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Birth Companions

@brthcompanions

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National charity delivering better care, equity and justice for pregnant women, mothers & babies. 30 years of supporting women with love & compassion.

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We know that what happens in the first 1001 days— from conception to a child’s second birthday—shapes the health, wellbeing and life chances of mothers and their children.

On Wednesday 21 October, Birth Companions will be delivering a The Centre for Justice Innovation workshop on navigating pregnancy and early motherhood in community justice.

Date: Wednesday 21 October
Time: 11:00 – 12:30
Location: Online

In this workshop, Kirsty Kitchen (Director, Birth Companions Institute) and Deepa Moodgal (Community Support Coordinator, Birth Companions) will share insights on the importance of considering the first 1001 days when working with women in touch with the criminal justice system in the community. They will talk about Birth Companions’ specialist probation-linked service in London and the South East, and our campaign to bring about a radical new approach to pregnancy and early motherhood across the criminal justice system as a whole.

You can register for the event via the link in our bio.

Thank you to the Centre for Justice Innovation for organising this event. by @brthcompanions

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a day ago

I had such a great time showcasing the Illustrations I created as part of the @lostmothers project at the GLOW Conference (Global Women’s Health Research Society) Brilliant to represent @incarceratedpregnancy before her appearance tomorrow and definitely chatted a lot about @brthcompanions and the lived experience team too! Really loved meeting everyone tonight and watching the incredible film screening too definitely subjects close to my heart at @the.rcog Such an emotional yet fantastic evening! @laulau7171 taken in Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists RCOG by @brthcompanions

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2 days ago

This week is Baby Loss Awareness Week, and we’re thinking of everyone affected by the loss of a baby, including the women we have supported throughout our 30-year history.

Walking alongside women with kindness, love and compassion through experiences of loss is an essential part of the care that our team provides. Our support is trauma-informed and tailored to each woman’s needs, so that she feels seen, heard and cared for during a painful and complex time.

For those who would like to take a moment to reflect, the Wave of Light will take place tonight at 7pm. You can find more information about the Wave of Light via the link in our bio. by @brthcompanions

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2 days ago

We are delighted to announce that we reached our £15,000 Big Give fundraising milestone, which means that we have raised £30,000 to support pregnant women and new mothers facing inequality and disadvantage.

These funds will go towards our services, helping us to keep building hopeful, empowering spaces with the women we support.

Thank you so much to everyone who donated. Your donations help us be there for pregnant women, mothers and their babies facing the most challenging situations, ensuring they receive care and understanding when they need it most. by @brthcompanions

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3 days ago

At Birth Companions, donations are the first step in bringing support and hope to pregnant women, mothers and babies facing severe disadvantage.

This week, your pledge can go twice as far.

Until the 13th October at 12pm, the Big Give Women and Girl’s Fund will double all donations that we receive. Every pound you donate will be matched by The Big Give until we hit our £15,000 target. This means donations made to us during this period will be doubled, up to a potential total of £30,000.

Pregnancy and early motherhood can be challenging for any woman. For the women we work alongside, anxiety and fears are heightened by inadequate housing provision, social isolation, and involvement with the criminal justice system.

Our services are here to provide practical and emotional support to pregnant women and mothers facing acutely stressful and isolating circumstances. Birth Companions’ support helps women and mothers to feel seen, empowered and hopeful.

It’s your kindness that makes our work possible. To donate, please visit our Big Give page via our Linktree. Thank you for your continued support. by @brthcompanions

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9 days ago

Today was a historic first for specialist prison midwives: our first in-person away day, at the @midwives_rcm HQ in London, kindly funded by the @iolanthemidwife and the @uniofherts. It was really good to have the whole team together from all over the country ❤️
Thank you to the specialist prison midwives and midwifery support workers for everything you do to support pregnant women in prison and mothers separated from their babies ❤️
We set up the Prison Midwives Action Group in 2021 so specialist prison midwives could support each other online and share good practice and challenges.
We were joined by Kate Brintworth, Chief Midwifery Officer for NHS England, @brthcompanions, Katherine Miller-Brunton and Susanna Demelas, and Liz Oliver at @onetruepathwellbeing, who led a really relaxing session at the end of the day ❤️Midwives valued having the time and safe space to speak openly. We came away with clear actions to take forward with colleagues in HMPPS and NHS England. #releasegap
Every pregnant woman and every mother, with or separated from her baby deserves safe, consistent care, in prison and after release. Today showed how much specialist prison midwives are doing to make that happen.
#SpecialistPrisonMidwives #Midwifery #Lostmothersproject #PMAG taken in London, United Kingdom by @brthcompanions

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9 days ago

Recently, we held an open, reflective space to process the difficult findings in this year’s MBRRACE-UK maternal mortality report. We would like to take this opportunity to extend our thanks to everyone who attended. If you would like to watch the recording, you can now access the full webinar on our website (linked in bio).

Every year, the MBRRACE-UK maternal mortality report gives us new insight into where, when, how and why things are going wrong for women and birthing people during pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period — and every year, the findings are complex and incredibly distressing to sit with.

