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New Survey Reveals Steps Working Moms Could Take to Maximize Their Maternity Leave Time Many moms-to-be overlook tasks that could save them time and worry while on leave NEW YORK, May 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- A new survey of working mothers and mothers-to-be released today by iVillage, revealed that 73 percent of moms view making the most of their time away from work to bond with their new baby as their top concern for maternity leave. Results from the survey also suggest that moms may be able to spend more time with their baby if they were aware of some commonly overlooked tasks that could be done before baby arrives. Most moms are already doing a lot of the "fun" activities to prepare for baby's arrival, including purchasing baby products (90 percent) and decorating the nursery (68 percent). However, few moms completed some equally important tasks before taking maternity leave such as researching child care options and immunization schedules (51 and 36 percent respectively), thus taking away precious time that could have been spent bonding with their baby. "Expectant mothers have so many tasks to complete prior to baby's arrival that it's understandable they'd focus on the ones that are fun to think about, like shopping and decorating the nursery," said Kellie Gould, iVillage Editor- in-Chief and new mom. "We've made it easier for moms-to-be to accomplish some of the other important tasks prior to giving birth so that they can focus on their number one priority while on maternity leave -- bonding with their newborn. I encourage all expectant moms to visit iVillage.com/moms for invaluable tips and information on how to make the most of their maternity leave." The survey also confirmed that pediatricians play an important role for new moms during maternity leave. Sixty-one percent of moms said they rely on their pediatrician's advice to help quiet fears about the well-being of their child, second only to that from family members (69 percent). Moms who had taken their baby for well-baby visits at the pediatrician said they were extremely satisfied with their relationship with their child's physician (60 percent) and felt comfortable asking questions (64 percent). In the first two years of a baby's life, nearly every well visit includes vaccinations. The survey showed that many moms who have taken their baby for well-baby visits feel completely or somewhat helpless (59 percent), anxious (64 percent) and guilty (53 percent) because their babies receive so many shots and 43 percent of new moms said that they would like to reduce the number of shots that their child received. "Keeping a new infant happy and healthy can feel overwhelming at times, so for the baby's sake as well as their own, all new moms should do everything they can to lower their own stress levels," said Kathy Peel, woman and family issues expert and author. "Since vaccinations can be a source of stress, new moms should ask their pediatricians about options to lower the number of shots their babies receive. Combination vaccines can reduce the number of shots without compromising protection against serious childhood diseases." The Maternity Leave Experience Most moms surveyed reported an overall positive maternity leave experience. The survey revealed that 94 percent of moms enjoyed being home with their baby and only 13 percent reported that they missed going to work on a daily basis. New moms today who take maternity leave also have a good deal of support during their first few weeks at home with their new babies. The survey showed that many receive help from their spouse or significant other (77 percent), their own mother (61 percent), other family members (37 percent) and their spouse's or significant other's mother (30 percent). The survey also explored moms' experiences with returning to the workforce after maternity leave. The biggest issues that moms returning to work seemed to experience were missing their baby while away (91 percent) and feeling guilty about leaving the baby (67 percent). In terms of moms' transition back to work, 42 percent said it was extremely or very easy and 75 percent felt that their colleagues were very supportive of their new role as a mother. About iVillage Inc. iVillage is "the Internet for women" and consists of several online and offline media-based properties that seek to enrich the lives of women, teenage girls and parents through the offering of unique content, community applications, tools and interactive features. iVillage Inc. (NASDAQ:IVIL) was established in 1995 and is headquartered in New York City. Average monthly page views for iVillage.com and its affiliate Web sites ("The iVillage Network") totaled nearly 443 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2005. In March 2005, according to comScore Media Metrix, The iVillage Network ranked 30th among the top 100 Web and Digital Media properties with approximately 17.3 million unique visitors in the United States and had an average reach of more than 10.5% of the total online population and nearly 14 percent of women 18+ online. Also, according to the same report, The iVillage Network was the number one "women's community site" and the number four "community site" overall on the Web. About the Survey Data was collected online between April 4 and April 11, 2005, with a nationally representative sample of 1,366 new and expectant mothers. The survey was funded through support from GlaxoSmithKline. DATASOURCE: iVillage Inc. CONTACT: Paul Kenjarski, +1-212-798-9848, for iVillage Inc. Web site: http://www.ivillage.com/ http://www.ivillage.com/moms

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