PBM founder Milli Hill was on BBC Radio 2 this week to discuss the practice of only allowing a woman’s partner to join her on labour ward once she is in ‘established labour’, and therefore making a vaginal exam (V.E) to assess her cervical dilation mandatory if she wishes to be supported.
You can listen to the programme if you click here. The discussion begins at 1 hour 9 minutes in.
You can also read Milli’s article for Telegraph Women on this topic if you click here.
Milli says: “Routine vaginal exams is an issue I’ve covered in both my books, both from a practical perspective in The Positive Birth Book (which even has an icon for your birth plan should you wish not to have routine VE’s!) and from a feminist perspective in Give Birth like a Feminist. I was really pleased to be asked to air this on a mainstream programme like Jeremy Vine, because unfortunately I think this issue very much predates covid. We’ve had a problem for years with women not knowing these exams were optional, and arguably, in many cases, unnecessary. Now the situation has worsened with women being told they cannot have the person they love at their side unless they submit to fingers in their vagina. It’s a disgrace, and I hope it changes very soon.”