Obstetric violence in Brazil
This week a court in Brazil authorised the forcible removal of a woman from her home and the performance of a cesarean section against her will. You can read the Brazilian news reports here, translated...
View ArticleConsent and student medics – European Court ruling
The European Court of Human Rights gave judgment last week in Konovalova v Russia. It’s an important decision for maternity rights across Europe, which emphasises the need for women’s informed consent...
View ArticleDubska v Czech Republic: A blow to women’s reproductive rights in Europe
The European Court of Human Rights gave judgment in Dubská v Czech Republic last week. The Court found that Czech legislation prohibiting midwives attendance at home births did not interfere with...
View ArticleThe Times gets it wrong: midwifery is safe and women’s birth decisions are...
A journalist called me recently asking for a quote for a story he was writing about maternity care. He told me that he was going to expose the dangers of giving birth in midwifery-led units where, he...
View ArticleDo I have a right to a c-section? Update on Oxford University Hospitals
On 24th May we launched a campaign to engage with Trusts who state that they do not offer maternal request caesarean sections, thereby denying women the individual respect and consideration they are...
View ArticleHow should Health Care Professionals handle a maternal request for caesarean?
It‘s been unusually noisy in the maternity world over the summer, as media reports have reignited discussion about what a “safe” birth looks like. At Birthrights we believe that the need to listen to...
View ArticleIDECIDE – a new consent tool is on its way…
You may have heard talk of IDECIDE – a new tool to help healthcare professionals to support women to make informed decisions in labour. In this blog we explain what IDECIDE is, where it came from, and...
View ArticleBirthrights response to the Ockenden report
Much proverbial ink has been spent this week responding to the first report from the Ockenden review into maternity services at Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust. Finding something new to say to...
View ArticleOckenden review: Birthrights’ response
Nobody expected the Ockenden report published last week to be an easy read. However the breadth and pervasiveness of the issues at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust over such a prolonged...
View Article‘I remember looking at my partner and saying, “I’m going to be a Black...
Birthrights releases report of findings from year-long inquiry into racial injustice in maternity care Download the report The safety of hundreds of women and birthing people from Black and Brown and...
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