Managing Health Choices While Pregnant.

• Position: YOUR LIFE - Brief article

Can you imagine smoking cigarettes while pregnant? While it would seem controversial today, some women of prior generations engaged in many behaviors that now are widely believed to be harmful for mom, baby, or both during pregnancy, notes a "Health Below the Bump" survey commissioned by Monistat, Tarrytown, N.Y. The survey found the "rules" of pregnancy have changed dramatically over time, which leaves soon-to-be moms having to decode the latest news and advice to determine how best to manage their health.

Some 84% of women doubted the health choices they made during pregnancy, despite many making modifications such as changing what they ate (49%), what household cleaning supplies they used (27%), and which skin care products they employed (22%). Doubts likely...