Birth Activism
I believe that there’s a lot of rewilding that needs to happen when it comes to birth. The current, highly medicalised maternity system does not offer person-centred care. Many folks are left hurt, disappointed, disempowered.
Here are a few of the things that I am involved in to change birth culture in Ireland.
Giving Birth in Ireland: the book
I am a founding member of the Irish Birth Movement, a small group of folks feeling passionate about birth. One of the things we’ve cooked up over the past two years is: A BOOK!
This book is for all those who give birth in Ireland, and those supporting them. Written by midwives, doulas, mothers and birth partners, this book explains how the maternity system in Ireland works, what the options are, and what it really feels like to birth in this country, whether in the hospital or at home.
If you’ve given birth before, this is the kind of book that you wish you’d read before you had your baby, and which you should read now to make sense of your experience. If you’re a first-time parent, this is the book you need to read before you, or your partner, give(s) birth. If you are a midwife or a doctor or anyone caring for pregnant people and new mothers in Ireland, this book will help you serve them better.
The authors are not afraid to tackle uncomfortable truths about the failings of the Irish maternity system, but they also share stories of hope and joy. When you’ve read the book, you’ll know your options, and you’ll be on your way to a positive, empowered birth.
You can order the book online via the website of my local bookshop, Sheelagh na Gig in Cloughjordan:
https://sheelaghnagig.com/giving-birth-in-ireland_9781399971935
Get in touch to find out more about the Irish Birth Movement, or follow us on Instagram:
@irishbirthmovement
Giving Birth in Ireland: the book
I am a founding member of the Irish Birth Movement, a small group of folks feeling passionate about birth. One of the things we’ve cooked up over the past two years is: A BOOK!
This book is for all those who give birth in Ireland, and those supporting them. Written by midwives, doulas, mothers and birth partners, this book explains how the maternity system in Ireland works, what the options are, and what it really feels like to birth in this country, whether in the hospital or at home.
If you’ve given birth before, this is the kind of book that you wish you’d read before you had your baby, and which you should read now to make sense of your experience. If you’re a first-time parent, this is the book you need to read before you, or your partner, give(s) birth. If you are a midwife or a doctor or anyone caring for pregnant people and new mothers in Ireland, this book will help you serve them better.
The authors are not afraid to tackle uncomfortable truths about the failings of the Irish maternity system, but they also share stories of hope and joy. When you’ve read the book, you’ll know your options, and you’ll be on your way to a positive, empowered birth.
You can order the book online via the website of my local bookshop, Sheelagh na Gig in Cloughjordan:
https://sheelaghnagig.com/giving-birth-in-ireland_9781399971935
Get in touch to find out more about the Irish Birth Movement, or follow us on Instagram:
@irishbirthmovement
Research on birth in Ireland
I am a researcher based in the School of Medicine at the University of Limerick. I did in-depth interviews with 23 women in 2019 about their experiences of giving birth in Ireland. One of the key findings was the lack of women’s involvement in decision-making during pregnancy and birth. While some women experienced a positive birth and felt supported and heard by their care providers, most women described birth experiences that were at best “difficult” and at worst “traumatic”. They felt that decisions were made for them, that they did not have enough information about the interventions that were offered to them, and that there was a lack of interest and support for their views and needs. Here are two papers that I published based on this study:
Decision-making in the birth space
At the moment I am collaborating with the Birth Rights Alliance Ireland (@birthrightsalliance) in a study on medical interventions during birth. Our starting point is the fact that intervention rates are very high in Ireland – higher than they should be according to international best practice guidelines and research evidence. We are intent on finding out more about what exactly is going on here and how these decisions are made. The aim is to share information publicly that empowers birthing people to demand person-centred, evidence-based care instead of unnecessary routine interventions.