New Moms Are Tech-Savvy, Empowered and Private No More

NEW YORK, Oct. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Heidi Murkoff, bestselling author of the What to Expect series, the world's most popular pregnancy and parenting books, and creator of WhatToExpect.com, presented findings of a new study commissioned by Everyday Health, Inc., publisher of the successful preconception, pregnancy, and parenting website, to a group of journalists and members of the media buying community in New York City, on October 13, 2010.

The study provides an inside look at expectant and new moms and what drives them.  "I call it mom power - and it's a force like no other. It drives moms and moms-to-be to search out the answers to their questions, find the support, reassurance, and empathy they crave, and most of all connect with other moms just like them – sharing everything from their belly photos to their ultrasounds, from their symptoms to their cravings," Murkoff said.  "And more and more, she's tapping into technology - mobile web browsing, photo sharing, and phone apps - to make it all happen."

Called "Delivering A Mom, How Today's New Moms Learn, Decide & Buy," the research was conducted by Just Ask A Woman, one of the country's top women's research firms.  The comprehensive data was collected via a two-phased research study including qualitative listening sessions and "self-nographies" and quantitative research among more than 2,000 pregnant women, new and experienced moms. It focused on their media consumption, influences, buying behavior, attitudes and personal transformations.

"Moms are always evolving to keep up and keep connected – and they're always looking for new and innovative ways to make pregnancy and parenting easier, more satisfying, less stressful, more  enjoyable," explained Murkoff, "and this research showed exactly what they're looking for and where.  Let's face it moms have always been amazing, but this fascinating research showed just how incredibly confident and empowered today's mom is, how open she's become about pregnancy and parenting, and how eager she is to share insights, tips, and resources with other moms who are going through the exact same experience at the same time.  She's pregnant and proud – out from behind those yards of polyester that used to keep her beautiful belly a secret.  She's celebrating her pregnancy calling attention to her pregnant curves – in fact, today's maternity fashion, all those tights, stretchy cute clothes, is a great metaphor for that pregnancy pride.

"And to say that today's moms are embracing technology along with their bellies is an understatement.  The research showed that they are twice as likely to use Twitter – I should know, I Tweet with them - and 32% more likely to use a Smartphone than the national average of users. From tweeting the results of a pregnancy test, to putting sonograms on their profiles, to texting friends and family just seconds after the birth of their child - well, we've come a long way, mommy!"

Three Categories of Moms

The "Delivering a Mom" study identified three distinct segments of women in terms of how they approached decision making:  The Plan-Aheader, The Right-on-Timer, and The Lagger. "The Plan-Aheader likes to be prepared, skips ahead in books and online, can be an 'inexperienced influencer', and is more likely to change her mind because of her early decisions," explained Laura Klein, Senior Vice President, Everyday Health Inc., publisher of WhatToExpect.com. 72% of first time pregnant women are Plan-Aheaders. "The Right-on-Timer takes each phase as it comes, does research and makes product choices based on her current needs. This often minimizes unwanted and unused items because her choices are thoughtful. Moms with more experience are more likely to be in this group," Klein continued.  "Lastly, The Lagger mom is often the one playing catch-up, feeling chaotic and overwhelmed.  We found that this mom-to-be was more likely to take advice from others and when making purchasing decisions, likely to select what others have chosen."

Murkoff concluded, "Today's moms and moms-to-be are connecting like never before, and using technology  that moms just ten years ago would never thought possible. Best of all, they're part of a virtual global community of moms, a family really, they can turn to 24/7 to learn from, share with, celebrate with every magical (and challenging) moment.  That's mom power at work!"

About Heidi Murkoff

Heidi Murkoff, author of the bestselling What to Expect ® series of pregnancy and parenting books, has helped guide more than 40 million families worldwide from conception through the toddler years and beyond.  Now it its fourth edition, the book, written by Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel, has been translated into 40 languages and has been on the New York Times Best Seller list for more than 480 weeks. According to USA Today, this parenting book, known as the "Bible" to moms across the world, is read by 93 percent of all expecting mothers who read a pregnancy guide. 

About WhatToExpect.com

WhatToExpect.com, published by Everyday Health, Inc., is the online home to Heidi Murkoff's globally recognized parenting and pregnancy brand, What to Expect®.  The site has an average of 2 million unique users per month with a community activity every 1.5 seconds.  

SOURCE WhatToExpect.com