SUPPORTING NEURODIVERGENT PEOPLE
IN PREGNANCY, BIRTH AND BEYOND
Supporting Neurodivergent people in Pregnancy, Birth And Beyond
Supporting Neurodivergent people
in Pregnancy, Birth And Beyond
Charting a New Path in Perinatal Care through Advocacy, Education, and Support for Neurodivergent Birthing People
Neurodivergent Birth was launched in 2023 by doula Victoria White, with the aim of increasing understanding and awareness of neurodivergent perinatal experiences.
Victoria’s daughter was diagnosed as autistic in 2022, and Victoria has also recently been exploring her own neurodivergence. Following her daughter’s diagnosis, she read everything she could get her hands on about neurodiversity, and she began to see how many aspects of pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period could be challenging and experienced differently by neurodivergent people.
She launched an Instagram page and a podcast to facilitate the conversation. The response that this was a much-needed space within the birth world was overwhelmingly positive, and she began to have many wonderful and informative conversations with neurodivergent people, healthcare professionals and researchers via the podcast. This then led to the development of a competency workshop for birthworkers; ‘Supporting Neurodivergent Birth’.
The workshop is held over 2 sessions; with the first session focusing on understanding the challenges neurodivergent people can face perinatally, and the second session a collaborative session to explore how birth workers can better support these challenges. The positives of neurodivergent birth are also explored, along with other themes including the importance of language, gender bias, late diagnosis, the role of hormones and much more. With an estimated 15-20% of the population being neurodivergent in some way, this is essential CPD for any inclusive birthworker.
Victoria has been delighted to be asked to create bespoke workshops for several birth organisations, and ‘Supporting Neurodivergent Birth’ now features in training offered by The Naked Doula, The Calm Birth School, The Mindful Birth Group and The Fourth Postpartum CIC, with more collaborations in the pipeline. In June 2023 the workshop became accredited as official CPD for Doula UK (the UK’s doula association).
The podcast is now heading into its third season. Interviewees include Sunday Times bestselling author Heidi Mavir, chair of the Maternity Autism Research Group Sara King, writer and Tommy’s ambassador Caro Tasker, and author and YouTube star Jessica McCabe. Each episode explores the interviewees' own perinatal experiences from their neurodivergent perspective, the current level of understanding and awareness of ND support needs within health and social care services, and how small ‘reasonable adjustments’ can have a big positive impact. Get in touch if you would like to share your own neurodivergent story in a future episode.
'Supporting Neurodivergent Birth’ Featured by:
Sam Sheppard
Workshop Facilitator
Sam has been a birth and postnatal doula since 2008. She has been privileged to have supported many births and families over the years and continues to remain in awe of women & birthing people; what they overcome and the power they have within them is truly remarkable and inspiring.
You’ll find Sam in Essex with her husband, two children and menagerie of pets! She has been a mentor and now also facilitates doula training courses which she loves. Through all of these experiences Sam has found a desire to explore what support looks like for those with different needs, ways of thinking and lifestyles.
Having ASD and sensory issues herself, as well as close family members with neurodivergent diagnoses, the passion and drive to make the birth and postnatal period as accessible and supportive as possible has led her to Neurodivergent Birth.
Victoria White
Founder and Director
Victoria is a birth and postnatal doula who supports families through pregnancy, birth and beyond. She believes birthing people have the right to a positive birth and postnatal experience, and that this can be achieved with the help of consistent and compassionate support. She offers support both in person in Aberdeen, Scotland, and online anywhere in the world. She is also a trained Traumatic Birth Recovery 3 Step Rewind Practitioner, and Perinatal Emotional Health and Wellbeing Practitioner. She is the mum of two girls, one of whom is autistic, and is passionate about improving support for neurodivergent people perinatally.
