Breaking the Taboo with Theo Clarke

This week our host, Theo Clarke, is joined by Debra Kroll, a community midwife with 44 years’ experience, and Gill Walton, Chief Executive of the Royal College of Midwives, to discuss preparing for pregnancy and birth and the wider state of maternity care in the UK.
Debra shares practical advice on what to expect throughout pregnancy, from your first midwife appointment and scans to choosing where to give birth, writing a birth plan and packing your hospital bag. Gill discusses maternity safety, staffing pressures and continuity of care, as well as what needs to change to ensure women and families receive high-quality maternity care.
Topics include: preparing for pregnancy; midwife appointments; pregnancy blood tests and scans; choosing where to give birth; birth plans; preparing birth partners; when to seek medical help; hyperemesis gravidarum; what to pack in your hospital bag; pregnancy after birth trauma; maternity safety; midwife staffing; continuity of care; and improving maternity services.
About Debra Kroll
Debra has been a midwife for 44 years and talks about how fulfilling her career has been. She has spent the majority of this working on the community, delivering care to local women and their families during pregnancy, labour (delivering both on the birth centre and at home) and in the postpartum period.
In addition to providing direct care, Debra has also worked as a midwifery lecturer and has contributed to work at the Royal College of Midwives and the Nursing and Midwifery Council. Working in the community has been the most satisfying part of her career, being able to be with and support women and their families where they live and can access local services. She is now a ‘granny midwife’ looking after pregnant women whose mothers were under her care when they were pregnant.
About Gill Walton
Gill Walton is Chief Executive of the Royal College of Midwives (RCM), one of the world’s oldest and largest midwifery organisations, representing the majority of the UK’s midwives.
Gill is a passionate midwife, experienced midwifery leader and NHS manager. She started nursing at University College Hospital, and then undertook Midwifery training at the Princess Anne Hospital in Southampton. She has held Director of Midwifery posts at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading, Barking, Havering and Redbridge, John Radcliffe in Oxford and more recently at Portsmouth Hospitals.
RESOURCES
Tommy’s
The Lullaby Trust
NHS Pregnancy
About the Host
Theo Clarke is a bestselling author, podcaster and former Member of Parliament. She is the author of Breaking the Taboo: Why We Need to Talk About Birth Trauma and led the first UK parliamentary inquiry into birth trauma.
www.theo-clarke.org.ukInstagram: @theoclarkemp
Producer: Adam WoodwardResearch: Kate KenyonDesigner: Emily RyderSocial media: Eleanor Flavin


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theodoraclarke.substack.com

This week our host, Theo Clarke, is joined by Dame Lesley Regan, England’s first Women’s Health Ambassador, to discuss the UK Government’s Women’s Health Strategy, tackling the gender health gap, and improving healthcare for women throughout every stage of life.
Topics discussed on the show include: the Women’s Health Strategy for England; tackling the gender health gap; menstrual health, period poverty and breaking taboos around women’s health; fertility, contraception and reproductive choice; healthy ageing and preventing chronic disease; lessons from the Birth Trauma Inquiry and improving maternity care; why listening to women matters; women’s health hubs and reducing waiting lists; menopause and access to HRT; breast health and screening; empowering women to advocate for themselves; and the future priorities for women’s healthcare in England.
BIOGRAPHY
Dame Lesley Regan historic appointment was the government’s first ever Women’s Health Ambassador for England to look at how to improve Women’s health and care. Dame Regan is honorary secretary of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) and was previously president (2016 to 2019) of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG). She is also Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Imperial College London St Mary’s Hospital Campus, and remains in active clinical practice after more than 40 years experience in reproductive medicine with particular expertise in menstrual health, recurrent miscarriage and the menopause. She is a non-executive director on the board of NHS Resolution and was awarded a DBE for services to women’s health in the 2020 New Year Honours List.
RESOURCES
Women’s Health Strategy for Englandhttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/womens-health-strategy-for-england
Wellbeing of Womenhttps://www.wellbeingofwomen.org.uk/
ABOUT THE HOST
Theo Clarke hosts the hit podcast Breaking the Taboo which ranks in the Top 5 most listened to shows in the UK for alternative health. She has also published a bestselling memoir Breaking the Taboo: Why We Need to Talk About Birth Trauma. She was the Member of Parliament for Stafford and won Speech of the Year at the Parliamentarian of the Year Awards in the UK. Theo was included in the prestigious Top 100 Women in Westminster list in 2025 and 2024.
This podcast is sponsored by the law firm Irwin Mitchell.
DISCLAIMER: This show is not intended to be medical advice – please seek advice from a GP or doctor.
www.theo-clarke.org.uk/podcast
Instagram: @theoclarkemp
Breaking The Taboo production team
Founder and host: Theo Clarke
Producer: Natasha Feroze
Designer: Emily Ryder
Social Media: Eleanor Flavin
Studio Manager: Adam Woodward


