Reasons why Social Support is essential for New Mothers

Bringing a new life into the world is really blissful yet overwhelming especially for new mothers. Every woman has her own set of insecurities, fears, disappointments and experiences in life that all come together in the postpartum time. A new mother will sometimes feel sad, lonely, tearful, joyous, angry or exhausted, which is totally normal as a child is a full-time responsibility which can be very draining. There are a ton of things that mother’s mind is always thinking about-pumping, milk supply supplements, poop, shower, vaccination, cooking, cleaning and even about some uninterrupted nap time. All this is completely normal, absolutely understandable and logical. Raising a child is a full time responsibility and to do this job while taking care of your mental and physical state is a tough nut to crack, especially all on your own.

I can’t emphasize enough on the importance of a strong, close-knit and dependable support system for every woman stepping into motherhood. There have been various studies done, which provide strong proof of the positive effects of social support on the physical and emotional health of a mother. An emotionally and physically strong person can only raise a healthy and normal child, if her health is compromised then our future generations are in jeopardy. Postpartum depression is real, palpable and extremely draining, so it’s absolutely important that during this phase, the mother feels loved, secured, understood and well taken care of.

Reasons Why Social Support is Essential for New Mothers

Speaking generally, if someone knows that they have a strong backing and support system which will help them through all thick and thin then dealing with unfavorable conditions and difficult times becomes far easier, right? Same is the case with new mothers, post-delivery they’re at their most vulnerable stage in life, going through a myriad of feelings which sometimes make them cry out loud and other times makes them smile, kiss and hug her child till her heart swells with love. A good and robust support system can make any mom go through these difficult times like a breeze but if alone, it can have a profound effect on the mental and physical health of the mother.

Every mother should work on building a dependable, steadfast and reliable support system before entering the world of motherhood. This effort of hers will pay off big time in her initial months when she’s at her most vulnerable. She must knit a support system consisting of family, friends, colleagues, neighbors and other new moms so that you have a bunch of people that you can confide in, trust with your baby, call them when you need something, seek advice and reassurance.

New moms often spend most of their time, energy and money on stocking up supplies, beautifully decorating the nurseries, having every possible toy for the little one but not investing in her own self-care. I think this is due to the fact that it’s culturally stemmed in us to think of the baby before ourselves. But as proven by various extensive studies, every new mom whether it’s her first time or the third time must work on building a support system that backs her up whenever the need arrives.

A new mother can need support in any way or form she didn’t even know she would. These things can be planned and prepared for with proper advice and guidance. New parents shouldn’t just assume they would get the necessary help from siblings, parents or friends. Multi layered, extensive planning with knowing who to call upon in the time of a specific need is what should be the proper way of getting support. Just like we rely on different people for different kinds of needs, new mothers also need to assign and ascribe people for various kinds of needs.  People who live nearby can be helpful in cooking, taking care of the baby, chatting or spending relaxing time with and people who live far away can be of great help when all you want is someone to listen and not annihilate your feelings.

Mothers need support, advice and reassurance especially when they are breastfeeding the little one. Although breastfeeding itself is a great postpartum buster, it has its own set of challenges. Sometimes mothers need help in choosing the best breastfeeding supplements to use as a milk supply booster. Sometimes she can’t decide between an electric pump and hand pump, other times the confusion is between the kind of nursing gear like blankets, bras, pillows or position. Having a support community with people who deeply understand what exactly you are feeling and also have other moms in the same situation makes it quite easy for the new mom to stay connected and reminded that she is not alone.

Last Lines

For new mothers, the more support is the better. Be it any kind of support, new mothers need to feel supported, backed and assisted in order to feel confident as a mother.