Pregnant women rely on mothers’ advice the most--study

BBC News quoted, Jane Brewin, chief executive of baby charity Tommy’s, as saying, “It’s only natural to want to talk about the significant changes that happen to a woman’s body and how she feels; mums and close friends often have first-hand experience and tips that are helpful.”

Study details
For the study, researchers interviewed women who had babies during three generations--1970s, 1980s and 2000s, and compared the results to determine if there was a variation in what pregnant women thought best for them and their child.

Researchers talked about pregnancy-related and childbirth advice with seven women who bore children in the 1970s along with 12 of their daughters who gave birth in the 2000s.

They also talked to 24 women who gave birth in the 1980s and analyzed all the interviews.

Study findings
Analysis revealed that women bearing children in the 1970s relied most on the advice of their mothers or family members.

On the other hand, women having babies in 2000 and later tended to take mixed advice from mothers, doctors, midwives, books, magazines and internet.

However, this group of contemporary mothers was also inclined to follow the advice of a close one, especially when dealing with a specific symptom.

Conclusions
Lead researcher, Professor Paula Nicolson, RHUL, was quoted by BBC News as saying, “When it comes to the crunch-if women feel sick for example-they will take their mother’s or their grandmother’s advice.”

Nicolson added, “They wouldn’t necessarily recognize how important it was to them, but it would override the science.”

Simultaneously, being all ears to varied guidelines causes anxieties in pregnant women, stated Nicolson.

“Lack of self-confidence also can lead to worry about ‘doing the wrong thing’ which is potentially more harmful than taking the odd glass of wine or eating soft cheese,” added the researcher.

“Women had to ‘strike a balance’ about what advice they took. However, we always stress that if any mum-to-be is worried about anything during their pregnancy they should seek medical advice without delay,” BBC News cited Brewin as saying.

The study appears in the Journal of Health Psychology.