Campaigning
Make Birth Better are passionate that maternity and neonatal care should be safe, inclusive, compassionate for women, birthing people, their families and healthcare professionals.
We believe that by centring black and brown people, other marginalised communities, and those with the poorest outcomes, ultimately we can improve maternity and neonatal care for all. But this can only be done through true collaboration, compassion and taking action, not just using words to create true systemic change.
“We need to talk about trauma for all. The circle of trauma is affecting both parents and professionals.”
- The Think Trauma Now Report, 2020
Our Campaigns
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We want everyone to know about birth trauma
We launched #ThinkTraumaNow at the start of the pandemic in 2020. A Make Birth Better study from 2019 showed trauma statistics already had a sobering status quo. With Covid-19 restrictions added in the mix, we knew trauma statistics would skyrocket, so we urged policy makers, more than ever, to think about trauma prevention and treatment.
In 2023 we launched a new three year strategy for the next phase or #ThinkTraumaNow which was co-produced with our champions. Building on campaign learnings since its launch, our mission focus became: we want everyone to know about birth trauma and how to find support. The National Lottery Community Fund began funding the campaign in 2024.
Discover more here
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Pay the full amount
In the words of Midwife and Activitst Donna Ockenden: “There can be no excuses.” NHS England has announced £127 million of additional funding for maternity services. This is not enough money. In fact, it is only a third of the full amount that has been recommended by the Health and Social Care Select Committee. Join our demand that this Government commits to the full £350 million funding. #NoMoreExcuses
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Communication is key.
Do you remember a specific phrase? Words said to you when you were pregnant or giving birth? Many women or birthing people do. Because words matter. In 2018 we first launched our #everywordcounts campaign. Through this campaign we encourage everybody to reflect on the impact of words. We ran a powerful second edition in 2021.
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The one that started it all.
Our first campaign started in August 2017 when Co-founder Dr Emma Svanberg shared a post on Instagram explaining the difference between Postnatal Depression and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. The response floored her. Women contacted her throughout the day sharing their stories: how they had been deeply affected by their births but felt unable to speak about them. Emma analysed these stories with five themes emerging. The seed was planted for Make Birth Better.
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When Secretary of State Wes Streeting announced an independent Maternity Review in June 2025 at RCOG Congress, at Make Birth Better we had concerns that this would be another review, with more recommendations that were never actioned and not implemented, therefore outcomes remained the same or worse, especially for the most marginalised and harmed of communities.
So our CEO brought together over 100 organisations, individuals, families, healthcare professionals, researchers and Royal colleges to coproduce a strategic plan to improve maternity and neonatal services once and for all. This was to be service user AND staff lead, provding recommendations for change that were evidence based, and provide solutions alongside to improve the system and outcomes. A year later, after thousands of comments and work, we formed a strategic Plan.
We presented it as evidence directly in person to the Secretary of State, Baroness Amos and the Investigation team with 20 of our organisations. We then had all 100+ organisations meet in person with the new Secretary of State James Murray, Baroness Meron, Michelle Welsh MP and NHS England to talk through our headline recommendations and the solutions to action to improve outcomes.
Now the Taskforce for the Investigation has been formed, and Make Birth Better are proud that our CEO sits on the Charity and Third sector Expert Reference Group within the Taskforce to ensure the Collective Plan is implemented.
Download - The National Maternity and Neonatal Collective Plan
