Stress of motherhood turning women to drink

Sep 2 2008

According to a new poll in Britain the stress of motherhood is turning many women to drink and some are knocking back a bottle of wine most nights.

The poll of 3,000 mothers by the website 'Netmums' has revealed that 49% of mothers drank at home most week nights and of those who admitted drinking more than the recommended guidelines of two to three units of alcohol a day, 81% said they did so to unwind and de-stress.

The survey has revealed the alarming drinking habits of parents, especially mothers of whom 86% said they thought they were drinking too much.

The survey lends support to the Government's Know Your Limits campaign that has found that 42% of men and women drink alcohol to relieve stress.

The survey of nearly 2,000 people, carried out by YouGov, found 51% of 25 to 44-year-olds drank due to stress, compared with just 30 per cent of those over 55 and also found that 42% of all drinkers drank to cope with stress, but men were more likely to do so.

Netmums says the research shows many mums and dads are developing a 'bottle a night' habit without considering the health consequences.

Experts advise turning to other means to relieve stress such as some form of exercise or meditation and say alcohol can increase stress levels apart from the associated risks of cancer, heart disease and stroke.