50 Things For 50 Mums This Birth Trauma Awareness Week

This international Birth Trauma Awareness Week (July 14-20), Birth Trauma Aotearoa invites Mums, parents and whānau to do “50 things” in recognition of Aotearoa’s birth trauma community.

Birth Trauma Aotearoa’s annual campaign invites people to do 50 things in order to acknowledge and honour the 50 birthing parents psychologically traumatised by birth PER DAY in New Zealand.

“Research tells us one in three birthing people will report their birth as emotionally traumatic. That equates to around 50 people a day in Aotearoa leaving birth broken. That’s 50 people today, 50 people tomorrow, 50 people the next day. We know the impacts of birth trauma stretch far and wide. These figures need to change,” said Birth Trauma Aotearoa’s founder and chief executive Kate Hicks.

“Those who experience birth trauma often feel very alone and forgotten. This Birth Trauma Awareness Week we’re saying ‘we see you, we believe you and we’re working for you’”. 

Last year, people from all over Aotearoa participated in 50 for 50 – mums, parents, whānau members will be doing 50 of all kinds of things to complete the challenge and to raise awareness.

“The beauty of 50 for 50 is that people can do it how they want. They can do something big, or something small, private or out loud. Last year we had people cycle 50km; plant 50 seeds; read 50 pages of their book, or do 50 deep breaths” said Kate.

“Whatever people do, we’re grateful they are acknowledging that birth trauma exists, it’s hugely prevalent and we need to minimise that prevalence as well as improve support following trauma. We’ve seen from recent parliamentary inquiry, in both the United Kingdom and New South Wales, that birth trauma impacts a huge number of families, sometimes with devastating effect. We need to focus on prevention and support”. 

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