ABSTRACT
Global interest in complementary and integrative medicine (CIM) has risen exponentially over recent decades, with recent research from a number of countries indicating that this interest in CIM may also extend to pregnancy. Women who use CIM during pregnancy are also increasingly likely to report more physical symptoms than women who do not. The self-prescribing of CIM products is prevalent during pregnancy, with studies revealing between 22 per cent and 71 per cent of women prescribe products for themselves. Although a growing number of studies have examined the prevalence of CIM use in pregnancy, few have provided in-depth, exclusive analysis of self-prescribed CIM product use in this population. The chapter turns attention to the analyses and findings from a contemporary study investigating the prescription and self-prescription of CIM products during pregnancy in a nationally representative sample of pregnant Australian women.
