Reclaiming Birth

What is Reclaiming Birth about?

Reclaiming Birth is a campaign by NCT, AIMS, ARM, IM UK, RCM and Albany Mums about the standard of maternity services throughout the UK. We want parents-to-be to have the best opportunity to start family life in the optimum way. Our concerns cover a range of issues:

Many women and their partners are left alone in labour and get little support from overstretched midwives. Parents-to-be often don't have access to the services and support they need for the birth of their baby to be a safe, positive and life affirming event.

This will only change when there are more midwives, more women being able to birth in free-standing midwifery units (Birth Centres) or at home and more midwives carrying their own caseloads and looking after parents-to-be from conception to birth and postnatally. Few parents-to-be currently have any of these options.

Find out more on the Reclaiming Birth campaign page. You can also look at the AIMS website for further details.

How did the Reclaiming Birth march go?

We held a rally on Sunday 7 March, in which we marched on Whitehall to show the strength of feeling behind these issues. There was a terrific turnout, and we marched from Lambeth to Whitehall, following a Reclaiming Birth bus. Upon reaching Whitehall, we had a rally with speakers from each organisation. Our speakers were:

- Peter Duncan - Master of Ceremonies
- Professor Wendy Savage
- Beverley Beech of AIMS
- Duncan Fisher of Dads' Info
- Jon Skewes of RCM
- Emma Beamish of Albany Mums
- Becky Reed of Albany Midwives
- Annie Francis of Independent Midwives UK
- Gail Werkmeister and Belinda Phipps of NCT

 

The march gained brilliant support, and interest from the media, and will prove to be a great step towards Reclaiming Birth and ensuring we have enough midwives, who are able to provide continuty of care, one-to-one care in labour, and real support for choice and empowerment for women. 

You can see photos from the Rally on NCT's Flickr page and watch a video from the day below: 

 

 

Successful as the march was, there's more yet to do...

What can you do?

There are a couple of actions you can take. These are really quick and easy, and should take no more than five minutes. Why not write to your elected representative (AM/MLA/MP/MSP) and ask for their support? Or to your local MSLC to encourage them to support the campaign and start getting action from your local Health Board or Trust?

Write to your MP

Write to your AM/MLA/MSP (Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland)

Write to your MSLC

Relevant campaigns

Location, location, location - choice of place of birth

Better Birth Environments

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