At Pause, we support women to share their stories if that is something they want to do. A recent example is two women with experience of the Pause Programme contributing to a study led by Claire Grant at UCL. The study looked at the health needs and experiences of women who have had children removed from their care. In the final article, which was published in the Journal of Public Health, the women’s narratives show the need for accelerated support and healthcare for women who have children removed from their care. In this blog post, the two women reflect on why they wanted to get involved in the research.
I wanted to take part in Claire’s research because I want to be part of the difference that I so hope for every day. To see a change, I know I need to tell my story. As insignificant it might be or otherwise, I wanted to share it. I live by hope and faith that things will change.
Sharing my experience was not challenging because of the support that was offered through Claire and Phoebe, the Women’s Involvement Officer at Pause. I got to share my story with someone who would put it out there to a wider audience, so it can highlight some of the things that are too often overlooked by services when dealing with mothers.
I was in awe of the article and thankful that Claire reflected our experiences perfectly.
My reasoning for wanting to be involved in Claire’s research is that I just graduated from the Pause Programme, and I wanted to continue to be involved and gain a deeper understanding of what research involves. One challenge I found being part of the research project, was that I sometimes struggled to understand professional jargon and how the research process works. However, creating change for others and sharing my experiences always outweigh the challenges for me. This will always be my motivation and goal in life. My heart is full of pride to be part of a published paper that has received a positive response and great feedback.
