‘You go from a happy life to one out of your control’
Each day this week we will look back to a memorable story from the last five years of The Yorkshire Post’s Loneliness: The Hidden Epidemic campaign.
NINE OUT of 10 new mothers feel lonely after the birth of their child, and since 2014, The Yorkshire Post has reported many times on their experiences – and efforts to keep mums connected.
In October 2017, we reported on research by Channel Mum that dubbed today’s mothers “the most isolated generation ever”. Sheffield mother-of-three Katie Hayward, told how throwing herself into baby activities to combat the loneliness she felt as a new mother led to her helping others in the same situation.
Her loneliness was compounded by a new wave of grief for her own mother, who died when she was a teenager, and she went on to found Little Sheffield, a voluntary organisation which runs events for parents and a website full of local activities so no one has to be stuck inside on their own.
She said: “You go from living a nice happy life, to living one that’s pretty much out of your control.
“Everything revolves around your child, around feeding times, nappy changes and nap times.
“It’s ongoing and relentless, and that’s before the sleep deprivation. It takes so much effort to get out.”
In May last year, new research by the Co-op and the British Red Cross highlighted loneliness among young mothers, with 82 per cent of mothers under 30 admitting to feeling lonely some of the time. Mother-of-two Shannon, 20, told how a HomeStart group for young mothers in Dewsbury had transformed life for her.
“When I found out I was pregnant, a lot of my friends distanced themselves from me, and when I had my son I didn’t want to go out much as I felt people were judging me.
“Coming to the group has helped me to thrive as a mum.”