New mums will consult internet above family

A SURVEY of Irish women in maternity care has found they are more likely to search the internet for health advice than ask family and friends.

Healthcare professionals were the most popular source of healthcare advice in a survey of 130 new mothers, but they were closely followed by the internet.

Only after checking the internet the surveyed mothers said they consulted friends and family and then other mothers.

Despite the economic downturn, almost half of the mothers surveyed opted for private healthcare.

They said they opted to “go private” for health and safety reasons. The second most important reason was financial, followed by privacy, comfort and recommendations from friends and family.

But of the women who used public healthcare, 80 per cent said they would recommend that first-time mothers choose to have their baby in a public ward.

The survey was carried out by Irish company Eumom, which hosts a website for new families.

The women were also asked about their shopping habits and where they source health advice.

More than 70 per cent of the new mothers surveyed regularly shopped online where they bought clothes, health and beauty products, baby products and toys.

The most important factors affecting purchasing decisions by the new mothers surveyed were the price, value for money and ease and convenience.

Rose Kervick, managing director of Eumom, said the company had started 10 years ago and since then the number of births had increased from 55,000 a year to an annual rate of 75,000.

“Over that time the amount of information and support available to new mothers has dramatically changed,” she said.

“Mothers revealed they now use the internet to research health advice rather than family and friends.”

Ms Kervick also said it was interesting that although more than 70 per cent of those surveyed said that they shopped online, their shopping decisions were mainly influenced by word of mouth through advice from friends and family.