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100 mums told us what really made week one with a newborn hard (and it wasn’t just sleep)

100 mums told us what really made week one with a newborn hard (and it wasn’t just sleep)

We asked 100 mums about their first week with a newborn. Here are the 10 struggles that came up most.

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Ruairidh Pritchard

Published: June 1, 2026 at 10:49 AM

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Those first seven days with a newborn are often described as magical. But when we asked the MadeForMums Club to tell us what really made week one harder than expected, more than 100 mums shared a very different side of the story.

Nearly half of the mums we asked said sleep deprivation was one of the hardest parts of their first week with a newborn. But that wasn’t the whole story.

When more than 100 members of the MadeForMums Club told us what really made those first seven days difficult, the answers went far beyond tiredness. Feeding pressure, painful recoveries, anxiety, hospital stays, guilt, visitors and the shock of caring for a tiny baby all came up again and again.

Here are the 10 struggles mums mentioned most, and the honest words they used to describe them.

1. Sleep deprivation – 48%

Almost half of mums mentioned lack of sleep as one of the hardest parts of week one.

Simrit said, “No one can prepare you for the lack of sleep even if they describe it perfectly. Time slows down - I remember thinking it had been months, and it had only been 8 days!”

Clara shared, “My husband and I ended up doing shifts holding her, but it meant we were very sleep-deprived and totally exhausted from it.”

Even when expected, the relentlessness of broken nights hit hard.

2. Breastfeeding difficulties and feeding pressure – 44%

Feeding challenges were a close second, particularly around breastfeeding.

“No one explains how hard breastfeeding is. I think if the official channels were honest about it being hard, people would feel less like they're failing.”

Simrit

Sami said, “She actually had tongue-tie and couldn't latch properly, and those first few months until she had it cut at 11 weeks were really hard and painful!”

Cluster feeding, expressing, latch issues and guilt were all common themes.

3. Physical recovery after birth – 41%

More than four in 10 mums said recovery was tougher than they expected.

No one really prepares you for an emergency C-section… I underestimated how much rest I actually needed.

Neha

Rebecca said, “I forgot how sore and vulnerable I felt after giving birth.”

From stitches and blood loss to C-section wounds and catheters, the physical toll was significant.

4. Anxiety and intrusive worry – 37%

Anxiety came up again and again.

I didn't want to leave the house for the 1st week as I was terrified something was going to happen to him.

Jenny

Stephanie described “the crazy hormones” that made her “doubt everything”.

For many, it was the intensity of the worry that shocked them.

5. Extended or unexpected hospital stays – 29%

Nearly a third of mums mentioned hospital experiences as a key challenge.

We had to stay in for 5 nights… I missed my other kids and just wasn't comfortable.

Naomi

Louise described noisy wards where “it was impossible to rest.”

Repeated appointments, readmissions and ward moves added stress to an already emotional time.

6. Baby wouldn’t be put down – 26%

A quarter of mums said they hadn’t expected their baby to need constant holding.

I wasn't prepared for the fact baby wouldn't want to be put down at night for the first week.

Rebecca

For some, this led to shift systems through the night just to cope.

7. Feeling unprepared for newborn care – 24%

Many mums said antenatal classes focused heavily on pregnancy and birth, not on what happens next.

There was so little about actually caring for the baby and breastfeeding and just surviving the first few months.

Stephanie

Antonia described feeling like she had “no one to ask the ‘silly questions’.”

8. Guilt, especially with older children – 19%

Nearly one in five mums, particularly second or third-time parents, spoke about guilt.

I struggled with being there for my toddler and breastfeeding a newborn without feeling guilty over leaving one of them out at a time.

Jenny

Balancing recovery, a newborn and older siblings was emotionally tough.

9. Hormones and emotional lows – 18%

Beyond anxiety, many described intense hormonal shifts.

Jenny said she felt like she was “in a dark room every day” until her iron levels improved.

Others described sadness, overwhelm and emotional exhaustion in those early days.

10. Visitors and social pressure – 15%

While loved ones meant well, some mums found the pressure of visitors overwhelming.

With the first baby, I was so overwhelmed with visitors; everyone was so excited to meet them.

Rebecca

Wanting space while feeling obliged to host added another layer of stress.

The 10 hardest parts of newborn week one, according to mums

Sleep deprivation – 48%
Breastfeeding difficulties and feeding pressure – 44%
Physical recovery after birth – 41%
Anxiety and intrusive worry – 37%
Extended or unexpected hospital stays – 29%
Baby wouldn’t be put down – 26%
Feeling unprepared for newborn care – 24%
Guilt, especially with older children – 19%
Hormones and emotional lows – 18%
Visitors and social pressure – 15%

What this tells us about week one

If there’s one takeaway from 100 honest responses, it’s this: there is no single “normal” first week.

Nearly half of mums struggled most with sleep. Almost as many found feeding harder than expected. And more than a third were surprised by the physical or emotional impact of recovery.

If your first seven days felt harder than you imagined, you are very far from alone.

Authors

Ruairidh PritchardDigital Growth Lead

Ruairidh is the Digital Lead on MadeForMums. He works with a team of fantastically talented content creators and subject-matter experts on MadeForMums.