One in eight women experience domestic violence during pregnancy

Gillian Dennehy

Maternity Project Coordinator, Women’s Aid

It should be a time full of hope, but pregnancy can leave some women particularly vulnerable. Global research shows that domestic abuse during pregnancy is more common than pre-eclampsia and gestational diabetes.

The adverse impact of domestic abuse on pregnant women’s mental and physical well-being is significant and wide-ranging. It also directly affects children. Impacts include miscarriage, premature birth, delivering a baby with a low birth weight, self-medication with alcohol and/or drugs to cope with the abuse, postpartum depression, stress, anxiety, negatively impacted mother-child bond and behavioural and emotional problems in children. In extreme cases, domestic abuse can be fatal.

The case of domestic abuse in Ireland

In Ireland, one in eight women suffer domestic abuse during pregnancy. In 2022, our dedicated maternity outreach worker supported 53 pregnant/postpartum/post-termination cases where women were subjected to intimate partner abuse. However, we know that this is only the tip of the iceberg.

One in four women in Ireland experience some form of domestic abuse and unfortunately, domestic abuse does not stop in pregnancy. Every year, the Women’s Aid 24-hour National Freephone Helpline and Face-to-Face support services support hundreds of women who are coercively controlled, beaten and raped while they are pregnant.

Disclosing abuse is a complicated decision. For some women, there may be barriers, including language and interpretation. It is important for professionals working with victims of abuse to understand that while women may want to change their situation, their ability may be affected by their concerns and lack of resources.

One in four women in Ireland experience
some form of domestic abuse

Antenatal care opens opportunities for hope

While pregnancy may be a particularly vulnerable time for women in abusive relationships it also offers healthcare professionals a key opportunity to identify victims and support them appropriately, due to the routine nature of antenatal and postnatal care.

If any healthcare professional is worried about a patient, they should listen to what she has to say, believe her and support her on her journey to safety. The key step to take is to refer the woman to the hospital’s medical social work team and the Women’s Aid 24-hour National Freephone Helpline.

Maternity support for women

In 2021, Women’s Aid and four of Ireland’s leading maternity hospitals began an innovative partnership to enhance support for abused pregnant women who are accessing maternity services as well as women contacting Women’s Aid for support. This partnership is also supporting staff who may be subjected to domestic abuse.