XENIA, Ohio (WDTN) – Greene County Public Health (GHPH) announced Friday a program that offers free diapers to expectant mothers who quit smoking.

Expectant mothers who enroll in the program can earn free diapers for a year if they quit smoking and remain non-smokers throughout their pregnancy and after the baby is born.

Baby & Me™ – Tobacco Free is an evidence-based, smoking cessation program created to reduce the burden of tobacco on the pregnant and postpartum population. By providing counseling support and resources to pregnant women, it is the goal of the program that they will quit smoking and maintain smoking cessation through the postpartum period and beyond.

GCOH said the program has been very successful in helping women quit smoking and stay quit, resulting in improved birth outcomes and long-term positive outcomes for women, children, and their families.

Pregnant women eligible to enroll in the program are referred to their local agency implementing the program. Women attend four prenatal counseling cessation sessions to receive education and support for quitting smoking and staying quit, and test using a carbon monoxide (CO) monitor (breath test). At prenatal sessions 3 and 4, women may receive their first two diaper vouchers, if they test tobacco-free.

After the birth of the baby, women return monthly to continue CO monitoring and if proven to be smoke-free, receive a monthly diaper voucher for up to twelve months postpartum.

Diaper vouchers can be used for any brand or size of diapers at Walmart. A smoker who lives with the pregnant woman can also enroll into the program and if that person successfully quits smoking, may also receive diaper vouchers during the postpartum period.

For questions or more information on enrolling in the program, please contact Nancy Kessinger at 937-374-5679 or by email at nkessinger@gcph.info.