Protecting human rights in childbirth
Registered Charity Number 1151152
Longer reads, analysis and your stories
Becky had a terrible experience with her second pregnancy for a number of reasons. A key issue was that the hospital had noted her due date as two weeks ahead of Becky’s own calculations, which led to a sustained campaign of pressure and coercion to deliver much earlier than Becky had wanted to. Read Becky’s story
Anna suffered a horrific birth full of coercion in 2023, compounded by the fact that her disability birth plan was never seen or followed during her labour. The trauma is long-lasting and has led her and her husband to decide not to have any more children. Here she bravely explains in her own words.
Birthrights’ Training Manager, Farah Lodhi, shares her reflections and learnings from our Baring-funded Community Conversations project.
As part of our Baring-funded Community Conversations project, Birthrights is proud to share our partnership with WOMB on an upcoming Community Conversations event taking place in Cardiff this Thursday, 5th February 2026.
My first month as Birthrights’ CEO has been a heady mix of excitement and intensity as I learn more about the work, the future plans and meet the incredible team. I have been relieved to learn that all the things that attracted me to Birthrights are indeed true in practice and some more.
Tara’s story: An RAF lawyer fighting to make military maternity services fairer. Here Tara shares her story, how she came into contact with Birthrights and why she is fighting to change military policy around elective caesareans…
Birthrights is joined in conversation by Dr Kate Whitehouse to talk about maternity care and her experiences as a doctor within both the US and the UK maternity systems
“My name is Thando Zwane and I’m a birthkeeper and doula and founder of the birth group Birthing in Colour. I work all over London in my capacity as birthkeeper.” Birthrights ‘Access Denied: Restrictions on Home Birth in the UK’ Report Case Study
Ella’s story: a second-time mum with hospital anxiety and a home birth agreed, found out the service was suspended at 32 weeks pregnant – Birthrights ‘Access Denied: Restrictions on Home Birth in the UK’ Report Case Study
Maia’s story: a second-time mum who had to fight for a home birth, Birthrights ‘Access Denied: Restrictions on Home Birth in the UK’ Report Case Study
Is it “outside of guidance”, or is it a demand for personalised rights-respecting care? … Read more
Scarlett’s story: a second-time mum expecting twins who wanted a second home birth, Birthrights ‘Access Denied: Restrictions on Home Birth in the UK’ Report Case Study
After spearheading Birthright’s Home Birth campaign, our policy and campaigns manager Elif Ege reflects on how ‘safety concerns’ are too often used as an excuse to restrict or suspend maternity services…
Last week, Birthrights channeled our energy into writing to local, regional and national politicians and policy makers to make sure they were considering the needs of pregnant women and birthing people in their resilience and emergency plans. We insisted that safe measures be put in place to enable access to hospital, community and home-based maternity care, particularly for Black, Brown and Muslim women and birthing people while ensuring the safety of staff.
Healthcare regulators are meant to protect the public but their toxic cultures perpetrate so many of the key problems rife in maternity care.
With a new government and the first Labour King’s Speech in 14 years, what have we learnt about what’s in store for maternity care?
The review of the NMC undertaken by Rise Associates rightly asks how the NMC … Read more
In response to page 66 of The Birth Trauma APPG Report, we are hugely concerned by the legal inaccuracy contained within the report which suggests that consent may be disregarded in so-called “emergency situations”. The best way to reduce/prevent birth trauma is to respect the rights and voices of all women and birthing people throughout their pregnancy and birth.