25/01/2022
Posted • We all know how challenging that first year of parenthood can be. But in the last 2 years, I’ve seen a huge increase in parents really struggling with , , and . Many mums had to give birth without their partners during the pandemic, and a huge proportion have been cut off from emotional and practical support during the lockdowns.
We surveyed 27 families this month, and 57% said they'd experienced mental health issues in their baby’s first year.
“It is no wonder that we have suffered so badly, having to fend for ourselves at a time where we need reassurance and care,” agrees Tessa van der Vord, a Specialist Mental Health based in South West London. “It’s lonely, isolating, and uncertain. There’s a common quote, “it takes a village to raise a child” – but these parents had no village in the height of the pandemic.
Similar surveys between 2010 and 2020 gave figures between 20% and 40%, so we’re seeing a worrying upwards trend. This finding is backed up by the Babies in Lockdown report, which found that 6 in 10 (61%) parents had significant concerns about their mental health in the first 6 months of the pandemic.
But when it comes to mental health, it’s often simple everyday actions that can have the biggest impact. Like using a baby carrier and going for a walk with your baby. A whopping 98% of those parents surveyed said they or their partner had used a baby carrier, sling or wrap during their baby’s first year; with 89% stating that it had positively impacted their mental health.
It really is the little things that can make the biggest difference.
I set up Wear My Baby 8 years ago to do just that, supporting Mums and Dads who were struggling in those early days of parenting.
Baby carriers aren’t just another gadget or trend: carrying our babies is something humans have done throughout history. At a time when we’ve been physically separated from those we love, keeping our babies close has never been more important.
LINK IN BIO FOR FULL ARTICLE AND SURVEY RESULTS.
