New British mothers alone and afraid

LONDON, Oct. 3 (UPI) -- Most new mothers in Britain are left alone feeling frightened after childbirth because midwives do not have time to care for them, a poll indicates.

The report by the National Childbirth Trust found 59 percent of new mothers did not get the "emotional support" they said they felt they needed after giving birth compared with 51 percent surveyed a decade ago, The Sunday Telegraph reported.

Women who had undergone Cesarean section were least happy about the experience.

Among 1,200 first time mothers surveyed about the 24 hours following birth, 66 percent of women said they had not received enough support, compared to 57 percent of those who had a natural labor in hospital, and 24 percent of those who gave birth at home.

The NCT's report said the picture painted by the statistics were "shocking" with mothers who had suffered traumatic labors left to cry themselves to sleep and others claiming overstretched midwives had no time to offer comfort.

In total, 42 percent surveyed said there were not enough midwives to care for them, compared with 33 percent, questioned in 2000, the Telegraph reported.

"It's clear postnatal care urgently needs improvement -- our report paints a dreadful, shocking picture of care in the U.K. -- we're letting women and their babies down," Anne Fox head of campaigns and public policy for the NCT said.

There was no mention of the exact dates the poll was taken or margin of error.