Supporting Refugee and Migrant Women in the Perinatal Period – the Experiences of the Polish Migration Forum Foundation
In the publication “Being There is the Most Important Thing. Supporting Refugee and Migrant Women in the Perinatal Period – the Experiences of the Polish Migration Forum Foundation” we share knowledge, diagnoses and recommendations with the community of institutions responsible for women’s health, such as hospitals, clinics, municipal and city offices, as well as other non-governmental organizations – both those supporting refugee and migrant women and those focusing on the protection of reproductive rights or preventive health care. We hope that our experience will improve the quality of perinatal support for migrant women in Poland.
What will you find in the publication?
- Interviews with midwives and psychologists cooperating with our foundation.
- A poignant conversation with Anna Bajkowska, a psychotherapist, who introduces the topic of miscarriage and perinatal loss.
- Stories of women – migrants, refugees – who gave birth in Poland. Their experiences are quite different. Some of them faced the hell of the Polish-Belarusian border, stays in centers for foreigners, and horrible treatment in the delivery room – insulting, belittling, suturing the perineum without anesthesia – are just some examples. Fortunately, there are also positive accounts from hospitals.
Concept: Weronika Brączek
Text editing: Urszula Engelmayer
Texts: Dorota Borodaj, Kinga Gałuszka, Joanna Mikulska, Margo Sikora-Borecka
Graphic design and layout: Alicja Kobza Studio
Between 2022-2023, activities for pregnant women, young mothers and children with refugee and migration experiences were implemented by the Polish Migration Forum Foundation with the support of Care International in Poland.
