Episodes

  • S2 Ep10: Premature babies and support for families in NICU

    S2 Ep10: Premature babies and support for families in NICU
    Jul 24 2025
    This week our host, Theo Clarke is joined by Dr Chris Dewhurst, a neonatologist, and an affected mother to discuss premature babies and support for families in NICU. Topics that we discuss on the show include: what is NICU; reasons babies are admitted to NICU; prematurity and what this means; the family's role in the care of their babies; what does the journey look like after discharge from the NICU; and coping with baby loss.

    Dr Chris Dewhurst is a neonatologist and the Medical Director at Liverpool Women’s Hospital where they deliver approximately 7,500 babies per year. He has previously been the clinical Director for both neonatal and maternity services in Liverpool. Alongside his medical leadership role he continues to provide clinical care on the neonatal intensive care unit where he has a special interest in neonatal ventilation. He is driven to minimise health inequalities, particularly in relation to impact of deprivation on neonatal and maternity outcomes.

    Zalena Vandrewala is mum to Sam born at 24+2 weeks gestation and Ava born at 36+5 weeks gestation and wife to Martin. Zalena actively supports and advises the neonatal unit at Liverpool Women’s Hospital and Alder Hey Children’s Hospital on various matters including family integrated care and parental experience as well as having supported and advised the Liverpool Neonatal partnership as they prepare to open the largest neonatal unit in Europe in 2026.

    Baby Lifeline: https://www.babylifeline.org.uk/
    Special care (ill or premature babies): https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/labour-and-birth/after-the-birth/special-care-ill-or-premature-babies/

    This podcast is sponsored by the law firm Irwin Mitchell.

    DISCLAIMER: This show is not intended to be medical advice please seek advice from a GP or Doctor.

    Website: http://www.theo-clarke.org.uk/podcast

    Instagram: @theoclarkemp

    Breaking The Taboo production team:

    Producer: Natasha Feroze

    Researcher: Max Austin and Elliott Malik

    Designer: Emily Ryder

    Social media: Bella Carter

    Studio manager: Adam Woodward

    Studio: Studio 55 part of Wolfe Power Club
    Show More Show Less
    49 mins
  • S2 Ep9: Life after Birth Trauma: Birth debriefs, access your hospital records + living with birth injuries

    S2 Ep9: Life after Birth Trauma: Birth debriefs, access your hospital records + living with birth injuries
    Jul 17 2025
    This week is Birth Trauma Awareness Week so our host, Theo Clarke is joined by Ailsa Adams, an affected mother, and Leena Savjani, a Partner at Irwin Mitchell, to discuss life after birth trauma. Topics that we discuss on the show include: requesting a birth debrief or reflections; the importance of peer support; access to perinatal health services; repair surgery and the realities; how to request your medical records and navigating the complaints process.

    Ailsa Adams is a mother of three—first a singleton, followed by twins—who experienced a severe birth injury (Obstetric Anal Sphincter Injury, OASI) during her second delivery in 2020 whilst living in London. The repair surgery she underwent immediately after birth was later found to have been inadequately performed, leaving her with physical and mental challenges that have impacted every aspect of her life. In 2024, she underwent colostomy surgery as part of her ongoing recovery. Navigating life post-OASI has been complex, with limited guidance or healthcare pathways following such an injury. While still managing the effects of her experience, Ailsa is determined to support others facing similar challenges and advocate for improvements in maternity care and post-birth recovery resources. Ailsa works as a physiotherapist for the NHS and now lives in Scotland with her husband and three children.

    Leena Savjani is a Partner at national law firm Irwin Mitchell and a specialist in medical negligence law with over 19 years of experience in the field. She has acted on some of the most complex and sensitive cases in the field, often involving serious injury and systemic failings in healthcare. Leena has a particular expertise in maternal injury cases, including those involving obstetric anal sphincter injuries (OASI) where she is recognized for her compassionate client care and deep understanding of the long-term impact on women’s lives. Known for her rigorous legal mind, empathy, and unwavering commitment to her clients, she is a trusted advocate for driving accountability and improving maternity safety.

