Domestic abuse in pregnancy
If your partner is violent
Domestic abuse or domestic violence can be physical, sexual, emotional, psychological or financial. It is often a combination of these.
Pregnancy can be a trigger for domestic abuse, and existing abuse may get worse during pregnancy or after giving birth.
Domestic abuse during pregnancy puts you and your unborn child in danger. It increases the risk of miscarriage, infection, premature birth, and injury or death to the baby.New paragraph
If you decide to leave
The first step in escaping an abusive situation is realising that you're not alone and it's not your fault.
Before you go, try to get advice from an organisation such as:
How can you help someone who is suffering domestic abuse
Helping a friend if they're being abused
If you're worried a friend is being abused, let them know you've noticed something is wrong.
They might not be ready to talk, but try to find quiet times when they can talk if they choose to.
If someone confides in you that they're suffering domestic abuse:
- listen, and take care not to blame them
- acknowledge it takes strength to talk to someone about experiencing abuse
- give them time to talk, but do not push them to talk if they do not want to
- acknowledge they're in a frightening and difficult situation
- tell them nobody deserves to be threatened or beaten, despite what the abuser has said
- support them as a friend, encourage them to express their feelings, and allow them to make their own decisions
- do not tell them to leave the relationship or leave home if they're not ready – that's their decision
- ask if they have suffered physical harm and if they have, offer to go with them to a hospital or GP
- help them report the assault to the police if they choose to
- be ready to provide information about organisations that offer help for people experiencing domestic abuse
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