Welcome to week 5 of '8 Weeks to Prepare for your ND Birth'!

Today Victoria and Aileen White, founder of @mybirthsupportcic and ND Birth Training Practitioner, talk about navigating communication in maternity care as a neurodivergent person.

We cover:

Common communication challenges (medical jargon, implied questions, rushed conversations)
Asking for clear, direct language
Processing time: it's okay to say "I need time to think"
Written vs verbal communication preferences
Building a communication preferences plan
Using visual aids and written summaries

Aileen talks about the HEART acronym which can be helpful when asking for more processing time.

H: Hear - "I hear what you're saying"

E: Empathise - "and I know why you are recommending this"

A: Affirm - "but I would like more time to consider ...." or "I would like to try this alternative."

R: Reassure - "I’ll definitely let you know if anything changes/I'll get back to you"

T: Thanks - "Thank you so much for supporting me and my baby.”

You can find out more about Aileen and My Birth Support CIC at https://mybirth.org.uk/

Thank you for listening!

Join the conversation on Instagram @neurodivergentbirth and at ndbirth.com.

S5 Ep 6: 8 Weeks to Prepare for your ND Birth: Navigating Communication in Maternity Care

The Neurodivergent Birth Podcast

S5 Ep 6: 8 Weeks to Prepare for your ND Birth: Navigating Communication in Maternity Care