NEWS COPY w/ VIDEO & INFOGRAPHIC
According to a new survey, the “rules” of pregnancy have changed over time, which leaves soon-to-be moms having to decode the latest news and advice to determine how to best manage their health.
The study of 2,000 mothers found that 84 percent of expectant mothers doubted the health choices they made during pregnancy.
In fact, despite many making modifications such as changing what they ate (49 percent), what household cleaning supplies they used (27 percent), and which skin care products they used (22 percent), pregnant mothers were still regularly unsure of themselves.
A study conducted by OnePoll in conjunction with Monistat looked into the pregnancy advice given to expectant mothers and how that’s evolved over generations.
Results showed that three in five think that they handled their own pregnancy very differently to how their mothers actually handled their pregnancies.
“With new advancements in medical research each year, health guidelines for pregnancy are often changing and that can lead to confusion for mom, especially when decades of great moms before her likely weren’t privy to the latest guidance,” says Dr. Alyssa Dweck, an OB-GYN, author, women’s health expert and MONISTAT spokeswoman. “Of course, there are core guidelines that have stood the test of decades, but as the years progress, there are discernible generational shifts in pregnancy practices given the new information available” added Dr. Dweck.
With so much to worry about during pregnancy, it is not surprising that women are concerned about the choices they have to make about their health.
More than a quarter admitted that they received differing advice from other women and 38 percent noted that the information provided by their doctors was significantly different from what their mothers were told when pregnant.
One health decision that many pregnant women had to face was how to treat a yeast infection, which is as much as 10 times more likely to occur during pregnancy.
Shockingly, the survey revealed that 54 percent of women were not aware that there was a potential health risk when taking the leading prescription pill (fluconazole) to treat yeast infections during pregnancy and nearly half of these women actually took the pill to treat their yeast infections while pregnant.
“With the concerns associated with fluconazole, I recommend MONISTAT 7 day for vaginal yeast infections in pregnant women” advises Dr. Alyssa Dweck. “Seven-day topical treatments are the CDC’s only recommended form of yeast infection treatment in pregnant women, and MONISTAT relieves symptoms four times faster than the prescription oral pill. If you are pregnant, you should consult your healthcare professional prior to using any medication” says Dr. Dweck.
When it comes to advice, the study also found that women are more open to taking advice from strangers, with over 66 percent of women aged 18-24 getting information from online pregnancy forums.
That being said, there is plenty of unsolicited advice that pregnant women face regularly. In fact, more than a third (36 percent) of expectant mothers felt there was an overabundance of information shared during pregnancy.
A further 84 percent of expectant mothers admit to getting unsolicited advice from family and friends.
The number one nugget of advice that surprised older mothers that modern expectant women get is to avoid cutting your hair- with 42 percent of those surveyed revealing this was advice they were given while pregnant.
While 33 percent were told to eliminate cold cuts from their diets another 33 percent were told to avoid eating a new vegetable that they’ve never tried.
Other things that pregnant women were told to avoid include the touch of a cat (32 percent), laying flat on their backs (29 percent), dying their hair (25 percent), and eating sweets (23 percent).
TOP 20 PIECES OF ADVICE THAT SURPRISED OLDER GENERATIONS
Don’t cut your hair 42%
Eliminate cold cuts from your diet 33%
Avoid eating a new vegetable you’ve never tried 33%
Avoid touching cats 32%
Don’t lay flat on your back 29%
Don’t dye your hair 25%
Avoid eating sweets 23%
Avoid changing cat litter 21%
Avoid unpasteurized dairy 20%
Don’t use ibuprofen 17%
Keep a food diary to ensure you are keeping up with daily requirements 17%
Avoid uncooked eggs 16%
Limit coffee intake 15%
Avoid saunas 15%
Add 300-500 calories to your diet a day 15%
Avoid seafood that is high in mercury 15%
Avoid raw fish 14%
Don’t drink alcohol 12%
Avoid flying on an airplane during third trimester 12%
Join a prenatal yoga or exercise class 12%
TOP 10 DOCTOR-GIVEN PREGNANCY ADVICE
Take a prenatal vitamin 64%
Don’t drink alcohol 59%
Don’t smoke 57%
Rest when you can/nap 51%
Minimize stress 46%
Exercise 41%
Have a car seat prepared for when the baby arrives 37%
Avoid saunas 27%
Don’t use ibuprofen 27%
Stop changing cat litter 25%
TOP 10 PREGNANCY WORRIES
The health of my baby 62%
Preparing for the pain of childbirth 46%
Finances 43%
Being prepared to care for a baby 45%
My own health 43%
Not getting sick while pregnant 36%
Making it to the hospital in time 34%
Making sure I was eating enough 31%
Following the ‘rules’ of pregnancy from doctor 30%
Baby proofing my home 28%
TOP 10 PREGNANCY SURPRISES
Food cravings 34%
My feet swelling 33%
Morning sickness 33%
Stretch marks 32%
Unexpected emotions 32%
Heartburn 32%
Sore breasts 31%
Frequent urination 31%
Difficulty sleeping 31%
Frequent discomforts 25%
TOP 5 PEOPLE WHO GAVE MOST USEFUL ADVICE
Doctors 60%
My mom 48%
Nurses 33%
My friends who have gone through a pregnancy 30%
Other female relatives 20%
