When my son was born, a few weeks before lockdown began in 2020, I suffered a rare pelvic bone injury and experienced serious failures in my postnatal care.

My injury left me unable to walk unsupported or care for my baby independently for most of the first year of his life. The poor care I received after birth triggered post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). I am lucky to have made progress towards recovery but both my mobility and mental health remain affected to this day. 

As a journalist, it’s my job to ask questions - and I have a LOT of questions about why postnatal health is not taken seriously. My injury may have been unusual but sadly there’s nothing unusual about new mothers’ health concerns being dismissed or ignored, just like mine were. 

Gaps in basic postnatal care are common and women are typically told very little about what happens to our bodies after birth - or what normal recovery looks and feels like.