    Birth Trauma Association: https://www.birthtraumaassociation.org/
    MASIC: https://masic.org.uk/downloadable-guides/
    PALS (Patient Advice and Liaison Service): https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/hospitals/what-is-pals-patient-advice-and-liaison-service/
    AvMA (Action Against Medical Accidents): https://www.avma.org.uk/

    Instagram: @colostorymum @IrwinMitchell

    This podcast is sponsored by the law firm Irwin Mitchell.

    DISCLAIMER: This show is not intended to be medical advice please seek advice from a GP or Doctor.

    Website: http://www.theo-clarke.org.uk/podcast

    Instagram: @theoclarkemp

    Breaking The Taboo production team:

    Producer: Natasha Feroze

    Researcher: Max Austin and Elliott Malik

    Designer: Emily Ryder

    Social media: Bella Carter

    Studio manager: Adam Woodward

    Studio: Studio 55 part of Wolfe Power Club
    Show More Show Less
    52 mins
  • S2 Ep8: Inequalities in maternal health

    S2 Ep8: Inequalities in maternal health
    Jul 10 2025
    This week our host Theo Clarke is joined by Sandra Igwe, founder of The Motherhood Group, and Neya Joshi, peer supporter for the Birth Trauma Association, to discuss inequalities in maternal health and birth trauma.
    Topics that we discuss on the show include: racial disparities in maternal health outcomes; black maternal health and wellbeing; the power of community and culturally safe support; mental health being a taboo in Asian culture; how to access psychological support post birth; advice on navigating pregnancy and motherhood; and ways to improve postnatal care for new mothers.
    Sandra Igwe is a maternal health advocate, author, and founder of The Motherhood Group, a social enterprise supporting Black mothers through culturally safe peer support, events, and community engagement. She is also the creator of the BlackMums App — a femtech innovation designed to connect and empower Black mothers through AI-powered community tools. Sandra leads the annual Black Maternal Health Conference UK, founded Black Maternal Mental Health Week, and regularly works with the NHS, government bodies, and international partners to drive policy and practice change in maternal care. Her work has been featured in Vogue, BBC, Channel 4, and The Guardian.

    Neya Joshi is mum to a 5 year old son and 2.5 year old daughter. In May 2020, after the birth of her son by emergency c-section she was abandoned on the postnatal ward. Covid visiting restrictions meant her husband wasn’t allowed to visit at all, and she was unsupported for the first 30 hours after major surgery. The ordeal left her with PTSD and she found adjusting to life as a new mum difficult. She recovered with therapy and is now passionate about raising awareness of birth/postnatal ward trauma to help others feel less alone. She is currently training to be a postnatal doula so she can be a source of support and comfort to mothers during such a transformative time in their lives. She also volunteers as a peer supporter for the Birth Trauma Association.

    Birth Trauma Association: https://www.birthtraumaassociation.org/
    The Motherhood Group: https://themotherhoodgroup.org/
    Instagram: @sandeeigwe @themotherhoodgroup @birth_trauma_association_uk

    This podcast is sponsored by the law firm     Irwin Mitchell.

    DISCLAIMER: This show is not intended to be medical advice please seek advice from a GP or Doctor.

    Website: http://www.theo-clarke.org.uk/podcast

    Instagram: @theoclarkemp

    Breaking The Taboo production team:

    Producer: Natasha Feroze

    Researcher: Max Austin and Elliott Malik

    Designer: Emily Ryder

    Social media: Bella Carter

    Studio manager: Adam Woodward

    Studio: Studio 55 part of Wolfe Power Club
    Show More Show Less
    42 mins
  • S2 Ep7: Everywoman Festival on changing landscape in women's health

    S2 Ep7: Everywoman Festival on changing landscape in women's health
    Jul 3 2025
    This week in a special episode our host Theo Clarke takes the podcast on the road to the Everywoman Festival in Cardiff. She joins the panel on the changing landscape in women's health which was recorded live in the main tent.

