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.