A 2022 year-end survey seeks to understand new mothers' expectations from the new year, from career to interpersonal relationships.
The survey, conducted by Mylo—a pregnancy and parenting app—included the responses of 2000 mothers across India. Among them, 58% are younger than 30 years of age with 79% having one child.
Although mass vaccinations have made full-time office work a viable option for many companies, reverting to the pre-pandemic norms no longer seems possible. A major concern for most was starting or returning to work in 2023, with 47% stating that this will be possible only of they are offered flexible work timings or work from home option.
Among those who do not plan to work in 2023, 20% said it is because of the stress of balancing child rearing, household tasks, and work commitments simultaneously.
Despite the increase in women entering the Indian workforce over the years, 32% of Indian mothers are facing burnout because of them imposed expectation of having to juggle motherhood with work commitments. Lack of sleep (19%) and not getting a break (12%) were also cited as pressures associated with being a mother.
When asked about current stressors, child care (42%) and personal physical health (40%) were reported to be the pressing issues for Indian mothers. Concerns regarding budgeting and handling day-to-day expenses also posed an issue for a quarter of the women surveyed.
In 2023, new mothers expect to have a better quality of life.
New mothers in India expect to have more time and energy to do things for themselves. Nearly 20% of mothers foresee a promotion or a raise that will put them in a better financial situation.
The survey also reveals that 76% of new mothers have not gone out with their friends within the past month. The most popular pastime was streaming videos (51%), followed by spending time with family (37%) leisurely activity was spending time outside with family. Only around 15% new moms say they talk to their friends.
Shaveta Gupta, Head of Content & Community, Mylo, said, "Women have been juggling multiple tasks, such as managing the home, raising children, and working, with little further help from the community and their employers…[O]ur businesses must devise ways to retain and seamlessly reintegrate new mothers when they return to the workplace."
There is also a need to recognise the lack of support mothers struggle with and the unfair share of household burden they carry.
Catch all the Business News, Market News, Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.