New mothers’ plea for help

Two in five new mothers have struggled to cope with the demands of parenting during the first few weeks after birth, with a similar amount admitting getting “angry” with their baby, according to a new poll.

A further one in five were frequently very upset at their child’s crying during the first eight weeks, NSPCC said. Almost three-quarters of new mothers wanted more professional advice before their baby was born, on subjects such as how to deal with anxiety, fear and depression, the effects of their own sleep deprivation and how to cope with their baby’s crying and sleeplessness.