The Woman Empire Project
Episode 60: The Birth Revolution Has Begun. Inside Hygieia House with Fiona O'Shaughnessy.
One in three women experience birth trauma. One in ten develop PTSD as a result. And seventy percent of that trauma is caused by the care providers themselves. These are not statistics we can scroll past. Today I am sitting down with Fiona O'Shaughnessy, one of the directors of Hygieia Health — a not-for-profit organisation committed to healing and preventing birth related trauma. They are a community of women, men, doulas, midwives, doctors, health professionals and supporters who believe that birth matters. That it is a sacred rite of passage. And that every woman deserves to be treated with kindness, dignity and respect. In this episode we cover: How Hygieia Health was born out of a single meeting of birth workers, mothers and grandmothers who simply wanted more options for women What happened to birth during COVID — and how Hygieia Health showed up when women needed it most The 500-person event in Lennox Head during Birth Trauma Awareness Week that stopped everyone in the room The four pillars of Hygieia Health — advocacy, education, resources and creating sanctuaries for women Hygieia House — the first physical manifestation of their dream, opening in the Northern Rivers right now What Hygieia House offers — a community hub, a place of learning, accommodation for mothers, and a space for birth workers to practise under one roof How you can support — through donations, becoming a founding member for fifty dollars a year, volunteering or simply sharing their story Their guiding vision is one that I carry with me long after this conversation ended. Healing birth. Healing the earth. One gentle birth at a time. Connect with Hygia Health & Support the Dream If this episode moved something in you, here is how you can show up for this work right now. Donate or become a Founding Member Founding membership is just fifty dollars a year and goes directly to keeping Hygieia House alive and growing. Every dollar counts and every contribution matters. Buy a Raffle Ticket Incredible prizes up for grabs and every single cent goes directly to the cause. Head to the Linktree link below to grab yours. Linktree — [ linktr.ee/hygieia health] (all donation, raffle and founding member links are here) Find & Follow Hygia Health Instagram: @hygieia_health_org Facebook: HygieiaHealthtd Website: hygieiahealth.org Want to help directly? Email: contact@hygieiahealth.org Please share this episode. Share it with every woman in your world. Share it with the mothers who are still carrying their birth story. Share it with the birth workers, the midwives, the doulas, the doctors who want to do better. Share it with anyone who has the resources, the platform or the heart to help this dream grow. This is how change happens. One conversation, one share, one woman at a time.
