For new parents, the 12-week extraordinary period from birth into parenthood is a rollercoaster emotionally and physically. There’s so much talk about pregnancy and birth, but what about the time post-birth, also known as the 4th trimester?
To shine a spotlight on the 4th trimester and support new parents, we have launched 'The Graco Village’. It brings together leading experts in postnatal care, including The Naked Midwives, charity PANDAS, Lansinoh and maternal fitness expert Nicole Chapman.
Parenting media, communities, and influencers also provide a destination where parents can get advice and feel less alone.
Through research in partnership with Mother & Baby and Dadsnet, we have discovered that 87% of dads and 89% of mums feel that the first 12 weeks post-birth are an emotional rollercoaster. 34% of mums were aware it might be tough, but they didn’t expect it to happen to them. 47% of mums suffered with the ‘day three baby blues’ while 56% of dads don’t know even what that is.
Today, parents put a lot of pressure on themselves to present a perfect impression of their lives and to look like they’ve got it all together! It's ok to not feel ok and we are here to support you.
PANDAS
The PANDAS Foundation hear from parents and carers experiencing many different perinatal mental health conditions. The most common condition they give advice and support on is Post-natal Depression (PND), but this condition alone can have many unknown symptoms that go alongside it.
There is still a common misconception that PND is something experienced only by new mothers, in the first few weeks after giving birth, and is simply feelings of sadness perhaps mixed with not being able to bond with the baby. Although this can be true, it is absolutely not always the case.
PND can be experienced by all parents (Dads included, not just mothers) and although often experienced within the first year following the birth of a baby, it can come on anytime from conception through to birth and well beyond…there is no threshold. There are also other perinatal mental illness symptoms to look out for antenatally (during pregnancy), such as prenatal anxiety for example.
