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UK Wedding News

16/01/2014

First-Time Mothers 'Struggle With Motherhood'

A new study has revealed that the average first-time mum does not fully enjoy motherhood until their baby is six months old.

The research, which was carried out by Nurofen for Children, revealed that a high number of women feel stressed as they try to adjust to motherhood. More than half admitted they were surprised at the knock in confidence they had taken following the birth because they didn't know what they were doing. Health, illness, feeding and safety were the issues a number of new mothers admitted they were unsure about.

For one in six mothers, they didn't really start to enjoy their little one until they passed their first birthday. Elsewhere, some 52% felt like they had "lost their identity" after having a child, and 35% missed being able to leave the house and going to work. 55% found it difficult getting used to the fact they couldn't go out whenever they wanted to anymore, while 52% said it was necessary to carve out a new circle of friends so that they could socialise with people in the same circumstances.

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Many mothers were in agreement however, that the most challenging aspect for new mothers was the lack of knowledge about their new role. Many were often unsure why their baby was crying, why their baby wouldn't sleep or how to get the baby settled into a routine. Knowing when their baby was ill was another area leaving mothers confused. For just under half of mothers, they felt their performance as a parent was always being judged by others, while only 56% felt their partner provided enough support during the first few months of parenthood.

It isn't all bad news for mothers though, as eight in 10 said that having a child is "the best thing they've ever done".

A spokeswoman for Nurofen for Children, which commissioned the report, said: "When thinking about motherhood we tend to assume it's the pregnancy which is the main hurdle, and that when the baby is born we'll feel that first rush of love and then everything will be okay.

"In reality, the really hard work starts when the baby enters the world. There is a huge amount of adjustment for both parents, but for mums in particular as they go from being independent, career focussed people to having to spend 24 hours a day caring for someone else.

"And this can take a while to get used to - particularly as during the course of just 12 months a baby's needs change so rapidly."

(JP)

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"A new study has revealed that the average first-time mum does not fully enjoy motherhood until their baby is six months old."