New mums in London are feeling more bombarded than ever with advice on how to bring up their baby – and it’s creating a new ‘motherload’ as three fifths (63%) say it’s
added to – rather than alleviated – the pressures of motherhood. Half (52%) say they feel overwhelmed by advice from social media influencers, while 56% have also said they’ve taken the advice of friends or family, even though they didn’t feel it was the right
thing to do.

Almost one in two new mums in Greater London (47%) say they’ve found it harder to cope with their mental wellbeing since having a baby, and 45% have considered having
counselling for this, but haven’t accessed it. BACP’s annual Public Perceptions survey reveals nearly a third (31%*) of new parents across the country worry it’s self-indulgent to seek counselling or psychotherapy if they do not have a “serious problem”.

To help new mums feel that they are not alone navigating this new chapter, BACP has launched Positive Steps, a new campaign, sharing powerful, personal stories detailing
the mental health challenges faced by a range of new mums and how therapy helped them. As well as featuring on BACP’s website, a selection
have also been painted onto a popular parkway in South London. The stories of hope are designed to capture the attention of new mums, as 43% say they spend
five hours or more a week walking with their babies. Mums from across the UK shared their stories – all of which can be read on BACP’s Positive Steps website.

The campaign aims to highlight the benefits of therapy – helping new mums to see it as an act of self-care, and a judgement free zone – and encourage anyone struggling
with the pressures of new parenthood to consider seeking help from a registered therapist.

Izzy Judd,
musician, podcaster and
mum to three children, is backing the campaign. She says,
“I remember pounding the pavements of my local park trying to soothe my baby to sleep. Somehow their cry always sounded so much louder to me than any other baby. My mind was constantly racing with anxieties, each seemingly quite small, but adding them all up felt exhausting and overwhelming. Being deep in the trenches of new motherhood, I don’t think I realised quite how much I was struggling. Initially I felt like I didn’t need therapy, I could cope. I also felt a weight of guilt having gone through IVF to admit I was struggling; surely now I should be nothing but happy? But looking back, I just wish I’d had therapy sooner. It’s now an integral part of my self-care routine as a mum to my three children. The kindest thing I can do for their mental wellbeing is to look after mine. I really hope this campaign helps reframe it in that way for others.” 

Lack of sleep (46%), body image concerns (41%) and anxiety about the world they are bringing their child up in (37%) are amongst some of the biggest worries for new mums
in Greater London in 2025, according to the data.

Nationally, 44% say social media has had a negative impact on their wellbeing, and the Public Perceptions data reveals two thirds (66%*) find it creates an overwhelming
pressure to succeed (vs. 51% national average*), 34%* say they worry they will never be as happy as the people they see on social media (vs 20%*), and 39%* say it makes them feel bad about their body image (vs. 24%*).

Deb, mum of three, London who has shared her story as part of the campaign says:
“Since 2019, I’ve started my own business, The Women’s Association, and had three children who are now five, two, and six months old. It’s been such a busy six years, and somewhere along the way, I started shutting down my emotions so that I could do everything that was required of me as a mum and business owner. 

“Being a founder of a small
start up I
was not able to have maternity leave after giving birth to each of my kids, this gave birth to extreme mum guilt and caused postnatal depression after each pregnancy. I told my midwives, but I didn’t get any real support until
my third. That’s when a midwife referred me to the counselling charity Mums Aid. At first, I was
really hesitant, I didn’t know exactly how to articulate what I was going through and I assumed it would take a lot out of me emotionally which would be hard to navigate as a mum and business owner.

“After my third child, I could see how the accumulation of not
having maternity leave and the stresses of running a business were causing me to shut down emotionally and become highly functional. I wanted to make a change
so that I could be emotionally present for my kids as they grew up. In my first session with Mums Aid I went in feeling apprehensive, but once I let my guard down, I realised it was a safe space where I could unpack the weight I had been carrying.

“I’m genuinely grateful for the support I received from Mums Aid that has helped to add clarity and perspective at a time where I was still trying to figure out the balance
of motherhood, work and life.”