Women eat more healthily and do more exercise after having a baby than ever before, according to a new study.

Prior to parenthood, women would think nothing of eating ready meals and takeaways while putting their feet up in front of the TV after a long day at their desk.

However, once their baby starts weaning, mums’ focus turns to providing nutritious, healthy meals for all the family, while their days are spent running around after their youngster and pounding the pavements with the pushchair for hours.

Indeed, eight in 10 of the mums polled, by Mamas & Papas, admitted they have never felt healthier, and having a child has had a positive effect on their own well being.

The trend is highlighted by TV presenter Fearne Cotton, who is mum to two-year-old Rex and five-month-old Honey, and has recently been pictured running around after her children on the beach while on holiday in Brazil.

The 34-year-old has also written a healthy family cook book which is due to be released later this year.

Zoe Woolls, Head of Design at Mamas & Papas and mum to 3 year old Parker, said: “Becoming a mum is a life-changing experience in almost every area of our day-to-day lives.

“Not only do you have yourself to worry about, but you are now responsible for another human being who is dependent on you completely for the first few years of their lives.

“Naturally, many women are keen to get fit and healthy after having a baby, but it seems their little one could also be helping them.

“Once a baby is eating solids, mums become more concerned with making sure the family meals are as healthy and nutritious as possible – something they might not have been so concerned about beforehand.

“And running around after a baby – particularly once they start crawling and walking – means many mums are probably far more active than they ever were before starting their family.”

Almost three-quarters of mums admit they were more relaxed about what they ate before having a baby – eating ready meals, having snacks instead of proper meals and going days without any fruit and vegetables.

But two thirds of those polled said that as soon as they started weaning their little one, their own diet started to improve significantly, with eight in 10 mums more likely to cook from scratch.

Fifty-six per cent also admitted to buying more fruit and vegetables for pureeing, leading to eating more themselves because items were in the house.

Six in 10 mums wanted to make sure everything they made for their children and the family was healthy and nutritious, and as their child got older 52 per cent made sure they ate the same foods to set a good example to their child.

In keeping with the baby’s routine, a third of mums found themselves having more regular mealtimes and more healthy snacks in between.

Three quarters of mums admit they spend more time than ever now thinking about the nutritional content of the meals they make, and the food they buy, since having a baby.

Zoe continueed: “Eating healthily and getting a good amount of exercise has never been easier thanks to the easy access mums have to blogs, websites and recipes.

It no longer needs to be the chore it used to be in the past – there are even buggy boot camps springing up across the country where you can exercise with your baby to avoid any childcare issues.”

The study also shows new mums exercise almost three times more than they did before having a child.

It emerged the women previously spent an average of two hours and 45 minutes a week exercising before they had the responsibilities that come with having children. This went up to six hours after having a child.

Six in 10 mums will make more of an effort to go to the gym, go out for a run or attend exercise classes, and in addition, will walk around the neighbourhood with the buggy for an additional four hours and 22 minutes each week.