Shivi Nathan’s Post

*Trigger warning - Birth trauma* Sadly as a Clinical Negligence Lawyer, I regularly act for women and children who have been affected by traumatic births. Injuries in cases I have worked on include: HIE (brain injury due to lack of oxygen), cerebral palsy, bowel and bladder injury, incontinence, perineum injury, prolapse, haemorrhage, sexual issues, and unsurprisingly anxiety, depression and PTSD. And the most heartbreaking cases of all, still birth and baby loss. I have supported friends and family who have had traumatic births. I have supported friends who have children with SEND, as a result of their traumatic births and what followed. I have supported friends who have been hospitalised with post partum psychosis. I have supported friends who have experienced horrendous treatment following multiple miscarriages. I experienced a traumatic birth myself - featuring preeclampsia, polyhydramnios, gestational diabetes, very large baby, 10 day inpatient hospital stay, failed very traumatic induction x 3, emergency c section at 38 weeks, and baby with jaundice and suspected sepsis on arrival. We are very lucky. We were both ok. BUT that experience haunted me for a long time following. It was a huge source of anxiety in my second pregnancy. It has left an indelible print on my brain. So...I KNOW birth trauma. I KNOW we need a public Birth Trauma Inquiry. I KNOW that you, and the women in your life deserve safe maternity care. #maternity #maternitycare #birth #birthtrauma #childbirth #clinicalnegligence #medicalnegligencelawyer #rotherabray

The Birth Trauma Inquiry Report (resulting from a cross party parliamentary group inquiry (APPG) into maternity care) is due to be published later today but the news is already reporting on the findings including that good quality maternity care is "the exception not the rule". Many of the very moving accounts provided by women of their own very personal experiences of trauma have been recounted. This report will no doubt further highlight the critical need for improvement in the the UKs maternity and postnatal care services. I do feel dismayed at the number of critical reports relating to maternity care that have been published (Ockenden 2023/Kirkup 2022 to name only two) and yet improvements are just too slow in happening resulting in more and more dreadful stories of mothers and families being devastated as a result of avoidable maternal and child injuries, death, and long term psychological damage. It really is time to listen. Let us hope this cross party political report will help to ensure positive steps are now taken to improve services for both patients and staff. #medicalnegligence #patientsafety #maternitycare #birthtrauma

Very humbled and grateful to National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) for supporting our work to improve pregnancy, birth and postnatal experiences in Australia and globally. What are we working on to achieve this? ⚖ Positioning healthcare experiences, dignity, rights, justice and well-being as fundamental components of high-quality maternity care 🤝 Collaborating across health and social science disciplines, and with women and families, about what matters most and how to improve services for all 📊 Integrating measurement of experiences of and satisfaction with maternity care into routine monitoring, evaluation, and action 💟 Applying an equity and justice lens to all aspects of research, intervention design, implementation, quality improvement, and engagement

❓EXPECTATIONS vs REALITY❗️ ❔Are women expecting too much from their maternity care? Fascinating final session Make Birth Better Birth Trauma Summit listening to the panel discuss whether there is a gap to be bridged. #BirthTrauma #MaternityCare

Powerful reading the report today on birth trauma which was published today by the birth trauma APPG inquiry. My colleague Geeta Nayar gave evidence to the inquiry and she has helpfully set out below the recommendations from the inquiry. #birthtrauma #maternity #safety

The first ever parliamentary inquiry on the important issue of birth trauma has been published today. The report confirms that the picture was of a maternity system where poor care is all-too-frequently tolerated as normal and women are treated as an inconvenience. The inquiry received more than 1,300 submissions from people who had experienced traumatic birth and the stories told by parents were 'harrowing'. The report sets out:- 'This Birth Trauma Inquiry is, in its simplest form, an attempt to break this taboo and share the stories and experiences of mothers and fathers publicly and start a public discussion on the realities of giving birth and how we can practically improve maternity services'. At Enable Law I support many women who sadly have suffered perineal tears during birth. A common theme I see is the lack of information provided about the possibility of this type of birth injury ahead of time and how concerns subsequently are often dismissed. I hope that this inquiry will raise awareness of the far-reaching impact on women and encourage them to seek support. The report has made a set of recommendations, to work towards a maternity system that is women-centred and where poor care is the exception rather than the rule. I've pasted a link to the report below. In light of the report, I also wanted to highlight The MASIC Foundation which is an incredible charity who support women who have been injured during childbirth, challenge stigma and drive change.    https://lnkd.in/dREFTUeR

The Birth Trauma Inquiry report, led by a cross-party group of MPs is due to be published later today. The report has found the that good maternity care is “the exception not the rule” and has called for a "base standard in maternity services" and that mothers should be given "universal access to specialist maternal mental health services across the UK". The report also calls for an overhaul of the UK's maternity and postnatal care and recommends appointing a new maternity commissioner, who would report directly to the prime minister. For those of us who work in the medical negligence sphere, these findings are unsurprising, we see first hand the devastating impact that poor maternity care has on both mothers and babies. This need for change to be made to maternity care is not new or novel and it begs the question of how many more reports or inquiries are needed before real change is implemented. #medicalnegligence #patientsaftey #materitycare

This was me in 2016 as a first time mum. My post term, 12 day overdue baby was born and taken straight to the NICU without me even being able to lay eyes on him or hold him following a failed induction and an emergency c section. By the end of that week, we were being told to essentially give up and let him go. In every sense of the word, my baby boy looked healthy and was described as a 'strapping' and sturdy looking 9 pound plus newborn. Doctors couldn't understand why he was so severely ill. I had had a healthy pregnancy and been well throughout, without any concerns. But I had the answers they didn't. Had I been listened to on the induction ward by the staff when I was in agony all night, and had NICE guidance been followed, my baby would not have been born in the condition that he was. My husband and I fought for him. We refused to 'pull the plug'. We had him transferred to another hospital 2 hours away and miraculously he turned a corner, and slowly over the course of a month in NICU, he came home. My baby came home healthy, and has been thriving since. He is our constant reminder that hope never dies and miracles are possible. My story had a happy ending. So many others do not. However, I emerged from this experience with PTSD and anxiety symptoms which went un detected because I wasn't scoring highly on a screening measure of depression. As a clinical psychologist, I was able to slowly use my own skills on myself and come out the other side. But this won't be the case for most. Maternity care and post maternity support must be improved within the NHS. We need to trust that pregnant women know their own bodies- if they say something is not right, it probably isn't. We need more psychological support post birth, and we need this support from experts who are trained to deliver psychological support. #nhs #perinatalcare #clinicalpsychology #psychologist #maternitycare

It's #BirthTraumaAwarenessWeek and this year's theme is Informed Consent. Informed consent in childbirth means that all maternity patients receive the necessary support and information to understand their options, including the associated risks and benefits. This empowers them to make informed decisions about their clinical care. Unfortunately, informed consent isn't always a reality, leading to birth trauma for some. This is why it's crucial to know your rights and spread the word about informed consent—not just during Birth Trauma Awareness Week, but always! Below are some organisations that support individuals affected by birth trauma: https://lnkd.in/e2mKYydN https://lnkd.in/euwEeBvz Birthrights