Having a familiar face by your side when you are giving birth is something that most women take for granted. We are a progressive new voluntary organisation established to provide trained, nurturing birth companions to women who face birth alone.

We will work in Glasgow with women who are overcoming significant adversity on their journey to motherhood, initially asylum seekers and refugees, a group who experience significantly poorer than average birthing outcomes (Royal College of Gynaecology, 2015). Focused one-to-one support will be complemented by an open-ended, user-led mums’ group.

Drawing on our extensive experience of providing birth companionship to this group (we are based on a tried and tested model), Amma addresses an acute gap in service provision. Amma’s team have worked extensively with or come from this client group and understand how to respond to women's needs and strengths. We have strong connections in the sector.

Watch our film on www.ammabirthcompanions.org.uk to see more.

'My first birth didn’t go as I envisaged. I was induced twice then went for an emergency C-section. It was the most traumatic and painful episode I’ve ever been through. I went through this all by myself. I had no support and even after the delivery when I went back to my residence, I was so weak and developed an infection. I was in so much pain that I thought I was going to die. I couldn’t even lift my daughter up to feed her.

I wish I had a birth companion who would have been there for me and my daughter at that stage of my life that should have been joyful was a bitter experience.

I don’t want other women to go through what I went through, no matter who we are, where we’re from or what life has thrown in our path in the past”

(Refugee Volunteer)