    Topics that we discuss on the show include: changing the narrative and how women’s health is portrayed in the media; lessons from the UK Birth Trauma Inquiry and the perspective of a clinician in the House of Lords.
    Rosie Taylor is an award-winning freelance journalist, specialising in women’s health. She write for publications including The Times, the Independent, the Telegraph, the Guardian, the Daily Mail and the i paper, and is the host of Mother Bodies, the podcast about postnatal health and why it matters.

    Baroness Finlay is a Deputy Speaker and Crossbench Peer, was on the Assisted Dying Bill Select Committee and co-edited “The Reality of Assisted Dying: understanding the issues”. A palliative medicine doctor, she established Marie Curie’s Penarth Hospice and is Vice-President of Cardiff’s City Hospice.

    Theo Clarke was the Member of Parliament for Stafford. She chaired the first parliamentary inquiry into birth trauma in British history and previously set up the All Party Parliamentary Group on Birth Trauma in the House of Commons. She won 'Political Speech of the Year' at the Parliamentarian of the Year Awards and was included in the Top 100 Women in Westminster in 2024. Theo is the author of a bestselling memoir 'Breaking the Taboo: why we need to talk about birth trauma'.

    Diane Danzebrink (Chair) is a personal and corporate consultant, speaker, educator and the author of Making Menopause Matter. She founded the purpose over profit organisation Menopause Support in 2015 and has led the call for better menopause care and support in the U.K. with her national #MakeMenopauseMatter campaign since 2018

    Don’t suffer in silence! Listen in and let’s break the final taboo in women’s health #breakingthetaboo.

    This podcast is sponsored by the law firm Irwin Mitchell.

    DISCLAIMER: This show is not intended to be medical advice please seek advice from a GP or Doctor.

    Everywoman Festival: Offering education, empowerment and support for women's health across generations https://www.everywomanfest.com/aboutus

    Website: http://www.theo-clarke.org.uk/podcast

    Read 'Breaking the Taboo' here.

    Instagram: @theoclarkemp @rosietaylorjournalism @dianedanzebrink

    Breaking The Taboo production team:

    Producer: Natasha Feroze
    Researcher: Max Austin and Elliott Malik
    Designer: Emily Ryder
    Social media: Bella Carter
    Studio manager: Adam Woodward
    Studio: Studio 55 part of Wolfe Power Club
    Show More Show Less
    43 mins
  • S2 Ep6: Maternity care: what difference will an investigation make? Special podcast with Rosie Duffield MP

    S2 Ep6: Maternity care: what difference will an investigation make? Special podcast with Rosie Duffield MP
    Jun 27 2025
    This week in a special episode our host Theo Clarke is joined by Rosie Duffield MP, the Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Birth Trauma in the UK Parliament. We discuss the Health Secretary’s recent announcement of a rapid national maternity investigation.

    Topics that we discuss on the show include: the Government’s approach to maternity care; lessons and recommendations from the Birth Trauma Inquiry; the work of the cross party APPG for birth trauma; campaigning to improve postnatal care and why women’s heath is often ignored in Government policy.

    Rosie Duffield is the Member of Parliament for Canterbury, Whitstable and the Villages and Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Birth Trauma. She co-chaired the Birth Trauma Inquiry in Parliament with Theo in 2024 which resulted in changes to NHS policy and improvements to maternity care announced by the then UK Government.

    UK Birth Trauma Inquiry Report
    https://www.theo-clarke.org.uk/birth-trauma-report

    Birth Trauma Association
    https://www.birthtraumaassociation.org

    Don’t suffer in silence! Listen in and let’s break the final taboo in women’s health #breakingthetaboo.

    This podcast is sponsored by the law firm Irwin Mitchell.

    DISCLAIMER: This show is not intended to be medical advice please seek advice from a GP or Doctor.

    Website: http://www.theo-clarke.org.uk/podcast

    Instagram: @theoclarkemp

    Breaking The Taboo production team:

    Producer: Natasha Feroze
    Researcher: Max Austin and Elliott Malik
    Designer: Emily Ryder
    Social media: Bella Carter
    Studio manager: Adam Woodward
    Studio: Studio 55 part of Wolfe Power Club
    Show More Show Less
    42 mins
  • S2 Ep5: Black maternal health and birth trauma

    S2 Ep5: Black maternal health and birth trauma
    Jun 26 2025
    This week our host Theo Clarke is joined by Tinuke Awe and Clo Abe, co-founders of Five X More, to break the taboo on black maternal health and birth trauma in the UK. They reflect on the experiences that led them to campaign on this issue; discuss data about inequalities in healthcare, and explain how their work is helping affected families with some practical tools for parents.

