Racism in UK maternity care risks safety of Black, Asian and mixed ethnicity women – study

Participants in charity’s year-long inquiry describe being ignored and feeling patronised and dehumanised

Systemic racism within UK maternity care is risking the safety of people from Black, Asian and mixed ethnicity backgrounds, often with devastating consequences, according to a report by the childbirth charity Birthrights.

More than 300 people with lived and professional experience of racial injustice in a maternity setting gave evidence to an expert panel chaired by Shaheen Rahman QC, a barrister who specialises in clinical negligence, as part of the charity’s year-long inquiry into the issue.

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UK fertility watchdog could recommend scrapping donor anonymity law

Exclusive: HFEA says rise of genetic testing websites may soon make it impossible to conceal identities

The fertility watchdog is considering whether to recommend scrapping anonymity for future sperm and egg donors as part of an expected overhaul of UK fertility laws.

Peter Thompson, the chief executive of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), said the rapid rise of consumer genetic testing websites such as 23andMe could soon make it impossible to guarantee donor anonymity – and that the law needs to be brought into line with this new reality.

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‘I’m a pregnant woman making choices’: Shauna Coxsey on climbing – and the ‘bullies’ who want her to stop

With a baby due in just days, the Olympian is still reaching for the heights. She talks about the sport she loves, the criticisms she ignores, and the example she hopes to set

The week her baby is due, Shauna Coxsey is, as usual, at her local climbing centre in Sheffield. The British Olympic climber has scaled climbing walls and rocks throughout her pregnancy, and videos shared on her Instagram account show her making her way gracefully and powerfully upwards, in control of her body, as she switches holds to accommodate her growing bump.

Her decision drew criticism – as she knew it would – and she was forced to hit back at the online “bullying”. For a start, she says, with nearly 450,000 Instagram followers, she knows social media “is a place where you’re going to get criticised, regardless of what you say”. But she had also seen the reaction other women have faced. “One of my good friends, who is incredibly strong and confident, stopped climbing because she couldn’t be bothered with the judgment and the funny looks she got in her late pregnancy,” says Coxsey. “The idea that someone would stop doing something they absolutely love because of the judgment; it’s so sad we’re in a position where that happens still.”

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E-cigarettes ‘as safe as nicotine patches’ for pregnant smokers trying to quit

Pregnant smokers were more likely to quit when using e-cigarettes than patches after four weeks, study shows

E-cigarettes are as safe to use as nicotine patches for pregnant smokers trying to quit, and may be a more effective tool, researchers have revealed.

Smoking in pregnancy can increase the risk of outcomes including premature birth, miscarriage and the baby having a low birth weight. But stubbing out the habit can be a struggle.

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The people making a difference – the woman breaking down stigma for mothers with HIV

Angelina Namiba founded a group that supports new mothers living with HIV. Now it is her turn to be looked after

When Angelina Namiba was diagnosed with HIV in 1993, the virus was commonly believed to be a death sentence. “People were being told they had six months to live,” says Namiba, who is 55 and lives in east London.

Thinking that if she was going to die, she may as well take a job to keep her busy, Namiba began working for a health authority. In her spare time, she volunteered for an HIV charity.

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My husband was hopeless with our babies and I’m still angry. How do I forgive him? | Ask Annalisa Barbieri

It’s no wonder you are furious, despite your husband’s attitude improving. But living with this resentment is not sustainable

My husband and I have been married for seven years, and we have three young children. Before we got married, we talked about having kids and both agreed we wanted three.

However, when I got pregnant with our first, my husband didn’t seem to care. He showed me no consideration when I felt unwell during the pregnancy, and when our first baby was born he barely interacted with her, sleeping in a different room so as not to be bothered by her at night, and refusing to take her out in the pram during the day so I could rest. He came home from work late and insisted on a significant amount of alone time at weekends. Getting him to do a nappy change was a huge fight. It was as if he thought our daughter was nothing to do with him.

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Under Boris Johnson, the rights of working women have become a feeble joke | Angela Rayner

The government promised us an employment bill to protect women at work. Where is it?

Everyone deserves to be treated fairly at work. But too many women find themselves discriminated against by their employer because they are pregnant. Many are pushed out of work because they have caring responsibilities for their children or elderly parents, and many still experience sexual harassment at work.

Three years ago, the government promised to publish an employment bill that would extend redundancy protections to prevent pregnancy and maternity discrimination, and allow parents to take extended paid leave when newborns need neonatal care. Ministers have promised – no less than 20 times – to publish the bill. But the government has since abandoned this promise. The Conservatives are failing working women once again.

Angela Rayner is the MP for Ashton-under-Lyne, Labour deputy leader, shadow chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster and shadow secretary of state for the future of work

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