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theodoraclarke.substack.com

This week our host, Theo Clarke, is joined by Dr Jo Senior, Specialty Doctor in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, to discuss what it means to have a high-risk pregnancy and explain some of the most common interventions during labour and birth.
Topics that we discuss on the show include: what “high risk” means in pregnancy; when induction of labour may be recommended; what happens during induction; how induced labour differs from spontaneous labour; the benefits and risks of induction; when an instrumental or assisted birth may be recommended; the risks and benefits of assisted delivery compared with spontaneous birth; when a caesarean section may be offered; the questions mothers should ask when deciding between an assisted birth and a caesarean section; and what these interventions may mean for future pregnancies.
Biographies:
Dr Jo Senior
Dr Jo Senior is a Specialty Doctor in Obstetrics and Gynaecology with 14 years’ experience working in maternity care. She is passionate about improving antenatal education and reducing psychological birth trauma. Dr Senior is also the mother of a two-year-old son.
Resources
Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) https://www.rcog.org.uk
NHS Inducing Labour https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/labour-and-birth/inducing-labour/
Birth Trauma Association https://www.birthtraumaassociation.org
About the Host
Theo Clarke hosts Breaking the Taboo and A Thread of One’s Own. She is the bestselling author of Breaking the Taboo: Why We Need to Talk About Birth Trauma. Theo was formerly the Member of Parliament for Stafford, where she chaired the first parliamentary inquiry into birth trauma in British history and founded the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Birth Trauma. She won Speech of the Year at the Parliamentarian of the Year Awards and has been included in the prestigious Top 100 Women in Westminster list three years in a row. Theo is a high profile campaigner on improving maternity care and her petition with Louise Thompson resulted in the UK Government creating a new appointment for the first ever Maternity Commissioner.
Follow Theo: https://www.instagram.com/theoclarkemp/
This podcast is sponsored by the law firm Irwin Mitchell:
https://www.irwinmitchell.com/
DISCLAIMER: This show is not intended to be medical advice – please seek advice from a GP, midwife or obstetrician for individual medical advice.
Website:https://www.theo-clarke.org.uk/podcast
Breaking The Taboo production team:
Founder and host: Theo Clarke
Producer: Adam Woodward
Researchers: Kate Kenyon
Designer: Emily Ryder
Social Media: Bella Carter


