The pregnancy quiz that helps expectant mothers: Annual conception quizzes can improve women’s health, experts say

Experts recommend that women of childbearing age should be asked about their opinion about pregnancy every year.

Doctors, pharmacists, sexual health clinics, teachers and social media sites can encourage women to think about their ideas about starting a family and better prepare for pregnancy.

Health experts say the 12-month discussion can identify those who are about to become pregnant, who need to lose weight, take folic acid or exercise more.

Research shows that asking women if they want a child isn’t deep enough, as those who say no are more likely to get pregnant the following year. But with just three questions – whether women would mind getting pregnant in the next three months, whether they would find pregnancy exciting and whether a baby would make it difficult to achieve other things in life – those likely to conceive soon become .

These women can then be helped to conceive in a healthier state, reducing the risk of miscarriage.

Dr Jenny Hall from University College London conducted a study of how 1,000 women aged 15 to 50 respond to questions about pregnancy. She said: “GPs are very busy at the moment so they don’t necessarily need to talk to women about pregnancy.

“But it can be raised at school, by nurses doing routine blood tests, or through social media questionnaires that link to advice. Identifying women who are about to become pregnant can help them prepare … rather than trying to get healthier when they are already pregnant, which may be too late.”

Last year, researchers tested an American-developed and UK-approved survey on women’s desire to have children. They are asked to what extent they agree with statements such as B. that the thought of having a baby within a year makes them “sad” or “stressed”.

It was shown to be extremely good, predicting nearly 80 percent of women who would become pregnant in the next 12 months.

An unpublished study led by dr. Hall found that women’s agreement with the statement “I wouldn’t mind if I got pregnant in three months” was the best predictor of whether they would get pregnant.

Experts recommend that women receive the full 14-statement survey or a shorter list of just three statements each year. According to a soon-to-be-published study, less than half of women who are actively trying to conceive are actually preparing for pregnancy.

Almost half of women in the UK are overweight when they get pregnant.

And evidence shows that around 60 percent are at increased risk of having problems because of things like drinking, smoking or their pre-pregnancy weight. Male partners, which is also important, can lose weight and become healthier as well.

The team of Dr. Hall published a paper in The Lancet Public Health journal calling for clearly labeled information for women before they become pregnant.