Men See Partners As Mothers, Not Lovers, After Birth Of Child

A Third Of Mums Believe They're No Longer Attractive To Their Partner

More than three-quarters of mothers have less sex than they did before they had a baby, while a third believe their partner no longer finds them attractive.

The survey of 3,000 mothers suggests that women feel their partners have "baby blinkers" on and see them only as mothers, not lovers, since giving birth.

Only 12% said their partner would describe them as feminine compared to 69% who said they would describe them as simply "tired". One in five even said their partner would choose "sexless" to describe them.

More than half of mothers think that their relationship has moved from a sexual one to a platonic one. This may explain why 40% have "forgotten who they were" before they had children, a phenomenon the researchers have dubbed "mumnesia".

The poll, by Netmums, revealed that many mothers have lost their self-confidence. As many as 41% feel "mumsy" and hate their post-baby bodies, while 42% have lost touch with fashion and beauty trends.

British mothers between 18 and late 50s were asked about their relationships since becoming parents. Interestingly, it is the younger mothers who feel most overlooked with only 19% of those in their 20s saying their partners think they are sexy compared to 32% of the over 50s.

Siobhan Freegard, co-founder of Netmums, said: "Mum and woman shouldn’t exist separately – every mum is both and they should be celebrated and nurtured.

"Me time is hard but not impossible to find and a little goes a long way in helping us keep hold of the real me."

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