Aboriginal woman Sam Hall from Ormiston, Queensland, shares her traumatic birth experience highlighting inadequate care in Australian hospitals. Hall’s concerns about her high-risk pregnancy were dismissed by medical staff, leading to her son suffering complications during labor. Hall is among many women speaking out about the crisis in Australia’s healthcare system, prompting a world-first parliamentary inquiry in New South Wales. The inquiry revealed shocking stories of birth trauma, obstetric violence, and healthcare worker burnout.
The study found that a third of mothers in Australia experience birth trauma, with 10 percent facing obstetric violence. While the parliamentary inquiry recommended reforms to improve maternal healthcare, many mothers feel it didn’t go far enough, failing to recognize obstetric violence as gender-based violence. Healthcare workers also highlighted the impact of burnout and lack of support on their ability to provide care.
One mother, Amy Dawes, founded the Australasian Birth Trauma Association to raise awareness of birth trauma’s long-lasting effects. She hopes the inquiry will lead to a shift in how pregnant women are treated in Australia’s healthcare system. Hall, now the mother of a thriving boy named Koah, reflects on the unfairness of her traumatic birth experience. She wishes she had been listened to and taken seriously, believing that much could have been avoided. The inquiry’s response is awaited as advocates continue to push for meaningful change in maternal healthcare to prevent further trauma for generations to come.
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