Table 3.

Overview of types of support provided during perinatal activities

Category of support	Examples
Instrumental/practical support	Ensuring women received essential items, such as pregnancy packs (e.g. additional food packs), pregnancy pillows, maternity bras, maternity clothes and breast pads. Providing parenting books, emergency phone credit (on release) and consulting with key agencies on women’s behalf
Emotional support	Providing opportunities for women to share frustrations, fears and concerns, e.g. losing custody of children, concerns over mental health, birth-related fears. Liaising with prison staff to enable women to receive a scan photo, organising a suitable birth partner, for photos/prints of the baby’s hands and feet to be taken post-birth, providing women with materials to make cards for their baby or keep a pregnancy journal and providing women with baby clothes (for the infant to wear and to be returned to the woman)
Informational support	Providing information on practical items women should receive (i.e. additional food), women’s rights during transfer to hospital and during procedures, child protection procedures and proceedings, MBU applications/placements, applying for re-categorisation and specialist information, e.g. applications to Home Office (immigration status)
Signposting	Signposting women to available services, e.g. Family Rights Group (for women with Social Services involvement), housing services, counselling services, mental health and health care
Advocacy	Advocating for women with the prison around their perinatal needs and following correct Prison Service guidelines (e.g. for MBU applications and maintaining dignity while women are being transported to/at hospital)