There are serious concerns about the millions of women who have been harmed during childbirth and left to deal with life-changing complications without any support. Shocking new figures reveal that an estimated 10% of women who give birth naturally will develop bowel incontinence due to tears, errors, and the use of forceps or vacuum extraction.

If you have been injured during childbirth and sustained OASI injuries (obstetric anal sphincter injuries) then you should be properly treated and given follow-up care and support by medical staff, but in too many cases this just isn’t happening.

Medical Negligence lawyer Danielle Barney encourages women affected by this to come forward and give their accounts “Despite being saddened by these stories I can say I’m not surprised by these statistics, we see so many ladies who have suffered from these injuries and been left to deal with the aftermath with limited or no support whatsoever.”

“We need to break the silence around the injuries women sustain in childbirth; the idea of discussing incontinence openly is naturally something women are adverse to but until we get to a point where people are willing to stand up and be counted this poor treatment will continue without challenge.”

It would be anticipated that during difficult births that women were not being made to push for too long, and that the use of assisted delivery tools would be avoided with C-sections being the safer option for mother and child. If a mother does sustain OASI injuries she should expect immediate treatment, and proper follow up led by the healthcare team – this could include emotional support, pain relief, or physiotherapy.

“It is particularly upsetting when women have had forceps or suction cups used on them without proper consent during childbirth – these instruments can be harmful to both mother and child and, while in some cases their use is unavoidable, there is sometimes the option of an emergency C-section that ladies are not being offered.. We have women coming to see us who have signed consent forms while days into labour, exhausted, and mentally impaired by strong pain killers – healthcare professionals should be having these conversations about consent with pregnant women months before the due-date, not during labour.”

The first recorded use of forceps as an aid to childbirth dates back to 1569 and the contemporary instruments are much the same as they were back then.

Bridge McFarland has called for women affected by bowel incontinence caused by poorly managed childbirth or a lack of adequate consent to the use of assistive delivery tools to send in their stories.

“Even if you remain anonymous it will be of enormous help – women need to support each other and lend the courage to talk openly about this prevalent issue. It is becoming more clear that you are not alone”.

The team at Bridge McFarland plans to present these stories to the Royal College of Midwives and Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, to help raise awareness and push for improvements.

If you have been affected by the issues discussed in this article then you are invited to submit your experience to the team at Bridge McFarland solicitors, simply fill in their anonymous form online at breakthesilence.bridgemcfarland.co.uk