Birth Companions is a women’s charity dedicated to tackling inequalities and disadvantage during pregnancy, birth and early motherhood. They were founded in 1996 to support pregnant women and new mothers in Holloway Prison. Since then they’ve become experts in meeting the needs of women living in the most challenging situations in prison and in the community.
The women Birth Comanions support face many difficulties which can often make the birth of their baby a time of anxiety, stress and hardship. These can include being in contact with the criminal justice system, involvement with children's social care, immigration issues, homelessness, poverty, mental ill-health and a history of domestic violence or sexual abuse. Time and again their work has shown that with the right support cycles of disadvantage can be broken, and the futures of mothers and their babies improved.
Birth Companions are led by and for women. They provide practical and emotional support through services in prisons and the community. Many of those supported go on to join their Lived Experience Team; a group of over 50 women who are committed to drawing on their experiences through research and policy work. Together, they are achieving real change in the way women and their babies are cared for across the UK and beyond.
Practical and emotional support to pregnant women and new mothers experiencing severe and multiple disadvantage. Raising awareness and improving policy and practice of the needs of this group of women.
