Post-natal care ‘failing’ women with new parents overwhelmed and lonely – report

An NCT survey of pregnant women also found that around six in 10 worry about the safety of where they will give birth and have fears over how they will be treated by healthcare staff.

Others report not feeling listened to or respected during pregnancy, with concerns not taken seriously.

Experts warned that too many people “are being left without a safety net at one of the most important and vulnerable times of their lives” and feelings of being unsafe or overwhelmed should never be considered a normal part of pregnancy, birth or early parenthood.

The NCT report includes a poll of 2,000 new and expectant parents across the UK, including 500 women who were pregnant at the time.

The research found that 24% of new parents did not have regular access to healthcare professionals in the weeks and months after birth, with a quarter saying they had not been able to access support when they needed it.

Almost nine in 10 (87%) reported feeling overwhelmed at least some of the time, with 22% saying they always felt overwhelmed.

Some 62% reported feeling lonely sometimes, with 12% saying they felt lonely all of the time.

The survey also found that 56% of women who were pregnant at the time worried about whether the place they wanted their baby to be born was safe, while 60% had fears about how they would be treated by medical professionals.

Some 23% told the survey they did not feel listened to or respected during pregnancy, 20% said they felt their concerns were not taken seriously and 18% said they did not give consent for all of the decisions being made.

More than half (59%) of pregnant women said they worried about their mental health.

The NCT is calling for the Government to listen to parents but also to midwives and doctors on the frontline “under extreme pressure”.

Angela McConville, NCT chief executive, 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.

“At one of the most vulnerable times in their lives, too many parents tell us they feel unsafe, unsupported, and denied genuine choice.”

India Beckinsale, 33, who works for the NCT, gave birth to her son at around seven months pregnant in 2021.

She went to hospital with concerns over reduced movements and told the Press Association she was there for “hours and hours” as the belt used to monitor the baby kicking did not work.

Mrs Beckinsale, who is from Bristol but now lives in Wales, was sent home but went back the same evening when her waters broke.

However, staff told her she was not in labour and she was left in a waiting room for 48 hours.

“Nobody even checked me,” Mrs Beckinsale told PA. “Eventually I got myself a bed in a waiting area, and this midwife came in. At this point, these contractions were every two minutes apart and I knew I was in labour.

“I remember her face so clearly, and she said, ‘you’re not in labour, stop making such a fuss’”.

Mrs Beckinsale told PA the midwife examined her without consent only to discover she was around 9-10cm dilated and ready to push. Her son was born not breathing and had to be resuscitated.

Earlier the same year, Mrs Beckinsale had suffered a miscarriage and lost so much blood that she was kept in hospital for weeks.

She described the first year after having her son as a “blur”.

“I was put on medication for anxiety because I was just so sick to my stomach nervous all the time. I felt unable to really track my own thoughts,” she said.

She told PA she thought her baby would die if she took her eyes off him, adding: “I spiralled completely.

“It was meeting other mums who had been through similar that really kind of brought me back to life a little bit.”

Mrs Beckinsale has since given birth to a daughter under a different trust and described the experiences as “night and day”.

Last year, Health Secretary Wes Streeting ordered a review into maternity and neonatal care in England, although some families have called for a full statutory inquiry.

The investigation, led by Baroness Valerie Amos, is due to report in the spring and will cover 12 NHS trusts.

Ms McConville added: “We know outcomes and experiences improve when women and birthing people are trusted, listened to, given clear information, and cared for without discrimination.

“There are already solutions on the table that can make huge gains towards achieving this.

“Investment, staffing, training and accountability must be prioritised to ensure every parent can feel confident, supported and heard.”

Michelle Welsh, MP for Sherwood Forest and chairwoman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Maternity, said: “This deeply troubling research confirms what families and frontline staff have been telling us for years: too many parents are being left without a safety net at one of the most important and vulnerable times of their lives.

“Feeling overwhelmed, isolated or unsafe should never be considered a normal part of pregnancy, birth or early parenthood.”

She added: “We urgently need sustained investment in maternity and post-natal services, safe staffing levels, and guaranteed, high-quality follow-up care for every parent after birth.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “Women should be able to give birth safely and receive the support they need in their newborn’s first months of life, and it’s unacceptable that stark inequalities persist for women and babies.

“We expect all women to be offered a postnatal check-up with their GP at 6–8 weeks after birth, which includes physical and mental health support.

“This government is taking urgent action to improve maternity services – launching a national maternity and neonatal investigation, which includes identifying the drivers of inequalities, investing over £130 million to make maternity and neonatal units safer, rolling out a programme to reduce avoidable brain injuries and backing Martha’s Rule.”