B I RT H C O M PA N I O N S
PREGNA KATE CHIVERS, ENGAGEMENT MANAGER AT BIRTH COMPANIONS, TELLS US ALL ABOUT THE WORK THEY DO… Your Inside Guide to Pregnancy, Birth and Motherhood in Prison
“Pregnancy in prison can be emotional and overwhelming. It is good to find out about what help and information is available and to get as much support as you can.” – a woman supported by Birth Companions Birth Companions is a charity that has worked with pregnant women and new mothers in prison since 1996. We began by working at HMP Holloway and we currently run services in three prisons, HMP Peterborough, HMP Foston Hall and HMP Bronzefield. Over the years we have supported more than 2000
women in custody. We offer support to women in the perinatal period, which is pregnancy, birth and early parenting. We make regular visits to the prisons we work in and offer groups for pregnant women to come together, talk about their pregnancy and access information and support. We also meet with women on Mother & Baby Units to offer support in early parenting. We have a dedicated team of staff and volunteers who are passionate about providing women with clear, up to date information and non –judgemental, trauma-informed support. Through our work, we identified a need to offer detailed information about all aspects of pregnancy and early parenting in prison in one booklet and in 2016 we were awarded funding to develop this resource. “Your Inside Guide to Pregnancy, Birth and Motherhood in Prison” was designed and written by the Birth Companions staff team and by women who had been in prison
“Pregnancy in prison can be emotional and overwhelming. It’s good to get support.”
60 H E A LT H Y F O U N DAT I O N S
