Page 25 - Zero for nine: Reducing alcohol use during pregnancy via health counselling and Internet-based computer-tailored feedback

who were strongly motivated to stop drinking alcohol to state the 1 advantages of quitting. She discussed the disadvantages of alcohol use
and the advantages of stopping with women who were moderately or
not motivated to stop drinking alcohol. During this step, the midwife
advised the pregnant woman to stop drinking alcohol. In step 3, the midwife discussed the barriers for successful quitting. In addition, she discussed how a significant other could help the participant when she found it difficult to abstain from alcohol. In step 4, a self-help guide was provided, which was adapted from an intervention on smoking in pregnancy (De Vries, et al., 2006a). Additionally, the midwife mentioned relevant websites where the pregnant woman could find additional information on the consequences of prenatal alcohol use and tips on how to stop drinking. The midwife informed the participant how she could develop action plans for quitting and coping plans with problems she might encounter when trying not to drink alcohol. In step 5, the midwife asked participants to set a date for quitting alcohol consumption.
Feedback session 2 took place approximately six weeks after feedback session 1 and consisted of step 6. In this step, the midwife reassessed the alcohol use of the pregnant woman. If the pregnant woman had stopped drinking alcohol, the midwife talked with her about her experiences with alcohol abstinence; if the pregnant woman had not stopped drinking alcohol, the midwife explained her that she was still capable of stopping. The midwife and the pregnant woman discussed difficult situations and coping plans.
Feedback session 3 took place approximately six weeks after feedback session 2 and consisted of step 7. In this step, the midwife again assessed the participant’s alcohol use. She discussed with the participant why it was important to remain abstinent from alcohol during the remainder of her pregnancy and provided tips for maintaining this behaviour change. In addition, she discussed the implications of alcohol use for breastfeeding.
General Introduction
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