Birth Advocacy in
Gloucestershire & Beyond

•Holding Systems Accountable •
• Amplifying Women’s Voices • Inspiring Change•

Welcome to my Birth Advocacy Collection
— a dedicated space for birth workers, midwives, doulas,
activists, and community allies
who care about the future of maternity care in Gloucestershire and beyond.

Here, I share my ongoing work in policy analysis, Freedom of Information (FOI) requests,
template letters, and local advocacy
,
shining a light on what’s really happening behind the scenes in our maternity services.

My goal is to make this information transparent and usable
— to support those striving for continuity, compassion, and genuine co-production in birth care.

Whether you’re a professional looking to improve practice,
or a parent determined to protect your rights, you’ll find tools, evidence, and reflections here to help fuel meaningful change.

Emma Gleave Emma Gleave

Template Letters For Home Birth Closures - Reinstate Safe Skilled Midwifery Care

Following the ongoing suspension of Gloucestershire’s home birth service, women are left without real choice or continuity of care.
This post brings together template letters for writing to the NHS Trust, ICB, MPs, local media, and even family and friends — calling for safe, skilled, woman-centred midwifery care to be reinstated.
It also includes my correspondence with the Director of Midwifery, her unsatisfactory response, and why I’ve now escalated these questions through Freedom of Information requests to demand transparency and accountability.

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⭐️ Free ⭐️ Birth Companion & Advocacy Support for POC, Vulnerable & Minority Communities in the Forest of Dean (Copy)

Becoming a parent is a big moment — and everyone deserves support, safety, and respect. Each month, I’m offering one free Doula (Birth Companion) & Advocacy place for someone in the Forest of Dean from a minority or migrant community — such as Romanian, Indian, Polish, Zimbabwean, refugee/asylum-seeking and other under-represented families.

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