    Topics that we discuss on the show include: ending racial disparities in maternity care; rights in childbirth; maternity safety; the importance of peer support; mental health support for black mothers; and ways the UK Government can end inequalities in healthcare.

    Tinuke Awe is the co-founder of Five X More CIC – an award-winning organisation campaigning to improve Black maternal health outcomes in the UK. She is also the founder of Mums & Tea, a social platform aimed at connecting Black mums and building supportive communities. Black motherhood and parenthood are central to Tinuke’s work, and she is passionate about creating accessible resources and spaces for the advancement and empowerment of Black families.

    Clo Abe is co-founder of Five X More, an organisation founded in 2019 in response to the MBRRACE reports highlighting that Black women were five times more likely to die during pregnancy and childbirth than white women (current figures show it is still four times more likely). She has worked in maternity units in hospitals across London and was an Expert by Experience for NHS England/Improvement contributing to the Ockenden Report. She helped develop the Maternity and Neonatal Independent Senior Advocate role and is founder of Prosperitys, a maternal wellbeing social enterprise supporting Black and Ethnic Minority parents with a focus on early intervention, perinatal mental health awareness, and tackling social isolation.

    Don’t suffer in silence! Listen in and let’s break the final taboo in women’s health #breakingthetaboo.

    Five X More: https://www.fivexmore.com/
    Six Steps to Safer Care (Five X More): https://fivexmore.org/6steps
    Tommy’s Midwife Video Call Service: https://www.tommys.org/pregnancy-information/about-tommys-pregnancy-information/video-call-service
    Your Basic Birth Rights (translated): https://birthrights.org.uk/factsheets/your-basic-birth-rights-translated/

    This podcast is sponsored by the law firm Irwin Mitchell.

    DISCLAIMER: This show is not intended to be medical advice please seek advice from a GP or Doctor.

    Website: http://www.theo-clarke.org.uk/podcast

    Instagram: @theoclarkemp

    Breaking The Taboo production team:

    Producer: Natasha Feroze
    Researcher: Max Austin and Elliott Malik
    Designer: Emily Ryder
    Social media: Bella Carter
    Studio manager: Adam Woodward
    Studio: Studio 55 part of Wolfe Power Club
    Show More Show Less
    47 mins
  • S2 Ep4: Ask me anything on birth trauma

    S2 Ep4: Ask me anything on birth trauma
    Jun 19 2025
    This week our host Theo is joined by Dr Kim Thomas, CEO of the Birth Trauma Association, and campaigner and affected mum Gill Castle to answer listener questions on birth trauma. They share information for expectant mothers and families who've experienced a traumatic birth, including recovery from mental and physical health issues after childbirth, and provide some practical advice to help affected families.

    Topics that we discuss on the show include: birth plans; advocating for yourself and rights in childbirth; what is a prolapse; challenges with breastfeeding after a traumatic birth; accessing maternal mental health services; dads support for mothers with birth trauma and impact on wider family; postpartum psychosis; babies suffering from brain damage; medical negligence; contraception post birth; premature babies in NICU and difficulties with bonding.

    Dr Kim Thomas is CEO of the Birth Trauma Association, a charity that supports parents experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder after birth. She was also the secretariat for the all-party parliamentary group (APPG) inquiry into birth trauma, and wrote the inquiry report, published in May 2024. She has published two books about birth trauma: Birth Trauma: A Guide for You, Your Friends and Family to Coping with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Following Birth; and Postnatal PTSD: a Guide for Health Professionals. Her book Broadmoor Women looked at the lives of women committed to Broadmoor in the nineteenth century. She also worked as a freelance journalist for more than 20 years, writing for national newspapers and magazines, with a specialist focus on health and medicine.

