Our #thinktraumanow campaign

2020: campaign launch

Trauma prevention and treatment in light of Covid-19

Before the pandemic hit, birth trauma statistics already had a sobering status quo.

Add Covid-19 restrictions to the mix and you see trauma statistics skyrocket. This is why we launched #ThinkTraumaNow. Read about the campaign launch in 2020 here.

2023: next phase

We want everyone to know about birth trauma and how to find support

In 2023 we launched a new three year strategy for the next phase of Think Trauma Now which we co-produced with our champions. Our three year plan builds on our campaign learnings since its launch at the start of the pandemic. Our mission focus: we want everyone to know about birth trauma and how to find support.

In 2024 we were proud to welcome The National Lottery Community Fund as the primary funder of this campaign. We thank them enormously for their support.

We want everyone to know about birth trauma

Public awareness is critical to driving lasting change. Many parents are unaware that they are suffering from trauma, many professionals lack the tools to support birth trauma. Our 2023 next phase of #ThinkTraumaNow aims for birth trauma to be as widely recognised as Postnatal Depression (PND) and the menopause.

We are currently reaching 9% of parents with our support resources, we want this to be 90%.

To do this we will:

• ensure that birth trauma is included in mental health resources shared with parents

• upskill antenatal educators to include birth trauma in their teaching

• develop a self-assessment tool for parents to assess their symptoms

• provide them with a download on birth trauma they can take to their GP’s
  

73% of women tell us they have not been asked by a health professional about their birth experience. We are flipping this statistic around. We will make sure that 75% of women say they have been asked about their birth and that trauma support is signposted.

GP’s and Health Visitors are pivotal in changing this statistic and are also a key target group for the campaign.

Our #ThinkTraumaNow campaign has three influential Campaign Ambassadors

#ThinkTraumaNow is a grassroots campaign that’s being co-led by our Champions, our core team and our Campaign Ambassadors: Dr Punam Krishan (GP, Broadcaster & Author), Emma Tucker (experienced Health Visitor, Pediatric Nurse & Perinatal Mental Health Champion) and Illiyin Morrison (Birth Trauma Specialist Midwife, Birth debrief facilitator & Author). Punam, Emma and Illiyin are influential voices in their fields and are fundamental to achieving our two long term campaign outcomes.

This phase of our campaign is aiming for two long term outcomes:

1. GP's and Health Visitors enquire about birth trauma at routine checks

   Whilst we are seeing an encouraging rise in the levels of awareness of birth trauma in healthcare professionals, there are two pivotal professional groups who are generally less engaged: GPs and Health Visitors. Think Trauma Now is therefore specifically focusing on how we can change that. We want birth trauma enquiry questions to be included in all the relevant postnatal appointments such as the GP six week check and the Health Visitor statutory visits. 

2. Parents have better knowledge of birth trauma

   We are also seeing growth in the number of parents understanding that birth trauma might have impacted them but they are often left without the resources and support they need to have their suffering heard, validated and treated. Societal narratives around birth also continue to minimise the distress that birthing women, people and partners may have experienced. Think Trauma Now is therefore also focusing on designing and distributing new support resources to improve parents' knowledge of birth trauma and encourage them to ask for help.

If you would like to know more about this topic, please check out our free training - Birth Trauma: Spotting the Signs here.

If you're interested in supporting the campaign, we'd love to have you on board. Please sign up as a Make Birth Better Champion or contact us with any questions.