Gestational weight gain counselling gaps as perceived by pregnant women and new mothers: Findings from the electronic maternal health survey

Abstract

Problem: Too much or too little gestational weight gain (GWG) can negatively impact maternal and fetal health, according to Institute of Medicine Guidelines.

Background: Health care providers are key players in providing reliable evidence-informed prenatal advice related to appropriate GWG. However, there appears to be inconsistent GWG communication among healthcare providers during prenatal care.

Aim: To determine pregnant women and new mothers' perceptions of healthcare provider GWG and dietary counselling during the pregnancy period.

Methods: A reliable and validated cross-sectional electronic survey was administered to currently pregnant women and women who had recently given birth. The web-based questionnaire was self-administered and took 10-25min.

Findings: A total of 1507 eligible women participated in the survey. More than half (57%) reported that their healthcare provider talked to them about personal weight gain limits. Of these participants, about a third (34%) of participants were counselled regularly at each or most visits. Among the women that were not counselled on personal GWG limits, over half (56%) reported that healthcare provider guidance would have been helpful to achieve their target weight. Less than half (45%) of participants reported that their healthcare providers discussed dietary requirements or changes in pregnancy.

Discussion: These findings highlight areas for improvement in prenatal dialogue, which can support better outcomes for both mother and baby.

Conclusion: A better understanding of pregnant and mothers' perceptions about weight and diet counselling is needed to understand what may need greater attention and clarification and to improve such dialogue.

Keywords: Gestational weight gain; Healthcare provider communication; Pregnancy; Prenatal counselling; Prenatal healthcare.