Your maternity rights, in plain English

In the UK, maternity care is built around your consent and your choices. Nothing can be done to your body without your agreement, not an examination, not a sweep, not an induction, not a caesarean. You have the right to say yes, to say no, and to change your mind at any point, even after you've previously agreed. This is true throughout pregnancy, labour, and birth.

You have a right to clear information given in a way you understand. If English isn't your first language, you can ask for an interpreter, and you're entitled to a professional one, rather than relying on a family member. You can ask for things to be written down, explained again, or given to you on paper to read later.

You have choices about where you give birth, at home, in a midwife-led unit, or on a labour ward, and about your care along the way. You can ask for continuity of carer (seeing the same midwife or small team), request a female care provider where possible, and say who you want in the room with you. You can decline students being present.

Your maternity notes are yours. You can read them, ask questions about what's written, and request copies of your records. If you don't understand an abbreviation or a result, ask, you're entitled to know what's in your own file.

If you've had a difficult experience, you have the right to a debrief, a conversation with a midwife or doctor to go through what happened and why. You can also raise concerns through PALS (the Patient Advice and Liaison Service) at your hospital, who can help you ask questions and resolve problems.

These rights apply to everyone equally. Your age, your immigration status, whether this is your first baby or your fifth, your background or your skin tone, none of it changes what you're entitled to. If you ever feel your rights aren't being respected, you're allowed to say so and ask for support.