calls and/or text message support as needed to help them quit and not relapse postpartum.

Partners, grandparents, caregivers and women with babies older than 6 months can also sign up for the First Breath program. The free services offered include an education session with a First Breath Quit Coach and smoking assessments. Participants are also given support through text messages and are referred to the Wisconsin Tobacco Quit Line for additional counseling and quit smoking medications.