A growing trend of mothers using alcohol to cope with the demands of parenting has been identified by Dr. Katrina Prior, a researcher specializing in alcohol and anxiety. Initially noticing this pattern during her maternity leave with her first child, Prior observed that mothers frequently discussed drinking wine as a means to manage the stresses of childcare.
"It would just come up in conversation. 'What a tough day with the kids. I can't wait to have a wine.' It was being brought up all the time," Prior told the Daily Mail. This observation was amplified by her social media and podcast feeds, which were filled with "mummy wine time" memes and jokes.
Prior, who works with the University of Sydney's Matilda Centre, is now leading a new trial called Healthy Mum, Healthy Bub. This online program aims to support women experiencing anxiety who turn to alcohol during the first three years of parenthood. Previous research by the team indicated that 53% of mothers experience anxiety levels that place them at high risk of developing an anxiety disorder.
"Parenting can be really rewarding and a beautiful experience. But it can also be overwhelming, isolating and exhausting," Prior explained. "You could see why alcohol was seen as a quick-fix solution."
Victoria Vanstone, a comedian, podcaster, and mother of three, known as 'drunk mummy, sober mummy' on Instagram, has created a companion podcast for the program. Her podcast, MAMA (Motherhood, Alcohol, Mental Health, Anxiety), draws on her own experiences with alcohol dependency.
"Looking back, alcohol became my response to almost every emotion," Vanstone shared. "The jokes about hiding in the pantry with a bottle. The posts about reward wines and surviving the day. They were aimed squarely at people like me, and I bought into them completely."
Prior's research suggests a potential danger zone for alcohol dependency can occur after breastfeeding ceases, when the need to monitor alcohol intake for the baby's safety is removed. "Research suggests that around one in three mums will return to their pre-pregnancy drinking levels within the three to six months postpartum," she noted.
Problematic drinking is typically identified when it begins to negatively impact daily life, health, relationships, and parenting abilities. "I saw things like harsher discipline. [Mums] became more snappy, quicker to reach the point of 'mum rage'," Prior observed. She links this to the increasing normalization of "mum rage" online, suggesting some mothers may opt for a "rage wine" instead of other coping mechanisms.
The Healthy Mum, Healthy Bub program focuses on challenging the thought processes that convince individuals alcohol can be helpful, with the goal not being abstinence but rather meaningful changes in anxiety and drinking habits.
While the current trial is funded by a grant focused on maternal well-being, Prior plans to address "dad drinking culture" next. She noted that over 40% of men report risky alcohol use after having children, and men with young children are twice as likely to experience clinically significant anxiety, yet their struggles often go unnoticed.
"The message it can pass onto your children is that you have to drink to cope with them," Prior cautioned. "That they're too much, and you have to drink to deal with them."
Information on the Healthy Mum, Healthy Bub trial can be found at healthymumhealthybub.org.au.