Friends indeed: Pregnant refugees seeking a safe haven in Scotland on how they found crucial support
Childbirth should be the most joyful time in a mother’s life, but it can also be a fraught experience, especially for women going through it alone.
For pregnant asylum seekers and refugees who have found temporary safety in Scotland, the thought of giving birth in a strange country with no support is a daunting prospect that can, say experts, inflict further psychological trauma, putting both mother and baby at risk.
While helping women in this situation through the former British Red Cross Mums Project, program manager Sarah Zadik and Glasgow-based doula Helen MacDonald saw a desperate need for support provided by doulas. Doulas and birth companions work separately from midwives to provide emotional, practical and informational support through pregnancy, labour, birth and some postnatal care.
Sarah and Helen founded the charity Amma Birth Companions in May 2019 to provide one-on-one birth companions for asylum seekers and refugees in Glasgow. Mothers-to-be referred to the charity by midwives and other organisations can receive support from their third trimester to two months after birth.
“I was acutely aware that there was this big gap around birth support for women who had no one by their side to support or advocate for them,” said Sarah. “Almost everyone we work with is separated from their family, are in a new country and might not speak English.
“Often these women have been victims of trafficking. Vulnerable mothers who have been through sexual violence can be re-traumatised through pregnancy and birth, so we try to minimise that threat by having someone there who is aware of their situation and can advocate for her needs.”
Crucially for mothers facing a language barrier, Amma Birth Companions will advocate on their behalf and help them make informed decisions about maternity care and during labour. “These women are also going through stressful times related to their immigration status, faced with uncertainty over their safety and future,” said Sarah. “In pregnancy, stress can have long-term impacts on both mothers and their unborn child. The women we work with have said having a birth companion they know and trust by their side made an enormous difference to their well-being and the whole birth process.”
So far, Amma has helped 35 women give birth and the project is in the process of doubling the number of volunteer birth companions from 15 to 30 to support more mothers and babies. They are also recruiting a mother companion, to provide further postnatal support.
The Covid-19 pandemic has affected the support Amma provides but the organisation has preserved the connection between mothers and their birth companions through regular phone and video calls. The charity has helped 15 mums through childbirth since mid-March.
Sarah said: “We’ve not been able to be at the full birth but we have provided support during labour and follow-up calls with mothers via phone and video call, plus physically-distanced home visits.
“We’ve provided taxis to our mothers so they don’t need to use public transport during the pandemic because pregnant BAME women are at high-risk of Covid19. These women are usually living on just £37 per week so we’ve helped them communicate with each other and access information online.”
She added: “We could never have imagined the positive impact our service has had on the mothers we support. It is an intense and emotional experience but helping these women bring their babies into the world is a real privilege.”