Loneliness in Pregnancy and Parenthood

Lots of us will have heard that well-known saying 'it takes a village to raise a child', but for many new parents this vision of a close and supportive community doesn't quite reflect their experience or how they're feeling.

Pregnancy and early parenthood is such a delicate and fragile time of life. Even for those of us who are lucky enough to have thoughtful family and friends around us, we can still feel an overwhelming sense of loneliness. Especially in the middle of the night and especially when we're desperately trying everything we can to soothe a crying baby. This loneliness can chip away at our wellbeing and for some it can be a catalyst for worrying thoughts and even serious mental health problems.  

Laura Seebohm has 25 years of experience supporting women with experience of the criminal justice system, addiction, and domestic abuse. Now the CEO of the Maternal Mental Health Alliance (MMHA), Tommee Tippee's charity partner, Laura and her team are working with us to shine a spotlight on mental wellbeing during and after pregnancy. Laura has written this post to raise awareness about loneliness during pregnancy and the postpartum period. 

The MMHA is a network of over 120 organisations, individuals, and now Tommee Tippee, all dedicated to raising awareness of mental health problems before, during and after pregnancy. We want to make things better for new and expectant mums who may be struggling at this extraordinary time and let them know that they are absolutely not alone.

If life with a bump or newborn is feeling lonely, you're certainly not the only one feeling that way. In a poll of 500 new mums carried out by the MMHA, it is of little surprise that loneliness came out as one of the most common experiences which respondents said impacted their mental health (43%).