Nearly 20% of Moms Receive No Postpartum Help Beyond Their Partner

Asking for help in early parenthood can feel complicated. Even when you know you need support, it’s easy to feel like you should have everything figured out. But parenting was never meant to be done alone. The more we lose our village, the harder the experience becomes.

A new survey from Philips Avent and March of Dimes explores what support looks like for new moms today. The results reveal a significant gap between the help parents need and what they actually receive.

According to the survey, 2 in 3 parents say they need the most help during the first three months after birth. Yet nearly 20% of moms said they received no support beyond their partner during that time. Even among those who did receive help, 42% said it wasn’t enough.

Postpartum recovery is demanding in every sense—physically, mentally, and emotionally. Between healing, sleep deprivation, and nonstop baby care, many moms in the study reported struggles with isolation, decision fatigue, and postpartum depression.

Still, asking for help remains a challenge. Around 60% of moms said it was difficult to express their needs, especially regarding mental health. Interestingly, 9 in 10 respondents said they would gladly help another parent if asked. This isn’t the first time researchers have noted the gap between need and support. A past study found that when someone is asked directly for help, only 4% say no.

So why does support often fall through the cracks? Social pressure to appear like a “perfect parent” and a lack of open communication may play a role. To reconnect with our support systems, we may need to give ourselves permission to ask, accept imperfection and invite others into the process.

If you’re preparing for the postpartum period, now is the time to start building your support plan. Learn what kind of help you might need and how to make asking for it feel a little easier.