Who’s it for?

This workshop is for anyone who supports families during pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding and postnatal recovery; e.g. doulas, midwives, infant feeding practitioners, antenatal/hypnobirthing teachers and anyone else who works within the maternity field.

About the workshop:

This workshop has been created and will be delivered by Manisha Sheth, co-founder of Support ME Maternal Project CIC and the Muslim Village Lead. Manisha has had lived experience of birth trauma and postnatal depression & anxiety and is currently focusing on bridging the gap between minority ethnic communities and NHS maternity care, as well as working towards breaking down barriers in infant loss and perinatal mental health in the Muslim community. As well as running Muslim Village, Manisha delivers training to NHS maternity staff in Cultural Competency & Safety as well as works as a Trainee Counsellor at an infant loss charity.

She has developed this programme as a practicing Muslim, through her own lived experience and through the stories of those in her community. This will not be a lecture or a talk, but instead an engaging and reflective workshop through discussions and exercises; leaving you with a productive outlook on how to work with Muslim families in a culturally safe way. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions and explore specific scenarios in a safe and non-judgmental space.

Manisha will be addressing current statistics and challenges, the impact of religious and cultural practices on maternity care as well as key ways to move forward. This will also be a foundation required for Level 2, where more complex concepts will be explored, such as infant loss, family dynamics and perinatal mental health.