AbstractWomen who had recently had their first babies were surveyed to identify their unmet needs for information, the ease with which they could ask questions of health professionals and family and friends, their locus of control, self‐care and self‐knowledge. Of the 281 women surveyed, 221 responded, giving a response rate of 78.6 per cent.More than 50 per cent of the respondents felt they had too little information on special tests done in pregnancy, postnatal care and ‘blues’, caesarean section and induction of labour. Only 48 per cent of the women felt that they could question their doctor with ease. Most of the decisions about what happened during their pregnancy and labour were made by others for 31 per cent of the women. Of the smokers, 38 per cent stopped smoking during pregnancy. However some women lacked the self‐knowledge for future self‐care, as only 34 per cent of the respondents knew the result of their cer