Postpartum parents’ emotional well-being and physical health affect their caregiving abilities

Having a new baby in the home is an exciting time for most families. Caring for a new baby can also be a stressful experience, as parents navigate having to care for themselves and other family members. The stress that can come from parenting a new baby can affect parents’ overall health and well-being, leading to anxiety and distress. This can, in turn, feed back and drive increases in children’s levels of distress.

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To get a better sense of the experiences of those parenting new babies, the RAPID Survey Project surveyed postpartum parents in the first two months after their child was born. In a previous fact sheet, RAPID documented pregnant parents’ experiences with accessing prenatal healthcare and other services for parents of newborns and infants. In this fact sheet, we build on those findings by documenting parents’ experiences after pregnancy, labor, and delivery. Data were gathered from July 2021 through July 2023.

Postpartum parents shared highly positive experiences of caring for and bonding with their baby

We asked postpartum parents about their feelings and attitudes toward their newborn. Nearly all postpartum parents said they found their baby cute (98%) and were interested in their baby (96%). The majority of postpartum parents (87%) said they enjoyed interacting with their baby always or most of the time and that they spoke to their baby when caring for them. More than 80% said they enjoyed touching and holding their baby, that they felt at peace with their baby nearby, and that taking care of their baby was fun for them.

Postpartum parents’ reported interactions with their baby, all participants

Tired, disorganized, and isolated were the most prevalent feelings among postpartum parents

We also asked parents about their feelings during the two months after their baby was born. The vast majority (96%) of postpartum parents said they felt tired. Additionally, 89% said they felt disorganized.

Postpartum parents frequently reported feeling isolated (79%). Moreover, parents reported a lack of social support: one in three said that they did not feel supported (32%). When asked about available resources and support, more than one in four (27%) said they did not have “enough support from family and friends during pregnancy and postpartum.” Additionally, a large proportion of postpartum parents said they felt a lack of confidence in their caregiving abilities (72%).

A previous fact sheet explored the challenges that pregnant parents faced accessing services and supports that prepared them for birth and a new baby, such as childbirth classes, new parent and breastfeeding support groups, and prenatal yoga classes. Not only are these opportunities important educational experiences for pregnant and postpartum parents, but they can also play a part in building confidence in parenting and providing social connections.

Parents’ reported feelings during postpartum period, all participants

Postpartum parents engaged in health-promoting activities, but there are areas of concern

Diet, exercise, and sleep can affect parents’ stress levels, emotional well-being, and physical health. A vast majority of postpartum parents shared they felt they were managing their stress well (85%) and eating a healthy diet (80%).

However, about half (51%) of postpartum parents said they were “not doing well at all” in getting enough exercise. One in four postpartum parents (28%) said they were “not doing well at all” in getting enough sleep. Among those who reported issues with sleep, lower-income postpartum parents (below 200% FPL) were more likely than higher-income postpartum parents (above 400% FPL) to report that they were “not doing well at all” in getting enough sleep.

Postpartum parents’ participation in well-being activities, by level of engagement

Postpartum parents who reported ‘Not Well at All’ for getting sleep, by income level

Half of postpartum parents said their emotional well-being and physical health affected their caregiving

We also asked parents about their emotional well-being and physical health in the first two months after having a baby.

When we asked specifically about experiences of emotional well-being, 50% of postpartum parents said their emotional well-being somewhat interfered with their ability to care for their baby. Fourteen percent said their emotional well-being greatly interfered with their ability to care for their baby.

When we asked specifically about physical health, nearly half (49%) of postpartum parents said their physical health interfered somewhat with their ability to care for their baby. Eight percent said their physical health greatly interfered with their ability to care for their baby.

These findings were consistent across postpartum parents from different racial and ethnic groups and household income levels.

Postpartum parents’ experiences taking care of baby, by level of interference

Concluding thoughts

Support for parents’ emotional well-being and physical health is critical in the postpartum period. Emotional well-being and physical health are essential for providing supportive, responsive caregiving. And research shows that parents’ own stress can affect the emotional well-being of their children.

While RAPID data show that many parents are having very positive experiences bonding with and caring for their new babies, the data also indicate there is more that can be done to ensure postpartum parents are well-connected to resources and support. Paid family leave, improved access to high-quality healthcare, and expanded opportunities to connect to social supports and participate in health-promoting activities are vital to the well-being of postpartum parents and the healthy development of their children.