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Pregnancy planning in Sweden--a pilot study among 270 women attending antenatal clinics
Tanja Tydén1, Jenny Stern, Margaretha Nydahl
1Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden. tanja.tyden@pubcare.uu.se
Objective:
Health status and lifestyle before and at the time of conception could affect the health of both mother and child, but there is a lack of knowledge about the degree to which pregnancies are planned. The aim of this pilot study was to investigate whether and how women plan their pregnancies.
Material And Methods:
The main outcome measures were use of timetables, ovulation tests and lifestyle changes. Women (n= 322) visiting four antenatal clinics were asked to fill out a questionnaire (participation rate = 83.9%, n= 270).
Results:
Three of four pregnancies (n= 202) were very or rather well planned, whereas 4.4% (n= 12) were totally unplanned. During the planning period, 37.1% (n= 100) made up a timetable for getting pregnant, 23% (n= 62) used ovulation tests, 20.7% (n= 56) took folic acid and 10.4% (n= 28) changed alcohol consumption.
Conclusion:
Although a majority of these women had planned pregnancies, only one in five had taken folic acid during the planning period.
