What about Professionals?
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Professionals are often forgotten when we talk about birth - except when they're being blamed for causing difficulties.
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What we know is that there are shortages of midwives and doctors in the UK currently, and maternity services have had reductions in funding which have left services overstretched and struggling. It is inevitable that this has an impact on how compassionate staff are able to be. Most services do not offer support to staff when things go wrong - instead staff feel that they will be blamed so are more likely to stay silent. Dr Sally Pezaro has conducted research on this related to midwives, less is known about the impact on Obstetricians and other medical professionals.
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It is also apparent that many healthcare professionals still have little understanding of birth trauma - what can cause it and what can prevent it. One of the aims of the network will be to increase understanding through training and awareness raising work. Watch this space!
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It is helpful to hear from professionals themselves about their experience of birth - so we can start to break down the 'us and them' attitude we often see when discussing birth, and also to begin to consider the complex factors which impact upon birth for both families and staff. You can read professionals' views here.
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We would also like to promote services who are working in a trauma-informed way. This might mean trying to prevent trauma, or working with women who have already experienced trauma, or those who have a fear of giving birth. You can read these examples of good practice here, or please let us know if you would like to share your service.
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