S2 Ep1: Breaking the Taboo: Why we need to talk about birth trauma

This week our regular host Theo Clarke is interviewed by broadcaster and journalist Belle Donati to share the story of her traumatic birth, talk about her campaign to improve maternity care and share lessons from her new book 'Breaking the Taboo: Why we need to talk about birth trauma'.  Topics that we discuss on the show include: what is birth trauma; birth injuries; maternal mental health; going back to work; wider impact on fathers and family; resources to help families with recovery from birth trauma; the Birth Trauma Inquiry in Parliament; improving maternity care in the UK and globally.  Belle Donati is a broadcaster and journalist. She has anchored international breaking news for Sky News, NBC-Euronews and France 24, and has a background at the BBC, ITV and Al Jazeera English. She has interviewed guests from Nigel Farage and Humza Yousaf to Brian Cox and Isabel Allende. She hosts podcasts and discussions with The How To Academy on culture and politics. After the birth of her second child, she became an advocate for early intervention in at-risk babies. She is a part of the Ei SMART Foundation team and sits on the Lived Experience Advisory Panel for charity RareMinds. She is chair of the board of trustees of The Lovington Foundation.  Theo Clarke was the Member of Parliament for Stafford. She chaired the first parliamentary inquiry into birth trauma in British history and previously set up the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Birth Trauma in the House of Commons. Theo has served as parliamentary private secretary at the Departments for Education, Business and Trade and HM Treasury, in addition to being trade envoy for the Prime Minister. She won Speech of the Year at the Parliamentarian of the Year Awards and was included in the prestigious Top 100 Women in Westminster list in 2025 and 2024. Theo hosts the hit podcast 'Breaking the Taboo' which ranks in the Top 5 most listened to shows in the UK for alternative health. She has also published a memoir 'Breaking the Taboo: why we need to talk about birth trauma'. Prior to being elected, Theo was the Chief Executive of the Coalition for Global Prosperity, backed by the Gates Foundation. She currently sits on the Board of the United Nations Association UK as their Vice Chair. Don't suffer in silence! Listen in and let's break the final taboo in women's health #breakingthetaboo. 'Breaking the Taboo' by Theo Clarke: https://www.waterstones.com/book/breaking-the-taboo/theo-clarke//9781785909351 Global Birth Trauma Alliance: https://www.globalbirthtraumaalliance.com/ Birth Trauma Association: https://www.birthtraumaassociation.org/ MASIC: https://masic.org.uk/ This podcast is sponsored by the law firm Irwin Mitchell. DISCLAIMER: This show is not intended to be medical advice please seek advice from a GP or Doctor. Website: http://www.theo-clarke.org.uk/podcast Instagram: @theoclarkemp Breaking The Taboo production team: Producer: Natasha Feroze Researcher: Max Austin and Elliott Malik Designer: Emily Ryder Social media: Bella Carter Studio manager: Adam Woodward Studio: Studio 55 part of Wolfe Power Club