At the same time, media and public commentary often contains complicated, upsetting statistics and fast-moving commentary that rightly demands urgent change, but doesn’t always allow space to sit with the complexity.

Over the last few years, Birth Companions has run webinars like this to reflect on findings in maternal mortality reports, bringing people together, to talk and reflect. Holding a safe space for reflective and honest discussion is deeply important to us, and it was a privilege to bring people together to process, reflect and share their vision for change.

We would like to thank everyone who engaged with our webinar for their time and commitment. We also extend our gratitude to our speakers, Kirsty Kitchen, @leahhazard and @soafrodiziac, for their carefully considered insight. by @brthcompanions

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10 days ago

This week, your small act of kindness can go twice as far. From now until midday on 13 Oct, every pound donated to Birth Companions will be matched by the Big Give Women and Girl’s Match Fund, which means that your donation will be doubled.

Our goal is to raise £15K during the Big Give. If we reach our target, match funding could double this to £30K— an ambitious fundraising goal to celebrate 30 years of Birth Companions’ care, support and advocacy.

For 30 years, Birth Companions has supported pregnant women, mothers and babies navigating some of the most difficult circumstances imaginable. Pregnant women navigating prison and probation services. Women with infants living in unsafe accommodation. Mothers fleeing domestic abuse. Women facing pregnancy alone.

Across our services, we have seen the transformative power of small acts. A phone call answered. A booklet explaining what happens after birth. A volunteer showing up, prepared to listen and not judge. These are the moments that help women feel seen, supported and hopeful.

Every small act of kindness across our services matters—and so does every donation. No gift is too small to make a meaningful difference.

Every donation adds up—your small gift could have life-changing impact. To donate to Birth Companions, please visit our donations page via our Linktree.

You can also support our campaign by sharing our posts on Instagram with your network. Thank you so much for your continued support. by @brthcompanions

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11 days ago

Save the Date!

Tomorrow (6 October) at midday, our Big Give Women and Girls Match Fund campaign launches and will run until midday on 13 October.

To celebrate 30 years of supporting pregnant women and mothers, we have fundraising goal of £30K—our most ambitious target yet!

For one week only, we have access to £15K of match funds, meaning that any donations made through the Big Give will be doubled—potentially unlocking a life-changing £30k.

During the Big Give, your pledge can make double the difference for pregnant women, mothers and babies experiencing severe disadvantage in the UK today.

Keep an eye on our website and social media channels for updates. You can also support our campaign by sharing our posts on Instagram with your network.

Please remember that only gifts made via our Big Give page during the campaign window will be doubled. Thank you so much for your continued support. by @brthcompanions

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12 days ago

For nearly 20 years, Sarah has been showing up for women with Birth Companions, often on her bright pink bike.

Sarah joined us as a volunteer around 2008, when much of our work involved supporting pregnant women from Holloway Prison. She attended births across London before becoming one of our volunteer phone holders, helping to coordinate birth support for women in hospital.

There are many moments that have stayed with her, including cycling through an unusually quiet London on Christmas Day to support a woman whose baby was in special care at Great Ormond Street.

For Sarah, the heart of Birth Companions is simple:
“It makes such a difference to someone’s peace of mind just knowing there’s somebody there with them, somebody’s got their back.”

As we celebrate 30 years of Birth Companions, we’re sharing the stories of the people who have shaped our work and stood alongside women over three decades.

Sarah – and her pink bike – are part of that story. Read it in full now, via the link in our bio.

Thanks to Sarah Ainsley who took Sarah’s photo. by @brthcompanions

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14 days ago

When Grace was pregnant with her second child, everything felt like too much.

She was facing family, housing and financial difficulties, and her midwife referred her to Birth Companions.

“They couldn't solve every problem, but they gave me something I really needed: emotional support.”

After her daughter was born, Grace began coming to our mum and baby group. She found friendship, confidence and a place where she felt welcomed and valued.

Later, she joined our Lived Experience Team, helping to improve maternity services by sharing her experiences.

Today, Grace has taken that inspiration even further.

Having experienced motherhood in both Sierra Leone and the UK, she founded Regenerating Motherhood, a project supporting pregnant women and new mothers in Sierra Leone with practical help, emotional support and opportunities to build confidence and independence.

Looking back, Grace says: “Birth Companions helped me find my voice.”

As we celebrate 30 years of Birth Companions, we're sharing the stories of the people who have shaped our journey and who are now shaping change for others.

Grace chose to be photographed with a bracelet she made for her daughter during one of our sessions. She still keeps it today as a reminder of the friendships, support and confidence she found at Birth Companions.

Read Grace’s full story now, via the link in our bio. by @brthcompanions

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17 days ago

This isn't simply about temperature.

It's about who is exposed, who can adapt and who gets protected.

Join the conversation on 7 October. Book now via the link in our bio.

#HeatwavesAndWomensHealth #Heatwaves #WomensHealth #ClimateJustice #ClimateAdaptation by @brthcompanions

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17 days ago