Women feel unsafe, unsupported and overwhelmed by UK pregnancy and postnatal care, according to a new survey

Thousands of new parents are left feeling overwhelmed before and after birth due to a lack of support, a new report by the National Childbirth Trust has found.

NCT’s From Expectation To Reality report spoke to 2,000 new and expectant parents across the UK about their experiences of healthcare in terms of pregnancy, birth and new parenting experiences to compile the research. 

According to the report, women are neither being listened to nor respected by medical professionals. Often, they feel like they aren’t able to make their own decisions, and they aren’t receiving adequate support following the birth of their child.

Now, the NCT has called on the government with several recommendations to improve the situation for new parents. 

The report details the issues that parents face across pregnancy, birthing and postnatal care. When it comes to pregnancy care, almost a quarter (23%) felt that they weren’t listened to or respected (23%); a fifth (20%) felt their concerns weren’t taken seriously and almost a fifth (18%) said that they did not given consent for all the decisions made during pregnancy.

The researchers stated: “These findings show many parents do not feel confident using NHS maternity services and feel unsure that they will be safe, respected, or treated fairly during their care.”

Many expectant parents also had a range of worries around their own health, with 59% worried about their own mental health, for example.

Three-fifths (60%) of expectant parents said they were worried about how they would be treated by medical professionals, and concerns were greater among minority groups. The report found that Black, Asian and mixed ethnicity (BAME) parents are more likely to have concerns over the safety of the birthing place and how they will be treated by medical staff. Lower-income households were also less likely to have their concerns taken seriously or felt that they hadn’t received the information they needed.

The majority of women (72%) reported having a positive birthing experience. However, there were also some serious concerns about safety and choice here, too.

Over a third felt their baby’s wellbeing and safety were at risk during birth (38%), and 36% reported feeling pressured to make decisions they did not want to make. And while medical professionals must ask for consent before examinations or treatment, 18% of women felt they didn’t give consent for all decisions. 

The researchers said they felt this reflected how midwives and medical staff no longer have the time to build relationships with expectant parents, and appointments are rushed due to understaffing. This means that parents feel they don’t get the opportunity to make or discuss their own decisions about births.

Parents who were not heterosexual were also more likely to feel like their individual circumstances weren’t listened to.

This isn’t the first report in recent years to highlight the issues women face when it comes to pregnancy and giving birth. For example, the Birth Trauma Inquiry report (2024) highlighted the number of traumatic childbirth experiences that happen in the UK.

New parents found that their mental health often took a hit. The majority (87%) felt overwhelmed at least some of the time, and 40% said they wished people were more honest about postnatal depression. A quarter (24%) said they didn’t have regular access to support from healthcare professionals following the birth.

Clearly some key themes need to be addressed. The researchers note that parents are currently faced with a “fragmented postnatal care system that is dangerously underfunded and understaffed”.  

In light of this, the NCT is calling on the NHS with 10 clear recommendations. These include:

• Training, investing and recruiting to ensure safe staffing levels.
• A guarantee that genuine choice exists in place of birth and care options.
• Enshrined informed consent and promoted birth rights as standard practice.
• A guaranteed postnatal check for every woman or birthing person.
• Delivered accessible infant feeding support, 365 days a year.

In a statement given to Stylist, a Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) spokesperson said: “Women should be able to give birth safely and receive the support they need in their newborn’s first months of life, and it’s unacceptable that stark inequalities persist for women and babies.

“We expect all women to be offered a postnatal check-up with their GP at six to eight weeks after birth, which includes physical and mental health support.

“This government is taking urgent action to improve maternity services – launching a national maternity and neonatal investigation, which includes identifying the drivers of inequalities, investing over £130 million to make maternity and neonatal units safer, rolling out a programme to reduce avoidable brain injuries and backing Martha’s Rule.”

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