Women ‘being failed by underfunded and understaffed’ UK postnatal care

Key Highlights

• Feeling overwhelmed should never be considered a normal part of early parenthood, they added. The NCT report included a survey of 2,000 new and expectant parents across the UK, including 500 women who were pregnant at the time.
• Almost a quarter – 24% – said they did not have regular access to NHS staff in the weeks and months after birth. Nearly nine in 10 (87%) reported feeling overwhelmed at least some of the time, with 22% always feeling overwhelmed.
• Meanwhile, 62% reported feeling lonely sometimes, with 12% saying they felt lonely all of the time. More than half (59%) of pregnant women said they worried about their mental health. The NCT chief executive, Angela McConville, said: “Every major report has shown that the UK’s maternity system is failing to provide safe, compassionate care.“Becoming a parent is rarely one-dimensional.
• It can be joyful, frightening, overwhelming and messy, often all at once, and that kaleidoscope of emotions is shaped profoundly by the care and support families receive. Why does postnatal care only last a few weeks?
• New data shows it should be years | Devi SridharRead more“At one of the most vulnerable times in their lives, too many parents tell us they feel unsafe, unsupported and denied genuine choice.”Michelle Welsh, the Labour MP for Sherwood Forest and chair of the all-party parliamentary group on maternity, said the NCT report was “deeply troubling”.