As I read other black and brown birth trauma stories, I can’t help but feel and hear those similarities to my own story, which is one of being ignored, not having explanations to treatments offered, not being taken seriously and not receiving the right management of symptoms, leading to more serious illness as well as not being given the same pain relief.
I know from experience of working as a Birth Doula and when I have had to advocate for the parents I work with.
I am deeply disturbed and angry to know that 17 years on from my own experience and since working as Antenatal Teacher/Therapist and Doula, that in this country we now have clear evidence from
‘The MBRACE- UK Report’ which is collaboration’s annual report Saving Lives, Improving Mothers’ Care led by the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit.
The report found that Black women are five times more likely to die as a result then white women, Women with mixed ethnicity are three times as likely to die as white women and Asian women twice as likely to die.
In the midst of Covid 19 and despite NHS England making recommendations on the 5th June that women should have partners attending scans and should be able to have birth partners present, this is not being actioned across many trusts despite the fact that we can now eat in restaurants, go to the pub and fly on a plane etc…
I fear for ALL women, but I am extremely alarmed for Black and Brown women. If the stats were collated post Covid 2020, I dread to think what we are going to find out in a year or so!
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