Despite social media, Irish mums remain traditional when it comes to sharing pregnancy news according to new Pregnacare survey

· Nearly three quarters of Irish mums keep their baby news a secret until at least 12 weeks

· 82% shared the news with family and friends in person rather than using social media

· 85% say that choosing the baby’s name is a joint decision made with their partner

· 96% have shunned the idea of ‘gender reveal’ parties

· 4 in 10 said that female intuition led them to take a pregnancy test

· TV personality and radio presenter Jennifer Zamparelli announced as face of Pregnacare’s new ‘Keeping Mum’ campaign

It appears Irish mums are sticking to tradition when it comes to sharing their baby news as nearly three quarters (71%) prefer to keep their pregnancy under wraps until at least 12 weeks, according to a new survey by Pregnacare, Ireland’s number 1 pregnancy supplement*.

Pregnacare commissioned the survey* as part of their new ‘Keeping Mum’ campaign and the online poll was completed by over 1,200 respondents. The survey has helped Pregnacare understand how mums deal with the early stages of their pregnancies, from how they found out they were expecting to how they kept their news under wraps until they felt it was safe to tell people.

22% of respondents said they couldn’t keep it a secret and everyone knew by the 8 week mark but 50% of those surveyed said they told family and friends at the end of the first trimester. 21% said they actually waited longer and didn’t tell people until later. An unfortunate 7% said as soon their morning sickness began, their pregnancy couldn’t remain a secret any longer.

Despite the contemporary habit of sharing daily events on social media, the personal touch is still important for Irish mums with an overwhelming 82% choosing to tell their family and friends face to face.

Furthermore, Irish mums are also maintaining tradition when it comes to the revealing their baby’s gender with only 4% of those surveyed saying they were planning an event (along the lines of the infamous ‘gender reveal party’) to tell people if they were expecting a boy or a girl.

The idea of ‘female intuition’ still stands also with 39% reporting that feeling ‘something was different’, was a main symptom of their early pregnancy.

Choosing the baby’s name can often be up for debate however 85% of those surveyed said that the name will be a joint decision between them and their partner.

Maintaining a healthy diet throughout pregnancy can be tricky with 45% of those surveyed said they managed to eat healthily throughout although 12% reported they felt too ill to continue to eat normally.

71% of expectant mums said they had taken nutritional supplements when they were thinking about getting pregnant with Pregnacare Conception being named the most popular brand. 49% said they took a pregnancy supplement for their entire pregnancy while 26% reported that they had taken folic acid until the twelve week mark when they began taking pregnancy supplements. Almost two thirds (64%) of those surveyed said they started taking supplements between weeks 4 to 6 of their pregnancy while 22% said they began taking their supplements between weeks 7 – 14.

Maintaining your usual lifestyle can be tricky during pregnancy and particularly if you’re not yet at the stage where you feel comfortable sharing news. Just over half of those surveyed tried to keep the same day to day routine but that it wasn’t always possible. 26% said their lifestyle didn’t really change at all but the remaining 16% of expectant mums said their lifestyles completely changed and that their routine was totally different.

Just over half of those surveyed (53%) said they found hiding their pregnancy in the first 12 weeks difficult. Avoiding alcohol means nights out are often when mums-to-be can unwittingly reveal their secret with over a third of those surveyed said they volunteered as the designated driver early in their first trimester, while 21% chose to simply pretend their drinks were alcoholic. Other tactics included saying they weren’t in the mood to drink, that they were on antibiotics and some even said they were too hungover from the night before!

Pregnacare are delighted to reveal RTÉ TV and radio personality Jennifer Zamparelli as their Brand Ambassador for the ‘Keeping Mum’ campaign. Jennifer had previously worked with Pregnacare following the birth of her first child in 2015 and is expecting her second child in early 2018.

Jennifer Zamparelli says:

“I’m thrilled to be involved in the Pregnacare ‘Keeping Mum’ campaign. Finding out you’re pregnant but not wanting to openly share your news can make the first few weeks a really tricky time. When morning sickness is added to the mix, that makes things harder too – I have found it difficult to keep anything down at the beginning of my pregnancies so it was reassuring to know that Pregnacare was providing all the nutrients the babies and I needed to stay healthy.”

Furthermore, dietitian Orla Walsh will also be supporting the campaign helping to ensure that expectant mums are aware of the optimal nutrition they and their babies need to help ensure a healthy pregnancy.

Orla Walsh says:

“There can be a lot of conflicting advice about pregnancy and mums are often reluctant to discuss their news before 12 weeks as this is when miscarriages are most likely to happen. However, it’s often a time when mums experience symptoms such as morning sickness or nausea which can lead to them not eating properly.

The first 12 weeks are vital in terms of the baby’s development so a supplement specifically designed for pregnancy supplies all the nutrients and vitamins required for a healthy pregnancy. With this ‘Keeping Mum campaign, we’re trying to make sure that mums understand the best way to keep themselves and their babies healthy.”

*Survey was undertaken by EUMoM in September 2017 on behalf of Pregnacare and had 1,124 respondents

www.pregnacare.ie

Winner of Best Maternity Supplement at the Mums and Tots Awards, 2016