New mothers don’t need to be bombarded with unsolicited advice – they need reassurance

Many people presume that the maternal instinct switches on at birth, but relatively new research tells us that the maternal brain circuitry established in pregnancy primes a new mother for learning in parenthood. Photograph: Rawpixel/Getty Images/iStockphoto

In the discombobulation of postpartum, reassurance is what all new mothers need.

When sleep deprived and aching, when doubt spirals are common and overwhelm rife, a new mother will look to those who have mothered before her. There is nothing more comforting in the inevitable haze of milk and tears than someone saying: “I think you’re right, and you’re doing really well.”