A YouGov poll released ahead of Mother’s Day has revealed that 54% of mums in the Midlands didn’t share their own journey to becoming a parent with their own mum.*
Commissioned by UK pregnancy charity Tommy’s as part of its ‘We See A Mum’ campaign, the poll which collected responses from the East and West Midlands revealed ‘embarrassment’, it being ‘too personal’ and ‘not having that type of relationship with their mum’ as the top reasons for keeping the journey a secret. The survey is part of the charity’s Mother’s Day campaign ‘We See A Mum’ to highlight the different ways people become parents, the struggles faced by some and the complex range of emotions triggered by their experiences.
The charity launched the campaign in 2022 to recognise all mums, wherever they are on their pregnancy journey, and aims to encourage people to talk more openly about different paths to parenthood.
The poll also highlighted that:
- 36% of Midlands Adults agreed that we should talk more about people’s different experiences of becoming a parent.
- 31% of mums in the Midlands find Mother’s Day too commercial.
- 14% of mums from the Midlands find the day difficult as there are too many expectations.
- 43% of mums from the Midlands expressed happiness when thinking about Mother's Day.
- 61% of mums from the Midlands first felt like a parent when they held their baby in their arms and 12% felt like a mum when they had a positive test pregnancy test.
Kath Abrahams, Tommy’s Chief Executive said: “Our poll suggests that sadly, many mums in the Midlands find it difficult to share their journey to parenthood, even with their own mum. At the same time, many of those who took part said we should be able to talk more openly about experiences such as baby loss and difficulties conceiving.
“We See A Mum was created to capture different moments from different journeys, from the joyous to the devastating. Our message is that all mums should feel able to share their story and know they will be supported, whatever challenges and losses they have been through or are going through.
“Every experience should be recognised, and every mum celebrated and supported, from the moment they feel like a parent. For some, that’s when they hold their baby in their arms. For others, it’s when they see a positive pregnancy test.
“Whenever it happens, no mum should have to hide that precious moment. At Tommy’s, we see a mum, and we’re here to support you.”
* Based on female parents