Breaking the Taboo

In an emotional debate in the House of Commons in October 2023, then MP Theo Clarke broke down in tears as she described being rushed into emergency surgery after the birth of her daughter, terrified she was going to die. Amazed at the public response, she quickly realised that although birth trauma is a huge issue, there is still a real taboo around speaking about it. In the UK, it's estimated that up to 30,000 women a year suffer bad experiences during the delivery of their babies, with one in twenty developing post-traumatic stress disorder. Despite this, substandard maternity and postnatal care is too often considered normal. In Breaking the Taboo, Theo presents the experiences of mothers and fathers from different backgrounds that show the truth about birth trauma. She shines a light on what it is like to combine motherhood with a career as an MP, revealing the shocking way new mothers are treated by our political system - something that has serious implications for our democracy. Featuring a new chapter on the petition for the appointment of a maternity commissioner and the highs and lows of Theo's campaigning over the past year, this is a gripping memoir of a new mother's experience combined with a powerful call to arms for urgent change.