Caring for pregnant modern slavery survivors
Claire Walford
Our new director, Lois Bosatta, has a special interest in how modern slavery survivors are supported through pregnancy and the early stages of parenthood.
For her Master’s Degree at the University of Nottingham’s Rights Lab, Lois undertook in-depth research in the area of motherhood and slavery, looking at historical and contemporary examples. This led to further study in the field as so little work had been done on this vital element of survivor support. We spoke to Lois to find out a bit more!
Could you tell us how your passion for improving the maternity and post-natal care given to survivors of modern slavery began?
Several years ago, there were a few women in my church in Bournemouth who volunteered as doulas at a local safe house for survivors of trafficking. A doula is a non-medical professional who provides informational, emotional and practical support to an individual through the process of pregnancy and childbirth. I was really excited about the idea of caring for women in this way so in 2019 I trained and became certified as a doula.
I had the privilege of supporting several trafficking survivors through birth and the early first weeks with their newborns. We would get a phone call from the local safe house that a new resident was pregnant and then we would contact them to offer support. The mothers I supported were mostly trafficked to the UK so they were unfamiliar with NHS systems as well as the cities they lived in, and were isolated from the family and support they would usually have had in their home communities. While we didn't dig into histories ourselves, it was clear they carried deep and complex trauma from their experiences of exploitation, both physically and psychologically. But they also carried the hope, excitement, anxiety and worry that I'm sure every mother does while expecting! We would get alongside them, providing antenatal support and friendship, practical care, access to translation services, emotional support, be on call for labour and birth and then check in on them in their first weeks providing support with feeding and help at home.
When I started to research this theme during my Master’s, I realised there was very little available in literature to understand these women’s experiences and support needs so I decided to explore the area further.
What research did you undertake? What organisations did you work with?
During my initial research, I began thinking about the maternity needs of modern slavery survivors, speaking with other doulas and frontline workers to build a better picture of the challenges and available support. A small team of us at the Rights Lab then applied to formally evaluate how the frontline services of a joint project between the Happy Baby Community and Hestia supported mothers. We looked at their experiences of perinatal mental health, infant feeding, social connections and the general experiences of asylum-seeking women and trafficking survivors in maternity care in the UK.
What were your main observations / learnings? What did you learn about vulnerable families?
We learnt so much! Research suggests that around 30% of trafficking survivors have experienced one or more pregnancies during exploitation so our learnings and recommendations are highly relevant to anyone working in survivor support.
Along with my team at the Rights Lab and our colleagues at the School of Midwifery, we explored the difference the organisations’ frontline services made to the mothers’ wellbeing and experience of motherhood. Our research identified the themes of Social Support Theory which suggests that improvements in circumstances and wellbeing are attained through four to five common support areas: practical, emotional, social, informational, and appraisal. We found that the Happy Baby Community and Hestia programmes of support brought all these elements together and it was transformational! Many mothers had complex needs and the birth process was often traumatic and yet with support from Happy Baby Community and Hestia, the mothers were able to build relationships and community and face the future with more hope.
The most important thing was the voices of the mother – this project got mothers to help develop the services, and we were able to identify the strengths and gaps of the project through their own stories too. It was so encouraging to see this model of community and practical action be so grounding and empowering for those who attended.
How do you think The Clewer Initiative can learn from this research?
Motherhood can be difficult, isolating and stretching for any and everyone, and the church can be a lifeline and safe space for mothers navigating this challenging phase. Many churches and communities have Baby Banks, toddler groups and other drop-in cafes or groups and play a critical role in supporting new parents, whether they are vulnerable or not. They offer practical help and support, friendship and are often “the village” for mothers.
By sharing my experience here, I hope that Clewer supporters will be alive to the added complexity faced by pregnant survivors of trafficking. I’d love people who are running baby groups to think about how they can love families at risk, provide gentle, holistic support through pregnancy and beyond and signpost other key organisations.
It is important to think – have I given this mother the opportunity to express her own experiences and feelings? Have I made assumptions about what she wants or needs? Is there something I can do to love and encourage her in her own culture or language? Could they do with a check in call or text, some practical help with food or household chores while sleep deprived and stressed?
While we don’t encourage you to ask about someone’s traumatic history or experiences of exploitation, providing an open, listening ear and space to play and connect with other mums and children can make a difference to feeling safe and supported during this transitional time.
If you are interested in finding out more, please get in touch with Lois!
