Modern Russian women take motherhood more and more seriously and more often begin to consciously and in advance prepare for pregnancy. Such data were obtained in the course of research by the Ipsos agency and the Bayer company on pregnancy planning.
Preparing for pregnancy and planning it is a relatively new trend for Russia, which is most common among women with higher education and upper middle income living in large cities. In the regions of Russia, as well as among the older generation, pregnancy is still more often perceived as a natural process that does not involve preparation.
Interestingly, the motivation and behavior of women preparing for motherhood differ significantly. A kind of typology even stands out in this area. The first type ("Planners for 360") includes mainly young women living in metropolitan areas. As a rule, they lead a healthy lifestyle, regularly visit doctors, and often go to research before pregnancy with a partner. To get information about pregnancy, they visit a gynecologist, turn to more experienced friends and study thematic Internet resources.
Other existing categories of expectant mothers to one degree or another share the traditional attitude to pregnancy inherited from Soviet times. For example, women who tend to unconditionally trust doctors in matters of pregnancy: for them, the first stage of preparation for future motherhood is a visit to a gynecologist, after which they strictly follow the instructions received from the doctor. Sources of information for this type of women are specialized magazines, women's forums, TV programs about health and pregnancy.
Women, representing the third type, listen, first of all, to their own intuition. They also consult with a gynecologist before starting conception attempts and follow his recommendations, but their own "inner voice" is equally important for them. Their approach to pregnancy is more emotional than rational, with a priority on creating a positive emotional environment rather than seeking information. Expectant mothers who trust their intuition receive additional information from advertisements, articles in glossy magazines, or from older relatives.
Finally, women belonging to the fourth type of expectant mothers rely on the natural course of things when it comes to pregnancy. They tend to perceive reality somewhat pessimistically. They prefer to live in the present rather than the future, are not inclined to plan and are inactive in seeking information. They mainly discuss pregnancy with friends and older relatives.
Meanwhile, preparation for pregnancy includes a number of important points that cannot be ignored, since it is important for the proper development of the unborn child and the health of the mother herself. These include giving up bad habits, a correct and varied diet, moderate physical activity, a favorable emotional background (reducing the level of stress).
Before pregnancy, it is important to undergo a full medical examination (including a visit to a gynecologist) in order to identify and solve possible health problems, as well as to select an additional source of certain nutrients that are necessary during this period of a woman's life. This is especially important in the realities of big cities, where it is not easy to find products that can compensate for the deficiency of nutrients, while identifying their correct proportions necessary for the body.
You need to start taking a special multivitamin complex about two months before the intended conception. It is designed to meet the needs for vitamins and microelements and help the unborn child to develop correctly. For example, "Elevit" from Bayer is the only complex with clinically proven efficacy: its intake reduces the risks of developing congenital fetal abnormalities by 92%, the frequency of toxicosis by 54%, significantly reduces the likelihood of anemia, and also minimizes the number of premature births by almost 2 times.
The birth of a child, especially if this is the first experience of motherhood for a woman, is always a responsible step, and preparation for it will help make him calmer and more confident, which will have a positive effect on the state of the expectant mother and baby.
