Amma Birth Companions

Founded in 2019, Amma Birth Companions is a unique charity working across Glasgow, Scotland.

Our staff and volunteers provide continuous, holistic, non-judgemental support so that women feel less alone and better able to cope during the perinatal period. Amma’s strategic aims are to:

Support self-agency during pregnancy, birth, and early parenthood
Reduce isolation and build community amongst new parents
Influence and address maternal care disparities at a local and national level.

In just over five years, Amma’s team has supported over 600 mostly migrant women through a core service provision of pregnancy, birth and postnatal companionship, peer support, antenatal and parenting education, and research and advocacy. As the only charity delivering this kind of work in Scotland, Amma’s staff are increasingly being regarded as experts in their field and being asked to contribute to a growing number of inquiries and studies into the perinatal health inequalities experienced by migrant women.

Amma supports women who are seeking asylum and those with insecure immigration status, as well as other underserved groups facing barriers to maternity care and associated support. Amma clients grapple with complex trauma, domestic and gender-based violence, human trafficking, female genital mutilation, racism, poverty and insecure housing. Many are separated from support networks, lacking known partners, friends and family. Over half speak little or no English.
Amma strives to create a nurturing, inclusive community where support during pregnancy, birth, and early parenthood is accessible to all. The team is proud that many clients refer to Amma as “like family”.