The survey of 3,000 expectant women found that nearly half said their partners knew as much, if not more, about pregnancy as they did.

The report, commissioned by Johnson & Johnson, suggests men are becoming more involved in the ante-natal process, and offering more support to their partners.

Jealous guys

However, men also tend to demand more attention and get jealous of the attention given to their pregnant lovers, the report said.

Pregnancy does not appear to dampen the ardour of couples, with 40% of mothers-to -be saying they made love at least once a week.

But a certain lack of information on sex during pregnancy was evident from the 42% who said they feared it could harm the baby.

Baby blues

Workplace attitudes to pregnancy were not so positive, however, with 37% of women saying they believed it would lead to them being overlooked for promotion and pay increases.

Commenting on the reports findings, Sarah Wrench, Johnson & Johnson's marketing manager, said: "So many assumptions are made as to how exciting and nerve-racking the prospect of expecting a baby for the first time really is.