Women in the UK less likely to have kids because of their experience of maternity care, report finds

The vast majority of mothers in the UK have experienced physical or psychological birth trauma, with more than half saying they are less likely to have more children because of their experience of maternity care, new research has shown.

The survey, conducted by the UK parenting forum Mumsnet, found that 79 per cent of women experienced birth trauma, with 53 per cent experiencing physical trauma and 71 per cent experiencing psychological or emotional trauma.

Nearly three quarters (72 per cent) of those who experienced trauma said it took more than a year to resolve or was still ongoing.

The survey also found that women who experience birth trauma are not being appropriately supported by health service staff.

• 86 per cent of women who experienced birth trauma agreed that healthcare providers are desensitised to birth trauma and 75 per cent of women feel healthcare providers do not do everything they can to prevent birth trauma occurring.
• 46 per cent who experienced birth trauma said providers used language “which implied I was a failure or to blame”.
• 65 per cent of women who had experienced birth trauma previously said it was not acknowledged by staff.

The research also exposed substandard postnatal care for new mums. Nearly a fifth of women were not offered a six-week check by their GP.

Of those that had a six-week check, only 37 per cent of GPs covered both mental and physical health, despite 78 per cent of women experiencing struggles with mental health postnatally. Nearly half of women said they felt unsafe during postnatal care.

Justine Roberts, Mumsnet founder and CEO, said: “We hear daily on Mumsnet from women who have had deeply upsetting experiences of maternity care, and this latest research underlines that the majority of mothers experience birth trauma – whether physical or psychological.

This trauma has long lasting effects and it’s clear that women are being failed at every stage of the maternity care process – with too little information provided beforehand, a lack of compassion from staff during birth, and substandard postnatal care for mothers’ physical and mental health.

“This is not solely an issue of staffing or funding. It is a cultural problem which sees women belittled and undermined, with their choices and experiences ignored.”

She added: “These failures of care would not be tolerated in any other part of the health service, and it is no coincidence that they repeatedly occur in a section of the NHS which exclusively treats women and their babies.”