The Body Positive Birth Alliance brings together a collective of consumers, clinicians, researchers, advocates and professional groups with the joint aim of challenging weight-centric maternity care, and directly addressing both unconscious and conscious weight stigma and discrimination.

Weight stigma is common in maternity care. It is linked with poor pregnancy outcomes, including high blood pressure, mental illness, birth problems, lower breastfeeding rates, poorer long-term maternal and child health, and intergenerational stigma. This form of discrimination is also known to undermine weight management in pregnant women, which may explain why it is associated with gestational weight gain (GWG) and postpartum weight retention.

Research shows that approximately half of Australian women of reproductive age live in larger bodies, and half also experience unintended weight gain and retention around childbearing. This puts over 3.3 million women at risk of experiencing weight stigma during their preconception, pregnancy and postpartum life stages.

This alliance will drive a program of consumer-led research which aims to develop maternity care that is free of stigma, shame and discrimination based on body size. Importantly, the project is built on a foundation of consumer engagement. By combining the lived experience of larger bodied women with the voices of leading experts we can challenge weight-centric care and work towards weight inclusive care.

The Alliance will work to address national policies, research priorities and gaps between research and practice, in order to improve experiences of maternity care and health outcomes for larger bodied women and their children.

For more information please contact Professor Leonie Callaway at leonie.callaway@health.qld.gov.au