Forced Smiles
Behind the Smile: Why We're Asking Mums to Drop the Mask
Let’s be honest, motherhood is often painted as a joyful, glowing journey.
But for many, the reality looks a lot different.
According to new research, 58% of mums are putting on a brave face, hiding feelings of deep loneliness behind a forced smile.
This Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week, we’re teaming up with our friends Tommee Tippee and the Maternal Mental Health Alliance (MMHA) to launch the Forced Smiles campaign - a call to end the silence around maternal loneliness.
94%
of mums experience loneliness, but they’d rather talk about their perineal tears and birth injuries than admit it.
Why the Smiles?
To bring the issue to life, we installed ‘forced smiles’ on statues across London - symbols of the silent pressure mums feel to “just get on with it.”
For generations, society has expected mums to carry on, often without acknowledging their emotional reality. But forced smiles don’t fix anything. They only make mums feel more alone.
As one mum told us, “I don’t feel myself and feel embarrassed to say I’m lonely. It wasn’t that people weren’t there - it’s that people just said, ‘Well, you’re pregnant,’ and moved on.”
75%
said loneliness affected their mental health.
Starting the Conversation
We believe that no mum should feel like she’s the only one struggling. When we asked what could have helped, 43% said simply talking about it would’ve made a difference. 56% said connecting with other mums would’ve helped too.
That’s what this campaign is all about: encouraging honest conversations, supporting each other, and saying goodbye to forced smiles for good.
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