There is a clear link between a mother’s health before pregnancy, the risks she is exposed to or exposes herself to, and her baby’s health. We know that healthy women who have fewer complications in pregnancy are more likely to have healthy babies who grow into healthy children. However, 45% of pregnancies are unplanned or associated with feelings of ambivalence and even amongst those who do plan their pregnancy, a relatively small proportion of women currently modify behaviours pre-pregnancy. Women don’t necessarily consult a health professional before becoming pregnant and are therefore not necessarily aware of how to reduce any risks.

The #ReadyforPregnancy campaign aimed to address this by raising awareness of all the positive things women can do prior to conception to help improve fertility, pregnancy health and their baby’s future health. It is a good example of maximising limited financial resources by working in partnership across a wide range of professional and voluntary organisations. This evaluation report reviews and summaries the success of the campaign.

For more information about the #ReadyforPregnancy campaign visit: southeastclinicalnetworks.nhs.uk/readyforpregnancy

Published: December 2021