Page 148 - Pro-active Management of Women’s Health after Cardiometabolic Complicated Pregnancies

146 | Part 3 Lifestyle intervention are shown in table 3.4.1.
Attitude and intention
Women considered the main components of a healthy lifestyle to be a healthy diet, sufficient physical activity, no smoking, limited alcohol use, little stress, and a healthy environment to live in. All participants expressed the desire for living a healthy postpartum lifestyle, and most stated that they had the intention to adopt a healthy lifestyle shortly after delivery.
Motivators and subjective norm
After their complicated pregnancy, women felt that they were more aware of the vulnerability of their health condition, the importance of being in good health, and of the importance of a healthy lifestyle: “I’ve never been so conscious of my health as after my pregnancy.” A healthy lifestyle after delivery was perceived as important, desirable, and a way of taking good care of themselves and their children. By adopting a healthy lifestyle women expected to promote both their physical and psychological health condition and to feel more energetic. The desire to be a good role model for their children also motivated them to adopt a healthy lifestyle. Women who were breastfeeding stated that a healthy diet was considered important because of the direct influence of their diet on the nutrition of their newborn.
Promotion of a future health condition was also reported to be a motivator for adopting a healthy postpartum lifestyle. Women stated that they wanted to live a healthy lifestyle to prevent recurrence of the old complication: “If I want to have another baby in two years, I believe I have to improve my weight and physical condition - just in case it all goes wrong again, and I have another too small baby”. Furthermore, the majority said that their increased