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Monday, 6 March, 2000, 09:09 GMT

Women 'scared of birth'

Nine out of 10 women pregnant for the first time are frightened of giving birth, a survey has found.

Pregnancy and Birth magazine quizzed more than 2,000 women in the UK to draw up a profile of first-time mothers-to-be.

The survey revealed the average first-time mother-to-be is 28, married and has spent six months trying to conceive.

Other findings included:

One-in-five first-time pregnancies were unplanned
Four out of five women said they were happy to be expecting
Some 87% of pregnant women admitted they were frightened of giving birth
Half said they would be disappointed if they could not have a natural labour
Nearly two-thirds (65%) of first-time mothers-to-be are married, 26% are living with a partner and 9% are single

The survey also found women in a relationship have been with the father of their child for an average of six years and have had five previous sexual partners.

Their partner is 31 on average, and eight out of ten partners have been "supportive" during the pregnancy.

The survey, for Pregnancy and Birth magazine, also found that most parents-to-be did not change their lifestyles before conceiving and are unprepared financially for the arrival of their baby.

Nine out of ten couples drank in the days and months before the pregnancy - and 41% said they had been drinking on the night they conceived.

On the night of conception men had an average of five drinks and women four.

But once they discover they are pregnant, 57% of women give up alcohol and 26% cut down on drinking.

Half of couples (one or both) smoke before conception.

Once pregnant, 50% of women give up, but one-in-five continue to smoke an average of nine cigarettes a day.

The survey highlighted regional variations in the ages and lifestyles of pregnant women.

Women from the South and South West are the oldest first-time mothers at 29, while the youngest are from Northern Ireland, with an average age of 25.

Scottish men are 32 on average when their partner first becomes pregnant, while those from Wales and Northern Ireland are the youngest at 29.

Yorkshire women are the least likely to exercise when pregnant, with just 33% keeping fit compared with the 43% national average.

Mothers-to-be from the North West are most likely to say they feel sexier when pregnant - 46% compared with 39% in the UK as a whole.

And while just 31% of women nationally say people are more courteous and kind to them when they are pregnant, half of those in the North East say they find public attitudes change for the better.

Related to this story:
Accidental pregnancies 'may be planned' (08 Mar 99 | Health)
Pregnancy alcohol limits 'too high' (27 Jan 00 | Health)
Pregnant women ignore tobacco warning (18 Jan 00 | Health)
Teens shy from sex advice (08 Feb 99 | Health)
Abortions jump 20% after millennium (01 Mar 00 | Health)

Internet links: National Childbirth Trust | Childbirth.org |
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Health Contents: Medical notes | Background Briefings |