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theodoraclarke.substack.com

This week our host, Theo Clarke, is joined by Professor Ranee Thakar to discuss birth injuries, obstetric anal sphincter injuries (OASI), and the importance of improving awareness, prevention, diagnosis and treatment for women after childbirth.
Topics discussed on the show include: perineal trauma during childbirth; what obstetric anal sphincter injuries (OASI) are and how common they are; the impact of birth injuries on women’s physical and mental health; the consequences of undiagnosed injuries; risk factors for severe tears during childbirth; prevention, treatment and recovery; pelvic floor health; the current landscape of maternity care in the NHS; and the work of charities, such as MASIC, in supporting women affected by birth injuries.
BIOGRAPHY
Professor Ranee Thakar, MD, FRCOG, is a highly respected Consultant Obstetrician and Urogynaecologist based in London, with extensive experience in the diagnosis and management of pelvic floor and perineal conditions across a woman’s life course. She is also an Honorary Professor of Women’s Health at the University of Liverpool.
With many years of senior consultant practice, Professor Thakar specialises in caring for women with postnatal pelvic floor problems, bladder and bowel incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, perineal pain, and sexual dysfunction, as well as women experiencing pelvic floor symptoms around the menopause and later life.
Professor Thakar served as President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) from December 2022 to 2025, reflecting her national and international leadership in women’s health. Her global reputation is reflected through honorary fellowships from leading professional bodies.
RESOURCES
MASIC Foundationhttps://masic.org.uk
Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG)https://www.rcog.org.uk
ABOUT THE HOST
Theo Clarke hosts the hit podcast Breaking the Taboo which ranks in the Top 5 most listened to shows in the UK for alternative health. She has also published a bestselling memoir Breaking the Taboo: Why We Need to Talk About Birth Trauma. She was the Member of Parliament for Stafford and won Speech of the Year at the Parliamentarian of the Year Awards in the UK. Theo was included in the prestigious Top 100 Women in Westminster list three years in a row.
This podcast is sponsored by the law firm Irwin Mitchell.
DISCLAIMER: This show is not intended to be medical advice – please seek advice from a GP or doctor.
www.theo-clarke.org.uk/podcast
Instagram: @theoclarkemp
Breaking The Taboo production team
Producer: Natasha Feroze
Researcher: Kate Kenyon
Designer: Emily Ryder
Social Media: Bella Carter
Studio Manager: Adam Woodward
Studio: Studio 55, part of Wolfe Power Club


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theodoraclarke.substack.com

This week our host, Theo Clarke, is joined by entrepreneur, author and Peanut founder Michelle Kennedy to discuss loneliness in motherhood, building support networks and why no mother should feel alone.
Topics discussed on the show include: the emotional reality of new motherhood; loneliness and isolation after having a baby; expectations versus reality; building a support network; asking for help; identity and motherhood; what women need most in the early weeks after birth; and the importance of community and connection throughout motherhood.
BIOGRAPHY
Michelle Kennedy is founder and CEO of Peanut, one of the fastest-growing social networking apps for women focusing on fertility, pregnancy, motherhood and menopause, which has raised $23m to date. Michelle was formerly Deputy CEO of dating behemoth Badoo, and during her tenure was integral to and inaugural board member of Bumble, (which IPOd at a $13bn valuation).
Having worked in social discovery for ten years, Michelle has unprecedented experience and understanding of the safety and growth components of building a social network for women and continues to execute on her mission to make Peanut the leading network to connect women when they need each other most. She is also a strategic investor in several early and late stage startups, and institutional venture capital funds.
Michelle is also the author of It Takes a Village: And Other Essential Truths for New Mothers, which brings together stories from women in the Peanut community alongside expert insights on fertility, pregnancy, birth and motherhood.
RESOURCES
Peanut
https://www.peanut-app.io
It Takes a Village: And Other Essential Truths for New Mothershttps://www.peanut-app.io/book
ABOUT THE HOST
Theo Clarke hosts the hit podcast Breaking the Taboo which ranks in the Top 5 most listened to shows in the UK for alternative health. She has also published a bestselling memoir Breaking the Taboo: Why We Need to Talk About Birth Trauma. She was the Member of Parliament for Stafford and won Speech of the Year at the Parliamentarian of the Year Awards in the UK. Theo was included in the prestigious Top 100 Women in Westminster list three years in a row.
This podcast is sponsored by the law firm Irwin Mitchell.
DISCLAIMER: This show is not intended to be medical advice – please seek advice from a GP or doctor.
www.theo-clarke.org.uk/podcast
Instagram: @theoclarkemp
Breaking The Taboo production team
Host and Founder: Theo Clarke
Producer: Natasha Feroze
Researcher: Kate Kenyon
Designer: Emily Ryder
Social Media: Bella Carter
Studio Manager: Adam Woodward
Studio: Studio 55, part of Wolfe Power Club


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theodoraclarke.substack.com