Amma Birth Companions are one of our 2024 Grant partners (and have been a grant partner previously as well). Our grant in 2024 is a 3 year grant and we are proud to have them as partners.
If you’d like to hear more about their work please do listen to this episode from season 1 of our podcast: Amma Birth Companions – making sure women don’t give birth alone
It is our pleasure to share this blog by the CEO Maree Aldam about their recently launched report – available via their website, links below.
Amma Birth Companions is proud to announce a significant milestone with the launch of our groundbreaking ‘Birth Outcomes & Experiences Report’. This comprehensive study shines a light on the disparities in maternity care faced by asylum-seeking and refugee women in Glasgow, shedding crucial insight into their childbirth experiences.
Over a two-year period, we conducted an in-depth analysis of the perinatal care experiences of 100 women who accessed NHS maternity care and received support from Amma. The findings of our report unveil distressing examples of discrimination, practice issues, high rates of intervention, and a lack of adequate interpreting services, all of which significantly impacted the care these women received during childbirth.
One of the most striking aspects of the report is the firsthand accounts from both companions and clients, emphasising the urgent need for person-centred, trauma-informed, and culturally safe maternity care. It underscores the necessity for reform in our maternity care system, urging stakeholders across government and healthcare sectors to prioritise greater investment in maternity services.
Some key findings from the report include:
- Instances of practice issues and discrimination noted in over a third (37%) of recorded cases.
- Three in four (74%) of those who required an interpreter faced issues including a lack of availability and staff understanding.
- Induction rates rose significantly, with an average gestational age at induction being 38 + 5 weeks.
- The average Caesarean section rate spiked from 38% in 2021 to 60% in 2022, exceeding NHS figures.
In response to these distressing findings, our report proposes essential recommendations aimed at fostering anti-racist healthcare practices, increasing awareness of asylum-seeker and migrant rights, and ensuring the provision of individualised, trauma-informed care.
It is clear that collaborative efforts are crucial to improving birthing outcomes among racialised and minoritised women and birthing people. We commend the ongoing efforts within Glasgow’s maternity services to address the issues highlighted in the report and hope that our insights will contribute significantly to these initiatives.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our funders and partners for their unwavering support as we continue this vital work.
For further details and to access the full report, please visit our website. To view the press release, click here.
