Our 2021 #everywordcounts campaign
“Poor communication contributed to 9 in 10 cases of birth trauma.”
- Birth Trauma Association Survey, 2020
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. Here is an overview of our second edition in 2021. Not only did we show the impact of words. But also how simple the solution can be.
Kicking off
Our 2018 teaser
We launched our 2021 edition of #everywordcounts at the start of Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month (May). We shared our 2018 video as a little teaser.
Stories from our followers
Getting involved
On our social feeds we asked some of our followers to share their story. We asked them to write down phrases said to them during birth or pregnancy which had a negative impact on their experience. We also asked what they wish had been said instead. It was a powerful way of showing how simple the solution can be. Through sharing these stories, we invited others to join in our campaign too. We created a step by step guide, which you can see by swiping left on our Instagram feed here. We shared the stories of Abbe, Sheryl, our Community Lead Sakina and a dad from Manchester (in collaboration with Dad Matters UK).
Reposting on stories
Throughout the month of May people tagged us in their posts. We reposted all of them on our Instagram stories. Below an overview of these photos.
Comments on our feed
Many people shared their experience by commenting on our feed too. We collated these phrases and turned them into a reel.
Two different births
Make Birth Better Champion Madeline Bell wrote a blog post about her two birth experiences, reflecting on how language played a big part in both births. But also how they affected her early postnatal experiences, which were strikingly different. Maddy: “I believe there are a number of unchangeable reasons for that, but language is the one thing that can be changed.” You can read Maddy’s post here.
Perspectives from professionals
In reflecting on the impact of language we felt it was important to include the perspectives of professionals too. So, we invited maternity care professionals in our network to share their reflections on the power of language in short videos which we shared on our social feeds.
Benash Nazmeen
Benash Nazmeen - midwife and health inequality advocate - shared a poem by Shailja Patel portraying that sometimes it’s not just the words, but even the language we speak it in that affects the other person. Benash: “Let’s consider the power and the privilege that we hold.”
Mars Lord
Mars Lord - doula, coach and anti-racism activist - recorded a message encouraging all of us to reflect on our personal bias. Mars: "What is your unspoken bias that you haven't looked at and put aside? We know that Black and Brown bodied women and birthing people are far more likely to be at risk. Let's not miss the simple thing we can do here: to listen, to hear, to value and to bring dignity.”
Dr Saima Sharif
Building on the powerful reflections of Benash and Mars, Dr Saima Sharif (Obstetrician & Gynaecologist) shared a few day-to-day examples - things she says or does to make her patients feel more supported.
Dr Andy Mayers
In our final week of #everywordcounts we focussed on the impact of language for partners. Research tells us partners often feel excluded. Dr Andy Mayers - perinatal mental health researcher and campaigner at Bournemouth University - shared his thoughts on how language plays a key role in spinning this around.
Closing off
Poem by Caroline Ingman
Our 2021 edition of #everywordcounts was a powerful follow-up of 2018 and resonated with many - both parents and professionals. This campaign shows the key role language and communication play when we talk about birth trauma. Which is why it is such a vital part of our Make Birth Better model. We closed off our second edition with a beautiful poem from Caroline Ingman - who’s been part of our network and involved since the early days. Caroline: “Words can be your superpower.”
