12/01/2026
Aloha women, Some of you know of the work I do with the Maternity Consumer Network and it has inspired a podcast! My co-host Ish*ta and I would love to share your birth experiences in the maternity system. The good, the bad and the ugly. It might be a public debrief but it is important that women's voices are heard on the injustices and poor treatment that women are subjected to, especially when you are perceived to be non-compliant, when all we want to do is have our babies in peace and lovingly supported. We have a fbk page and will also be on youtube. Like and follow page to be notified when episodes are released. If you would like to contribute to an episode, please connect via The Keening Podcast or Submissions.the.keening@gmail.com.
Time to Speak your Truth, women! 🙏🏾
Introducing The Keening Podcast
“Keening” is an old word for wailing in grief — a sound that rises when words fail.
For too many women, birth trauma is exactly that: a silent wail, unheard beyond the hospital walls.
🎙️ The Keening Podcast gives that silence a voice.
It’s a space for women to tell their birth stories honestly — without apology, without fear of being dismissed, and without being told they should just be “grateful.”
Because we know it’s not the women — it’s the system.
Studies keep showing what women have long known: when care becomes rushed, risk-focused, and shaped by hierarchy, women’s voices disappear. Informed consent gets reduced to a signature, not a conversation. Debriefs become one-sided — a box ticked, not a wound heard.
And when professionals see a woman’s distress as “exaggerated” or “misdirected,” healing becomes impossible.
Birth trauma doesn’t end when the baby is born. It lingers — in the body, in the home, in the mirror.
The Keening exists for those who carry that ache and still dare to speak.
Our conversations will explore:
What happens when care is delivered to women, not with them.
Why debriefing without humility can deepen pain instead of healing it.
How systemic power, culture, and communication shape birth experiences.
And how women are finding strength, advocacy, and connection after trauma.
Each episode closes with hope — resources, support, and stories that remind women they’re not alone in this.
💛 The Keening is independently created by two women who’ve lived through, worked in, and advocated around the gaps in maternity care.
We share MCN’s vision for safer, more respectful, and trauma-informed care — but this space is ours: raw, real, and led by lived experience.
If you’ve carried silence from your birth story and feel ready to share, you can reach us at submissions.the.keening@gmail.com
Let’s make the wailing heard — not as noise, but as truth.
🌿 Introducing The Keening Podcast
“Keening” is an old word for wailing in grief — a sound that rises when words fail.
For too many women, birth trauma is exactly that: a silent wail, unheard beyond the hospital walls.
🎙️ The Keening Podcast gives that silence a voice.
It’s a space for women to tell their birth stories honestly — without apology, without fear of being dismissed, and without being told they should just be “grateful.”
Because we know it’s not the women — it’s the system.
When care becomes rushed, risk-focused, and shaped by hierarchy, women’s voices disappear. Informed consent turns into a signature instead of a conversation. Debriefs become one-sided — a box ticked, not a wound heard. And when women’s pain is minimised or reframed as “exaggeration,” healing becomes harder, not easier.
Birth trauma doesn’t end when the baby is born.
It lingers — in the body, in relationships, in confidence, and in how women see themselves as mothers.
The Keening exists for those who carry that ache and still dare to speak.
⸻
🎧 Our first episode
We’ll be opening the podcast with a conversation focused on advocacy, accountability, and navigating the complaints process — an area many women describe as overwhelming, isolating, and retraumatising.
Our first guest is Emilia, a birth advocate and mother of two, who has worked closely with the maternity system for many years. She has supported countless women through complaints processes, criminal reporting, and accessing legal pathways, and brings deep insight into what women face once the birth is “over” but the harm is not.
This opening episode is intended to help women feel less alone, understand their options, and build the courage to speak — whether that’s sharing their story, seeking answers, or taking the first steps toward accountability.
⸻
🌱 What you can expect from The Keening
Our conversations will explore:
• What happens when care is delivered to women, not with them
• Why debriefing without humility can deepen harm rather than heal it
• How power, culture, and communication shape birth experiences
• And how women are finding strength, advocacy, and connection after trauma
Each episode will close with hope — including support options, resources, and pathways for women who may want to seek help, debrief safely, or explore complaints and advocacy.
⸻
đź’› The Keening is independently created by two women who have lived through, worked within, and advocated around the gaps in maternity care.
We share values and conversations with broader maternity advocacy spaces, including MCN, but this podcast is its own space — raw, reflective, and led by lived experience.
If you’ve carried silence from your birth story and feel ready to share, you can reach us at:
đź“© submissions.the.keening@gmail.com
Let’s make the wailing heard — not as noise, but as truth.
