Findings from a survey of 1,025 mums with children up to the age of two, reveal that nearly a third (31 per cent) were given less than three minutes to discuss their mental and physical health at their six-week postnatal check-up as most of the time was devoted to their baby.
Official guidance encourages doctors to enquire about a mother’s health at her six-week postnatal check-up with her baby.
However, the survey, carried out by the National Childbirth Trust (NCT) found that a quarter of respondents were not asked about their emotional or mental health at all during the appointment.
The statistics have been released as part of the NCT’s #Hiddenhalf campaign, which calls for the six-week check to be fully funded so health professionals have the time to give all new mothers their own appointment, rather than squeezing it in with an examination of their baby.
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