    Gill Castle is Chief Executive of Chameleon Buddies and a former police officer who suffered a missed 4th degree tear, recto-vaginal fistula and perineal abcess during the birth of her only child in 2011. This led to a permanent colostomy, and medical retirement from the police force due to extensive mental health problems resulting from the birth, including PTSD and severe anxiety. Gill has campaigned for changes to the maternity system in the UK for many years, and has featured extensively in the national media for her work. In 2022 Gill set up an international charity, Chameleon Buddies, to support women in Kenya and the UK to adjust to life with an ostomy after fistula. In 2023 Gill became the first person to swim the English Channel solo with a stoma.
    Don't suffer in silence! Listen in and let's break the final taboo in women's health #breakingthetaboo.

    Birth Trauma Association: https://www.birthtraumaassociation.org/

    Chameleon Buddies:

    https://chameleonbuddies.org.uk/

    This podcast is sponsored by the law firm Irwin Mitchell.

    DISCLAIMER: This show is not intended to be medical advice please seek advice from a GP or Doctor.

    Website: http://www.theo-clarke.org.uk/podcast

    Instagram: @theoclarkemp

    Breaking The Taboo production team:

    Producer: Natasha Feroze

    Researcher: Max Austin and Elliott Malik

    Designer: Emily Ryder

    Social media: Bella Carter

    Studio manager: Adam Woodward

    Studio: Studio 55 part of Wolfe Power Club
    Show More Show Less
    49 mins
  • S2 Ep3: Pregnancy and Group B Strep

    S2 Ep3: Pregnancy and Group B Strep
    Jun 12 2025
    This week our host Theo Clarke is joined by Jane Plumb, founder of Group B Strep Support, and an affected mother to discuss this infection that can affect pregnant mothers and their babies.
    Topics that we discuss on the show include: what is Group B strep; impact of GBS infection on babies; how to get tested as a pregnant mum; symptoms to look out for; and support for impacted families.

    Jane Plumb co-founded Group B Strep Support with her husband Robert in 1996 after their middle child died from group B Strep infection, and is its Chief Executive. Jane is also the RCOG’s Women’s Voices Lead, Europe Representative on the Council for the Confederation of Meningitis Organisations and a Meningitis Research Foundation trustee. She is also an advisor to the Board of the Fertility Alliance. Jane is involved in many group B Strep research projects, co-leading PPI for the GBS3 trial. Jane was awarded an MBE in 2012 for services to child health, Fellowship of the RSA in 2020, and Fellowship Honoris Causa by the RCOG in 2021.

    Preya Vaja is a mother of two who, with her daughter Uma, survived a serious Group B Strep infection. She advocates for Group B Strep awareness and maternal mental health, drawing on her experience as a South Asian parent. Preya has worked with GBSS on campaigns and fundraising, including running the London Marathon. She lives with her husband Birj and their daughters.

    Don't suffer in silence! Listen in and let's break the final taboo in women's health #breakingthetaboo.

    Group B Strep Support – https://gbss.org.uk/

    Group B Strep and pregnancy - https://gbss.org.uk/info-support/about-group-b-strep/what-is-group-b-strep/

    Signs of group B Strep infection in babies - https://gbss.org.uk/info-support/group-b-strep-infection/group-b-strep-infection-in-babies-know-the-symptoms/

    Group B Strep FAQs - https://gbss.org.uk/frequently-asked-questions/

    Where to get a group B Strep test - https://gbss.org.uk/info-support/group-b-strep-testing/ecm-test-where-how/

    This podcast is sponsored by the law firm Irwin Mitchell.

    DISCLAIMER: This show is not intended to be medical advice please seek advice from a GP or Doctor.

    Website: http://www.theo-clarke.org.uk/podcast

    Instagram: @theoclarkemp

    Breaking The Taboo production team:

    Producer: Natasha Feroze

    Researcher: Max Austin and Elliott Malik

    Designer: Emily Ryder

    Social media: Bella Carter

    Studio manager: Adam Woodward

    Studio: Studio 55 part of Wolfe Power Club
    Show More Show Less
    44 mins