Only one in two pregnant women say their doctor advised them about exercising, with more than half saying they had to raise the topic themselves, Australian research reveals.

Although many doctors, midwives and nurses “are uniquely positioned” to advise women about exercise during pregnancy, it’s possible that many don’t bring it up because they are unsure about what to recommend, researchers write in Women and Birth.

To assess whether healthcare providers were giving pregnant women guidance about exercise, the researchers recruited pregnant women attending appointments at 11 clinics and public and private hospitals within Queensland’s Rockhampton region to fill out a survey.

Of the 142 women who completed and returned it, just 49% said they had received exercise information from their doctors, with 56% of them adding that they had to initiate the conversation themselves.