Megan’s story: “I was not asked for consent I was just told it was happening”
Megan is a mother of five. Here she looks back at her experiences of coercion during maternity and labour…
Sarah’s story: “They took this distressed statement as consent”
Sarah knows only too well the long-term impacts that can happen as a result of birth trauma. Her experience of being coerced into a caesarean birth (her second) not only affected her mental health but robbed her of the redemptive birth experience she was hoping for. Here is her story…
Lucy’s story: “At every appointment I had to fight for my rights”
Lucy* has had two babies and two very different birth experiences. Here in her own words, she talk about the coercion she experienced with her first baby…
Hannah’s story: “I was told if I didn’t agree then I may be referred to social services — I knew this was coercion again”
Experienced mum Hannah* tells us about the coercion she faced in the lead up to giving birth to her third child.
Tiffany’s story: “No-one spoke up for me, they were just bystanders”
For years, Tiffany has been suffering the long-term effects from extreme vaginal tearing during her first birth. Here, in her own words, she explains some of the coercion she faced during the birth and immediate aftermath…
Roshni’s story: “I was upset and felt like I was unheard and racially pigeonholed”
Despite working in the medical profession, Roshni felt categorised and discriminated against due to harmful stereotypes about the size of Asian babies. Here she explains how she was coerced into an induction…“I was upset and felt like I was unheard and racially pigeonholed.”
Becky’s story: “At 42 weeks, social services knocked on our door. They were harassing us”
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’s story: “No one had any clue of my disability. I was let down”
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.
A dangerous legal inaccuracy: The Birth Trauma APPG Report
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.