A damning report by the National Childbirth Trust (NCT) has revealed that thousands of new mothers in the UK feel unsafe, unsupported, and overwhelmed in the weeks and months after giving birth. The report, which surveyed over 2,000 new and expectant parents across the country, paints a concerning picture of a postnatal care system that is “dangerously underfunded and understaffed”.
According to the findings, almost a quarter (24%) of new mothers said they did not have regular access to NHS staff in the period following birth. Furthermore, a staggering 87% reported feeling overwhelmed at least some of the time, with 22% always feeling this way. Loneliness was also a major issue, with 62% of respondents saying they felt lonely at times, and 12% feeling lonely all the time.
The report’s findings were described as “deeply troubling” by experts, who warned that too many women were being “left without a safety net at one of the most important and vulnerable times of their lives”. Angela McConville, the NCT’s chief executive, stated that “at one of the most vulnerable times in their lives, too many parents tell us they feel unsafe, unsupported and denied genuine choice.”
The report’s damning conclusions have prompted a swift response from the government. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson acknowledged the “stark inequalities” highlighted in the report and stated that “women should get the support they need in their baby’s first months of life.” The government also pointed to a number of initiatives aimed at improving maternity services, including a national maternity and neonatal investigation and a £130 million investment to make maternity and neonatal units safer.
However, the NCT’s report has reignited calls for a full statutory inquiry into the state of postnatal care in the UK. Michelle Welsh, the Labour MP for Sherwood Forest and chair of the all-party parliamentary group on maternity, described the findings as “deeply troubling” and called for urgent action to ensure that “feeling overwhelmed, isolated or unsafe” is no longer considered a “normal part of pregnancy, birth or early parenthood.”
As the government’s review into maternity and neonatal care in England is set to report this spring, the NCT’s report serves as a stark reminder of the pressing need to address the failings of the UK’s postnatal care system and ensure that new mothers receive the support and care they deserve.