NSW BIRTH TRAUMA Inquiry

More than 4,200 women shared their experience of birth trauma that could have been prevented to the NSW Parliament. They spoke of not being listened to, ignored, coerced and disempowered leading to feeling disconnected to their baby, poor mental health, not being able to breastfeed and relationship challenges. This lack of respectful maternity care is at crisis point, a “Me Too” moment for mothers.

From Wollongong to Wagga, we know women and families are experiencing trauma at the hands of the maternity services system.

Key Highlights:

What did the NSW Health Minister announce he would do?

Firstly, the NSW Health Minister Ryan Park made a formal apology which is significant to have on the record as it states that NSW Health and the maternity care system is failing women and it is not the fault of the birthing woman.

“We apologise to women who have not received the high standard of maternity care they should have. We also recognise and are grateful for the courage of the thousands of women who shared their deeply personal and difficult experiences with the Select Committee on Birth Trauma.” NSW Health Minister Ryan Park

The Minister must also be commended for supporting the Inquiry to begin with (apparently this doesn’t always happen!) and importantly for the NSW Government supporting the 42 out of 43 Recommendations.

five initiatives to be accelerated

the NSW Government supported 42 out of the 43 Recommendations and issued a n apology to the thousands of women and birthing parents who have not received the high level quality of maternity care.

The five initiatives to be accelerated are:

• increasing access to maternity continuity of care models;

• embedding trauma-informed maternity care;

• improving the way information is provided to women;

• improving consent processes in maternity care; and

• supporting women who experience pregnancy complications.

You can read the official NSW Government Minister response here and the shorter summary via their media release here. The press release is generally what the Minister wants to emphasise to the broader public. We noted that a commitment to Continuity of Midwifery-led Care was not explicit, and this concerns us. As Alyssa, our Vice President said in an interview with ABC News, "There's a lot of broad statements leaving them open to some wriggle room."

SBS News coverage had an excellent focus on the inequity of only some women and birthing people having access to a known midwife with a focus on the need for culturally specifc and safe care for First Nations families, interviewing Sam Hall a mum from QLD and local mother Sarah Gell who talked bout her experience as a young mum and how the health system needs to embed bodily autonomy and decisions resting with the birthing parent.

Media

Media coverage on the birth trauma inquiry has been unprecedented. We have collated most of the articles, TV news pieces and podcasts right here. This level of engagement on a global, national and regional level is testament to all the women who shared their stories and how widespread the issue is. From CNN and Al Jazeera to the Illawarra Mercury, we hope that women, birthing parents, partners and midwives who read our stories and kept up to date on the issue felt less alone, knowing that birth trauma is a systemic issue. That it wasn’t their fault.

Our Advocacy

Read our letter to the NSW Health Minister sent on the 7th of August demanding a key change that, if implemented, will make a positive impact on eliminating preventable birth trauma.

The NSW Birth Trauma Inquiry Report was handed down on 29th May 2024. The findings confirm what the many courageous women, birthing parents and partners who helped expose the heart-wrenchingly high rates of birth trauma in NSW told us and what we already knew. The Report however, is not the end. Better Births Illa

The NSW Government had until the 29th of August to respond and commit to implementing the Recommendations. See above for his response.

Our petition calls on NSW Health Minister Ryan Park to do this as a bare minimum and to invest in continuity of midwifery-led care. A solution raised time and again by women, birthing parents, midwives, psychologists and doctors.

Better Births Illawarra will continue to advocate and demand action for better maternity care across NSW.

Key Moments

• NSW Government response to the Birth Trauma Report was announced

• BBi committee members Sarah and Lisa attended the Blueprint for Maternity Care Implementation workshop in response to the Report.

• Joint Letter to the NSW Health Minister in the lead up to the response to the Birth trauma Report (August)

• Letter to the NSW Treasurer in the lead up to the NSW Budget Announcement 18th June 2024. (7th June)

• We held a Webinar “Birth Trauma Report Uncovered” on Tuesday 4th June with guests Bashi Hazard, Hazel Keedle, Dr Tane Luna and Mel Briggs. 110 people registered.

• We made a snapshot analysis of the Birth Trauma Report in the 24 hours after it was handed down as BBI was one of the first to receive it. (3rd June)

• BBI was invited to the launch of the Report and to speak at the official Press Conference Press at NSW Parliament House (29th May 2024)

• Birth Trauma Report launched (29th May 2024)

• BBI sent our Key Recommendations based on the testimonies and submissions by women, birthing parents endorsed by 13 organisations to the Select Committee and NSW Health Minister Ryan Park. (18th May)

As a community organisation we are committed to ensuring women in NSW have access to empowered births. A necessary part of that is to see preventable birth trauma eliminated.

Better Births Illawarra has played a key role in ensuring the inquiry heard firsthand the experiences of women birthing in our communities and across the NSW health system. We helped thousands of everyday women and families make often very painful submissions of their own traumatic birth experiences. We sat with women, cried with women, translated for women. We attended every hearing, supporting women who gave evidence in Wollongong and Sydney.

BBI’s submission which is numbered #880 and our appearance in the 2nd Public Hearing was a responsibility we took seriously and are grateful to have represented our community.

MEDIA

BBI featured in more than fifty-five media pieces. We supported more than twelve women share their stories with the media. Please see the media reports, articles and TV features surrounding the Inquiry.

PUBLIC HEARINGS

The public hearings were a key part of the Inquiry. They are an opportunity for the Select Commitee members to hear directly from people who made submissions. BBI was instrumental in assisting the Select Committee to

Sydney 11th March 2024 - Access the transcript and Video recording of the proceedings.

Wagga Wagga 12th Dec - Access the transcript and Video recording of the proceedings

Sydney 9th Oct - Access the transcript and Video recording of the proceedings.

Wollongong 7th Sept - Access the transcript and Video recording of the proceedings.

Sydney 4th September - Access the transcript and Video recording of the proceedings.