Moving Through Motherhood

Background

Pregnancy is a unique life stage where lifestyle behaviours including how physically active expectant mothers are can significantly impact the health of mother and baby. However, physical activity (PA) amongst expectant mothers is disproportionately low; fewer than 11% are sufficiently active.

Findings from Phase 1 of the GW4 funded Moving Through Motherhood (MTM) project suggest that 1) diverse experiences of pregnancy make PA challenging, 2) expectant mothers experience stigma and judgement when trying to be physically active, and 3) there is an absence of clear accessible guidance regarding PA during pregnancy, and 4) that these issues are very evident in the South West region. The recent UK National Maternity review envisions effective healthcare support during pregnancy based on individual needs and circumstances, while WHO recognises addressing health inequalities and rising physical inactivity as global health priorities. These significant complex public health challenges can only be addressed through multidisciplinary and cross-sector collaboration.

This community previously received Initiator Funding for the project: Moving Through Motherhood

Project summary

The community used the Generator award to grow their network of important stakeholders, PPI advisors and in-community groups of expectant mothers. Then, in a series of workshops, the community and their wider network created a template for codesigning resources to support ante/postnatal physical activity, which could be applied to various future research settings. The stakeholders and expectant mothers collectively identified and explored different ideas for immediate further research and action that focussed more on new ways of working between healthcare and support sectors, and education and training for stakeholders. The community will continue to develop these plans in collaboration with their network, to apply for further external research funding.