#SpeakUp 2021 - Sheffield Maternity Co-operative
Our #SpeakUp small grants scheme awards funding to local community, voluntary, or not-for-profit groups, enabling them to engage with their communities about what matters to them.
Experiences of pregnancy, birth, abortion and loss through the pandemic
Sheffield Maternity Co-operative ran several creative workshops that allowed people to discuss and express their experiences of pregnancy, birth, abortion and loss during the pandemic. They produced a zine which compiles these experiences as well as a report which includes suggestions for the improvement of services in Sheffield.
The resulting zine showcases poetry, collages, clay modelling and life drawing. The report makes recommendations based on the experiences that arose during these workshops, and the conversations that the activities made space for. They focus on topics like:
- The provision of clear information, especially for first pregnancies and when Covid-19 restrictions are in place
- A need for increased post-natal support
- The importance of people not being left alone whilst in labour, and being given adequate pain relief
- A need for more culturally competent support, working more closely with relevant community organisations
To view the zine, find out more about the workshops, and read the recommendations in full, click on the documents below.
If you need the report in a different format, please email info@healthwatchsheffield.co.uk or call 0114 253 6688.
