How are you ? It’s a small phrase that means a lot in the postpartum. Provided that the new parent dares to confide and that his interlocutor agrees to hear something other than the endless happy clichés. All those who have gone through it and who are going through it testify to it: the postpartum period is a moment of great vulnerability and fatigue that have nothing to do with the love one has for one’s child.
Postpartum: A new study on parental feelings
More and more research studies this complex period and allows us to take stock of the physical and mental state of mothers and co-parents.
A new study, conducted by Ipsos on behalf of a baby formula brand, polled 117 midwives and 426 parents to find out how they felt after the birth of a child. Not surprisingly, fatigue reigns supreme in these few weeks or months after giving birth. Thus, 88% of parents say they are happy, but 88% also feel emotional and/or physical tiredness. In detail, 79% of mothers are mentally exhausted and 85% are physically exhausted versus 72% of fathers who experience mental and 78% physical exhaustion, respectively.
Postpartum: how to help parents?
These figures reflect the vulnerability of parents in the face of a change in existence as intense as it is sudden. Keeping one or more totally dependent young people is exhausting and dizzying. Admitting it doesn’t question or imply anything other than an established fact: parenting is a blast.
The study highlights the need to support new parents. Postpartum affects not only the parents who experience it directly, but also their loved ones and society as a whole. These numbers tell us that we should assume that parents will be tired and frail, and that they will be relieved to receive help and compassion. ” And how are you ? », « If you want, I have some time today and tomorrow, do you want me to come and do some cleaning / watch the baby while you sleep / prepare some food? “. Lots of little touches that lift parents up and out of isolation.
If you have people around you who are going through this dizzying moment, do not hesitate to help, if you can, within the limits of your means and your abilities.
Source: Madmoizelle
Mary Crossley is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. She is a seasoned journalist who is dedicated to delivering the latest news to her readers. With a keen sense of what’s important, Mary covers a wide range of topics, from politics to lifestyle and everything in between.
