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Table 2 Summary of barriers and facilitators to healthy eating behaviour specific to the stages of pregnancy

From: A qualitative exploration of influences on eating behaviour throughout pregnancy

 

Barriers

Facilitators

Early-pregnancy

• Physical symptoms

• Heightened anxiety, especially for those who had previously suffered pregnancy loss or complications

Mid-pregnancy

• Feeling back to normal/reduced physical symptoms

• Being visibly pregnant

• Eating for two

• Receiving healthy scan/test results

• Feeling back to normal/reduced physical symptoms

• Increased connectedness with the pregnancy

• Receiving healthy scan/test results

Late-pregnancy

• Anxiety surrounding birth plans

• Being visibly pregnant

• Eating for two

• Feeling fed up/the physical burden of pregnancy

• Belief baby will not be affected by food choices so late in pregnancy

• Receiving healthy scan/test results

• Feeling back to normal/reduced physical symptoms

• Concerns about gestational weight gain

• Thinking about future postnatal health

• Upcoming glucose test

• Receiving healthy scan/test results