New survey reveals new mums are crying out for realistic reassurance
New research, released today by Johnson’s Baby, has found that almost one in five (18%) new mums have experienced moments where they’ve felt no bond with their baby.
And worryingly, new mums are not sharing their bonding concerns with loved ones; less than half (42%) would share these worries with their partner, just a quarter (23%) would go to their mothers and one in ten new mums (11%) would share their concerns with no one.
Over three quarters (77%) of mums agree that hearing stories from other new mums about the realities of the bonding process would have been reassuring and almost one third of mums (31%) wish they had been told it’s only natural to be overwhelmed by the pressures of new motherhood.
Celebrity mum Melanie Sykes wishes she’d had real-life advice when pregnant:
"I was screaming out really to hear another woman telling me her experiences that I could relate to and be able to laugh at. In doing so I'm sure I would have been freed of any pressure or worry I was feeling."
“I don’t think there is enough realistic advice out there for new mums. It’s a bit of a bubble and it all seems to be so perfect and chocolate box and that’s not the reality. You don’t often hear about the grim side of it and it’s important to, it keeps you sane.”
Almost half (46%) of new mums found the reality of motherhood harder than they expected and one in five (20%) felt they found the experience harder than their friends.
New mums cited the following pressures as those which they felt affected the mother-baby bond:
• Lack of sleep (41%)
• Feeling overwhelmed by the pressures of new motherhood (25%)
• Feeling hormonal (24%)
• Trying/wanting but not being able to breastfeed (13%)
• Missing the freedom they had before (12%)
• Going back to work (9%)
• Not enough time to spend with baby (9%)
May 2008
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