A new survey of mums has found that it takes women an average of 18 months to feel “like a woman” again after giving birth. The survey by abeautifulmummy.co.uk asked 3,000 mums how they felt about themselves and their role in the months after having a baby.

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The survey found that women suffered a dip in confidence after having their first child due to the responsibility of having a newborn combined with a lack of body confidence, sleep deprivation and a chaotic routine.

Around 60% of the mums said their confidence suffered when they discovered their old clothes didn’t fit and 63% worried they were “letting themselves go” by paying less attention to their hair, make up and clothes. But many mums blamed this on the difficulties of a breastfeeding wardrobe and having no time to themselves.

“It is no wonder new mums find it harder to take care of themselves as they come to term with their new role – at the end of the day this new baby is the centre of their world,” said Claire Burns, from the site.

However, after 18 months, women were getting back into the swing of things, more confident in their role as mother and in many cases returning to work and feeling happier with their post-baby bodies.

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How long did you stay in your baby bubble?

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