First year is the loneliest, say new mothers

THE majority of new mothers find the first year with their baby the loneliest time of their lives, a survey shows today.

The poll of 2,000 new mothers, commissioned by Mother & Baby magazine and Tesco, suggests that many women find it a struggle to adapt to motherhood.

Almost two-thirds said they lived a considerable distance away from their own mothers, and felt cut off from friends, family and work colleagues. More than half felt “lonely and isolated where they live”, almost half had “never really spoken to their neighbours”, and 87% lamented the loss of their pre-baby social life.