Cut backs and lack of family support leaving new mums isolated

New mums are in danger of becoming totally isolated due to a combination of spending cuts and a lack of family support networks, a parenting charity is warning.

According to a survey commissioned by UK charity the NCT, 30 per cent of mums lived more than 40 miles away from their immediate family when they had their first baby.

As well as this, 23 per cent did not know any other parents in their local area.

This left one in five new mothers turning to the internet and parenting forums to get the daily help and advice they needed.

Mothers are also in danger of losing the friends they already have, with 55 per cent saying they spend less time with their former friends who did not have children.

The NCT is concerned that cut backs to local services, including Sure Start Children’s Centres, will make it even harder for mums to make new friends and access support.

To help support parents, the NCT is working with Bepanthen to increase its Bumps & Babies network.

The local groups are organised by parents for parents and run by volunteers.

NCT spokesperson Sally Horrox says: “New mums often feel isolated and lonely after the birth of their first child, and despite the support available online, there is no real substitute for face-to-face interaction with other parents who live near you.

“Many of the mums who took part in this research didn’t know where to go and who to meet up with in their local area in the first months after giving birth. This is incredibly worrying at such a crucial time in people’s lives. Our Bumps & Babies network aims to address this problem by encouraging mums to get out of the house and involved in their communities, providing them with a stress-free and friendly environment in which to spend time with their baby and meet other parents. Many of the groups are free, while others charge only a nominal fee to cover costs, so everyone can afford to attend during these difficult times.”

For more information, visit: www.nct.org.uk/bumpsandbabies