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Over the last 10 years, Birmingham and Sandwell have had one of the highest infant mortality rates in England. The biggest reason is poverty and social deprivation.
Our Doula Service works closely with the NHS to tackle this by supporting at risk pregnant women and new mums. We do this by providing emotional, practical and expert support.
This International Women's Day, we're asking for your help to fund a doula to join Teresa (pictured) on our Bethel Doula team.
What's a doula?
In a nutshell, a doula supports a pregnant woman on her journey through birth and beyond. Bethel doulas are slightly different because we specialise in helping pregnant women who are in desperate need financially and emotionally. We are specialists in complex cases and often work in partnership with statutory services such as social services and NHS. A small team of volunteers support us as interpreters, birth partners, befrienders and delivery drivers!
Our journey
Since 2006 we've offered a doula service primarily for asylum seekers and refugees. We have since expanded our working with women from all walks of life across Birmingham, Sandwell and Solihull.
The women we support are often:
As with many charities, we face the same uncertainties - securing funds. Our team is stretched by the level of demand we have been experiencing over the last few years. They have been going over and above for us, but there is a limit to what everyone can do. We need an extra doula post to make sure we can continue to provide high-quality support for the women referred to us.
These are just some of the referrals made to us in the first month of this year:
Demand is high for our services, and we need your help to ensure we can afford to fund an extra post in our Doula team to meet these women's needs and provide the quality care they deserve.
Our Doula Service works closely with the NHS to tackle this by supporting at risk pregnant women and new mums. We do this by providing emotional, practical and expert support.
This International Women's Day, we're asking for your help to fund a doula to join Teresa (pictured) on our Bethel Doula team.
What's a doula?
In a nutshell, a doula supports a pregnant woman on her journey through birth and beyond. Bethel doulas are slightly different because we specialise in helping pregnant women who are in desperate need financially and emotionally. We are specialists in complex cases and often work in partnership with statutory services such as social services and NHS. A small team of volunteers support us as interpreters, birth partners, befrienders and delivery drivers!
Our journey
Since 2006 we've offered a doula service primarily for asylum seekers and refugees. We have since expanded our working with women from all walks of life across Birmingham, Sandwell and Solihull.
The women we support are often:
- Feeling vulnerable and alone
- Very worried about not having even the most essential items needed for their new babies' arrival
- Living with complex situations such as physical and mental ill-health, domestic abuse and having experienced various forms of exploitation
- They are emotionally unstable or low in mood and are not mentally ready to have their babies.
- In need of support to begin to build their self-esteem
- Lacking some parenting skills and knowledge about how maternity and health services work
- Faced with severely limited or no financial resources at all
- Asylum seekers or refugees
As with many charities, we face the same uncertainties - securing funds. Our team is stretched by the level of demand we have been experiencing over the last few years. They have been going over and above for us, but there is a limit to what everyone can do. We need an extra doula post to make sure we can continue to provide high-quality support for the women referred to us.
These are just some of the referrals made to us in the first month of this year:
- A woman who sofa surfed throughout her pregnancy
- A woman traumatised by FGM and Modern Slavery
- New mums too poor to afford the basics for their child
- Pregnant women living apart from their family and friends
- Pregnant asylum seekers unaware of their rights and unfamiliar with their local community
Demand is high for our services, and we need your help to ensure we can afford to fund an extra post in our Doula team to meet these women's needs and provide the quality care they deserve.
What your gift could provide
£5
goes towards an Emergency Maternity Pack for our mums to be
£25
An hour of support for a woman in need
£100
Two hours of support for a woman in need