Presentation about domestic abuse and maternity services

[Offred]

I am writing one for my maternity forum - multi-disciplinary forum of providers and service users. I want to talk about how domestic abuse may affect family planning, antenatal care, labour and delivery and the postnatal period and what providers should understand in order to influence services in our area.

[Offred]

Effect even! Any ideas?

[Offred]

I want to talk about the change in the govt definition of domestic violence, why I think it is more accurate to call is abuse, how women in abusive relationships are hard to identify, how they almost never identify as "an abused woman" and their partner as "an abuser" even if they can identify their partner is behaving in ways which abuse them, how abuse can be exceptionally subtle and how although discussing physical violence is becoming more common sexual violence is still very much taboo. Amongst other things.

[Thistledew]

One example to look out for is if a woman is asking for repeat prescriptions of the pill on a too frequent basis- with the excuse that she has 'lost' a packet. This may indicate domestic abuse if her partner is hiding or throwing away her contraception. Likewise, a woman who is making frequent requests for the MAP.

[Offred]

Good points thistle I would never have thought of that, also abortion services and coercion issues, frequent abortions.

I have thought of mentioning the findings of BCS about the most at risk group being 16-19 year olds and how this ties in with teen pg services.

Also accessing antenatal care.

The effect on labour.

[Offred]

Obv having been in an abusive relationship I don't want to be blinkered in talking about my experience as the objective truth of mat services/abusive relationships.

[DoubleYew]

That pregnancy can be a very risky time for women. Previously 'nice' men can become abusive at a time when women are vulnerable or abuse can intensify. Being pregnant or having a newborn can make a woman deny / cling harder to an abuser because of the fear of how to cope alone with a baby, worry about effect of broken home on childf's life, what families will think, everyone finds life stressfull with a baby right?, now financially dependant on him etc etc. This can give the abuser more power over her and so on.

[Yoghurty]

Just PM'd you Offred.....

[Offred]

Thank yoghurty, just replied!