Over the past year, Birthrights has been a lead contributor to the vital Safer Beginnings programme to enable healthcare workers to deliver trauma-informed care and to educate and empower expectant women and birthing people to have self-agency and receive the support they want and need.
Led by Best Beginnings and the White Ribbon Alliance UK and supported by 18 delivery partners including Birthrights, the programme has co-created new resources for parents and healthcare professionals, to increase their knowledge and access to support to help reduce incidents of violence and harm during maternity care.
The new films and articles for parents will be published in the Best Beginnings Baby Buddy app inside a ‘Safer Beginnings’ section in our Discover library. It includes 15 new short films on the themes of ‘safer care’ and ‘safer relationships’, each around 1 – 5 minutes in length, with additional films from partners, plus written articles and signposting. The new films and articles offer support, guidance and practical tools for parents and parents-to-be, particularly those who have experienced trauma or harm.
We were delighted to contribute to films discussing the meaning of consent, what to do if you have not given consent, and the choices you have in pregnancy and childbirth, which can be found below. Other topics include emotional safety, stress responses, FGM/FGC, sexual abuse and domestic abuse.
All content has been created in collaboration with parents, community groups, healthcare professionals and charities, each sharing their expertise and lived experience of trauma, self-advocacy and rights in maternity care.
Birthrights is the UK charity that champions respectful maternity care by protecting human rights. We provide advice and legal information to women and birthing people, train healthcare professionals to deliver rights-respecting care and campaign to change maternity policy and systems.