'Fragmented post-natal care system failing women'

POSTNATAL care in the UK is failing women, with new mothers reporting feeling overwhelmed and lonely, according to a new report.

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Patients face a “fragmented” system “that is dangerously underfunded and understaffed” in the weeks and months after giving birth, the National Childbirth Trust (NCT) said.

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.