Pregnancy vs. Postpartum: Which stage do majority of moms find harder?

Forty-one percent of moms said pregnancy did not go as planned, according to new research.

The survey of 2,000 American moms looked at their experience while pregnant and found that 39% created a game plan for themselves while pregnant — although one in four (25%) weren’t able to stick to it.

But the journey only starts with pregnancy: seven in ten (71%) admitted they didn’t know what to expect from motherhood postpartum, although the mothers had mixed feelings about which stage was more difficult.

While 25% said pregnancy was more difficult than the postpartum phase, 28% said postpartum was harder and 34% said both were equally challenging.

Conducted by Talker Research for Motherlove Herbal Company, the survey examined the complex and nuanced blend of challenges and changes that come with new motherhood.

The top changes respondents experienced after giving birth were becoming more emotional (47%), having more patience (46%), becoming more aware of their surroundings (44%), listening to their intuition more (40%) and becoming more gentle (37%).

However, the majority (59%) wish their doctor had given them more education about the different things that may happen to their bodies postpartum.

And six in ten (62%) believed that the changes they experienced in their life and body after becoming a mom were unique to them.

When experiencing strange and unique changes to their body postpartum, the moms sought advice from doctors (37%) and their own parents or grandparents the most (35%).

Although moms of younger kids were more likely to consult doctors (44% vs. 35%) and other moms (36% vs 25%), compared to moms with older kids.

But regardless of age, 59% disclosed that when they first entered motherhood, they wished for more mom friends to discuss the experience with.

And while a third (30%) said their parenting experience has been similar to their mother’s, 46% say it’s been different.

“Motherhood is full of many unexpected challenges to navigate, especially for new moms," said Katherine DeBease, new mom and marketing director at Motherlove Herbal Company. "Over the past 40 years, our priority has been to connect motherhood to Mother Earth by providing herbal remedies that empower them throughout their motherhood journey. Moms should have peace of mind with clean, simple, plant-based and gentle options for their babies and themselves.”

Forty-two percent of respondents opted to breastfeed, at least sometimes, and this came with an added layer of physical changes and difficulties.

Most common breastfeeding pain points were sore nipples (33%), general soreness (30%) and leaking (29%).

Looking at the emotional and logistical hardships of new motherhood, a third (32%) reported they had a hard time socializing with friends after having their child and almost half (45%) had a hard time going back to work after having their child.

Through a practical lens, 35% had a hard time cleaning their home after having their child and one in three (31%) had a hard time caring for their body after having their child.

So when giving advice to new mothers today, respondents shared wisdom and tips including not to expect perfection, be present and take care of yourself, don’t be afraid to ask for help, use your best instincts and stay positive.

"It's not uncommon to feel like you're alone when you’ve entered the unfamiliar terrain of new motherhood," said Wendy Wisner, board-certified lactation consultant with Motherlove. “When it comes to breastfeeding, I recommend making sure to learn about the basics of breastfeeding, such as the importance of frequent feeding, good latching and how to know if your baby is getting enough milk.

“I also can’t emphasize enough how vital support is, whether it be from a lactation consultant, good friend, or trusted pediatrician. Many new moms need support with breastfeeding, and they shouldn’t hesitate to reach out for it.”

Survey methodology:
Talker Research surveyed 2,000 moms; the survey was commissioned by Motherlove Herbal Company and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between June 12 and June 17, 2024.

We are sourcing from a non-probability frame and the two main sources we use are:
● Traditional online access panels — where respondents opt-in to take part in online market research for an incentive
● Programmatic — where respondents are online and are given the option to take part in a survey to receive a virtual incentive usually related to the online activity they are engaging in

Those who did not fit the specified sample were terminated from the survey. As the survey is fielded, dynamic online sampling is used, adjusting targeting to achieve the quotas specified as part of the sampling plan.

Regardless of which sources a respondent came from, they were directed to an Online Survey, where the survey was conducted in English; a link to the questionnaire can be shared upon request. Respondents were awarded points for completing the survey. These points have a small cash-equivalent monetary value.

Cells are only reported on for analysis if they have a minimum of 80 respondents, and statistical significance is calculated at the 95% level. Data is not weighted, but quotas and other parameters are put in place to reach the desired sample.

Interviews are excluded from the final analysis if they failed quality-checking measures. This includes:
● Speeders: Respondents who complete the survey in a time that is quicker than one-third of the median length of interview are disqualified as speeders
● Open ends: All verbatim responses (full open-ended questions as well as other please specify options) are checked for inappropriate or irrelevant text
● Bots: Captcha is enabled on surveys, which allows the research team to identify and disqualify bots
● Duplicates: Survey software has “deduping” based on digital fingerprinting, which ensures nobody is allowed to take the survey more than once

It is worth noting that this survey was only available to individuals with internet access, and the results may not be generalizable to those without internet access.