Mental health at the core: Positioning maternal wellbeing within Black Maternal Mental Health Week

Adele Wilde, Solicitor in our Clinical Negligence team, looks at the findings of the Black Maternity Experiences Report 2025 and the impact on Black maternal mental health.

There is no moment more critical in a woman’s life than the journey into motherhood—and yet for far too many Black women in the UK, that journey is marked by fear, dismissal and unequal care”

Atinuke Awe & Clotilde Abe

Co-founders of Five X More

In 2021, Five X More started a nationwide campaign to gather the maternity experiences of Black women in the UK. Over 1,300 women gave their lived experience of being pregnant in the UK between 2016 and 2021 and this culminated in the ground-breaking ‘Black Maternity Experiences Report 2022’.

Since this report, Black maternal health has become a more mainstream topic for discussion and action. Whilst it is positive to note that policies are being brought in to address the disparities in care, the reality, as shown in the MBRRACE-UK Maternal Report 2025 is that Black women remain 2.27 times more likely to die during pregnancy or the postnatal period.

In July 2025, Five X More published their second report called the Black Maternity Experiences Report 2025. This report is based on the voices and experiences of over 1,100 Black women who were been pregnant in the UK between 2021 and 2025 and the purpose was to build on the momentum and impact of their first report and hold the system accountable for progress which has been far too slow. Five X More’s mission is to amplify the lived experiences of Black women and to provide data to shape policy changes and drive reform.

Once again, the findings demonstrate that racism and discrimination in maternity care remain widespread. The report highlights that discrimination, poor communication and a lack of empathy sadly shaped experiences leaving many women feeling dismissed, unsafe, and unheard.

The research and work done by Five X More, and all involved in the Black Maternity Experiences Report 2025, is vital, It shines a spotlight on the UK’s maternity system, highlighting the systemic barriers, unequal care and racial bias which still exists. This is clearly not acceptable and more needs to happen, to truly establish equality in maternity care.

Key findings at a glance

The following findings have been taken directly from the Black Maternity Experiences Report 2025:

• 60% of Black women rated their antenatal care as good or high quality.
• 54% experienced challenges with healthcare professionals.
• 28% of Black women reported discrimination and, of these, 25% said that this was due to issues around race.
• 45% raised concerns during labour or birth; of these, 49% felt their concerns were not properly addressed.
• 23% of Black women did not receive the pain relief they requested, and 40% of these women were given no explanation.
• Only 39% received advice on nutrition, and just 27% were spoken to about exercise at their booking appointment.
• Just 1 in 5 women (20%) had been informed on how to make a complaint, and only 8% pursued a formal process.

When compared to the 2022 report, experiences of discrimination continued to be widespread, with the most commonly reported reason being due to race.

Black women reported feeling their care options were influenced by their race, with high-risk labels being applied in a blanket manner due to race, rather than tailored to their individual needs.

Black women reported feeling dismissed and unheard and having to advocate fiercely for themselves. Whilst it is positive that self-advocacy is improving, it is not surprising that having to fight and push to be heard, protecting themselves in a biased health care system is taking its toll on Black women’s mental health.

In contrast, when personalised and compassionate care is provided, Black women reported feeing safer.

Experiences outlined in the report

The Five X More Black Maternity Experiences Report 2025 includes several deeply personal stories that highlight the impact of maternity care on Black women’s mental health, particularly during pregnancy, birth, and the postnatal period. These stories reveal systemic gaps in care, empathy, and support that contribute to trauma and long-term psychological distress.

Many women described feeling ignored or dismissed when raising concerns about their health or their baby’s wellbeing. One mother shared:

“I asked for pain relief but was told they had no gas and air on my ward despite me seeing others have it. They gave me a paracetamol and told me I wasn’t in labour. My baby was born 10 minutes later.”

(F1014, Black British Caribbean, aged 36-45)

Several women recounted traumatic birth experiences, including lack of pain relief, poor communication, and feeling unsafe:

“I had a c-section done without enough anaesthetic. As much as I tried to voice that I could feel the cold spray, I was ignored. During the incision, I screamed due to pain, but I was told it’s not pain that I’m feeling but pressure. I screamed throughout the whole 8-10 minutes while the obstetrician took the baby out. I was only put under GA after the baby was taken out. My experience was not positive at all but horrific and traumatising.”

Postnatal care was frequently described as inadequate, with little attention paid to mental wellbeing:

“[The] health visitor said in Africa they let their women die, so it was lucky I had the care I did in the UK. This was problematic on multiple levels…she was ignorant and racist, and quite frankly reflected my entire experience of the medical system while pregnant.”

What is being done and what needs to change?

As the report states, achieving meaningful change requires national action. These changes will not only improve outcomes for Black women but also raise the standard of care for all who use maternity services. The report highlighted six key actions to improve the quality, equity and experience of maternity care.

• Recommendation: Improve access to complaints and support mechanisms in maternity care.
  Action: Increase the awareness of, and engagement with, an improved Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS).
• Recommendation: Support earlier diagnosis, safer care and better outcomes across the maternity pathway.
  Action: Strengthen clinical knowledge, resources and training on conditions that disproportionately affect Black women.
• Recommendation: Support informed consent and access to pain management.
  Action: Introduce a Mandatory Pain Relief Explanation Policy in all NHS maternity settings.
• Recommendation: Improve transparency, trust and access to support.
  Action: Install maternity rights posters in all NHS maternity settings.
• Recommendation: Champion informed care before, during and after pregnancy.
  Action: Develop a national digital health information pack for Black women.
• Recommendation: Drive safe, joined up and personalised care.
  Action: Advance existing digital maternity record systems.

How this ties into Black Maternal Mental Health Week

The report lays bare systemic failures that not only compromise physical health, but how it deeply impacts mental wellbeing.

Black Maternal Mental Health Week UK 2025 is an annual campaign dedicated to raising awareness about mental health challenges faced by Black mothers. This year’s theme is ‘Make Black Mothers Visible.’

It is a call to action for culturally competent care, systemic reform and mental health support tailored to Black communities.

It creates a safe space for Black women to share their lived experienced of pregnancy, birth and postnatal care.

It aims to engage with healthcare providers, policymakers and community leaders to address the disparities in care and outcomes. This ties in with the themes, recommendations and experiences obtained as part of the Black maternity experiences report 2025.

My thoughts on the report

The findings of the report are powerful and concerning. As a specialist clinical negligence solicitor, I see the devastating impact that substandard maternity care can have on families, the bereavement, trauma and utter heartbreak. Every woman deserves to give birth without fear of being ignored or mistreated.

Sadly, the experiences highlighted in the new report, are not isolated incidents and are reflected in the accounts of families we support. Lessons need to be learned, and changes implemented based on the experiences highlighted.

We need to ensure there is equality within our maternity services. Black women are disproportionately affected by birth trauma, anxiety and postnatal depression. Their voices must not only be heard but amplified during every conversation about maternity care improvement.