22/08/2025
" If we can improve birth we can prevent problems developing, not only for those giving birth, but also for their partners as well as their children. When I first began to listen to women’s stories, I realised how often these early experiences were shaping their whole family life. Birth is not simply a moment in time to be endured and forgotten; it is the threshold into parenthood. The way we are cared for, supported, and respected during birth matters profoundly, leaving a lasting imprint on both parents and the next generation.
For some, a compassionate word or a hand held tightly was enough to bring strength and courage in moments of fear. For others, the absence of kindness or the feeling of being dismissed cut deeply, and that wound lingered long after the baby arrived. Birth, therefore, is not only about safety in the clinical sense, but also about dignity, humanity and connection.
When society minimises or dismisses the importance of birth, people carry that silence with them. They may question themselves, blame their bodies, or feel ashamed of needing support. And yet, when we acknowledge that birth matters — that the emotional experience is just as important as the physical outcome — we open the door to healing. We make it possible for parents to step into their new role not broken, but whole."
From "Why birth trauma matters" by Emma Svanberg.
