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Another lockdown will be detrimental to the mental health of mothers like me

Writer Hattie Gladwell with her son, who was born in the height of lockdown
Writer Hattie Gladwell with her son, who was born in the height of lockdown

When I first became pregnant last summer, I imagined life as a new mother to be difficult. But I was comforted by the idea of frequent support from family, friends, and from postnatal groups and professionals. But this wasn’t the case.

I gave birth to my son in April 2020, at the beginning of the UK’s COVID-19 lockdown. Now almost six months later, we face another. And I couldn’t be more terrified for how this will further impact new mothers like me.

While I was lucky to have had the support of my partner during my cesarean section (many mothers giving birth in lockdown had to go through the early stages of labour and even birth without their partners present), he had to leave once I moved onto the postnatal ward. And I spent three days recovering from the section and caring for my baby in the hospital alone.

Everyone warns you that becoming a new mother will be hard, but it is so much harder when you are isolated. It was heartbreaking having to FaceTime my parents to show them their new grandson when all they wanted was to cuddle him. It was uncomfortable having to decline people the opportunity to peer over the pram when they asked how old my son was.

I joined online Facebook groups in replacement of face-to-face mum and baby groups. I have seen my health visitor in person once since my baby was born.

I imagined meeting new mothers, socialising my new baby, being able to speak to my GP face to face about postnatal concerns, and taking my baby out to soft play centres.

Not only have I, and many other new mums, missed out on social opportunities, but pretty much on anything normal.

Becoming a new mum already takes you out of your ‘normal’. It is overwhelming and scary and exhausting. Isolated at home with my partner, struggling to pay the rent on my maternity leave without him working, I longed for my mother and other family members to be able to pop in to give me a break. To spend some time with my baby while I showered or put a wash on or got thirty minutes of much needed sleep.

Having family around you for support is such an important part of becoming a new mum. It helps keep you grounded when things get especially tough. It gives you that respite your body and mind so desperately craves. But I, and other new mothers, have not experienced that.

My mental health has suffered as a result. It has heightened my anxiety and I have struggled with loneliness. I’m lucky enough to be under the perinatal mental health team due to a long-term diagnosis of bipolar disorder, but appointments are every six weeks over the phone.

Other help is limited. And, with COVID-19 being the main focus of NHS services, I feel maternal mental health has been left behind.

According to the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists, as many as one in five women develop a mental health problem during pregnancy or within the first year after the birth of their baby, with around 10 - 15 in every 100 women experiencing postnatal depression, according to the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

A recent study by Maternal Mental Health Alliance members Best Beginnings, Home-Start UK and Parent-Infant Foundation explored the impact of the pandemic and lockdown on new and expectant parents, and found that it has had a detrimental effect on their mental wellbeing.

The report found that six in 10 parents had significant concerns about their mental health, and that only three in 10 were confident enough to seek mental health support.

The main concern for new parents was their emotional and mental health.

When the first lockdown restrictions eased, so did some of the burden. It was amazing seeing my son get to spend time with his granny. To be able to experience some normality when I needed it. To experience baby-led activities beyond a walk to the park. It was wonderful being able to meet up with other mums and to watch my son look curiously over at other babies.

It was nice to experience just a slice of what new mothers are meant to experience.

It scares me that another lockdown will take that away once again. I do understand the need for it, but from a mental health point of view it worries me, especially when medical support is so limited right now.

The Mental Health Foundation adds that lockdown restrictions mean there are ‘far fewer opportunities’ for perinatal mental health problems to be identified, by people close by or by primary care services.

Which is not only a concern for mothers, but ‘because of the negative effects of postnatal depression, on babies’ own emotional health, and their social and cognitive development’.

For this reason, I think there need to be exceptions made for new mothers in terms of support bubbles and indoor access into their homes and those of family. Access to in-person mother and baby groups should be vital. Face-to-face midwife appointments should be an option.

Alongside this, I believe paid maternity leave should be extended, this is not the maternity leave any of us imagined after all.

Essentially, what we have experienced isn’t ‘maternity leave’. It’s statutory sick pay with a baby.

Are you a new mother? Has the pandemic impacted your mental health? Tell us in the comments section below