A new survey reveals that the majority of parents and parents-to-be in the UK still feel that there are significant barriers preventing women from returning to work after having a baby.A new poll found that parents believe inflexible working hours (77%), high childcare costs (87%) and lack of family support nearby (68%) make it difficult for women to return to the workplace.
However, it seems that it is not only practical concerns that put women off. Nearly a third of women say that they lack the confidence to return to work after having a baby and, over a half of all females interviewed, feel that unsupportive managers make returning to the workplace hard.
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The survey also investigated whether parents felt that they had been well supported during pregnancy and, following the arrival of their new baby. It found that:
 Three quarters of all people interviewed felt that they got the most support from their family during and after pregnancy
Despite well-publicised media reports about midwifery services, it seems that parents are largely happy with them - 52% of parents saying they were well supported by their midwife
Surprisingly, more people felt that they got support from websites than their individual family GP
The good news is that the results also show people are taking health advice seriously and are making lifestyle changes, such as eating a healthy balanced diet, giving up smoking or cutting down on alcohol intake to help conceive. Over 36% of all people trying for a baby would take supplements to ensure they get the right nutrients.
April 2008
The research was carried out by ICM for Sanatogen ProNatal between the 7th – 9th March 2008 amongst adults aged 18-45
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