09/10/2026
Pregnancy should never be used as an opportunity for control.
Yet domestic abuse can begin or escalate during pregnancy, taking many forms including increased monitoring, isolation, financial control and interference with healthcare.
During Domestic Abuse Awareness Month, this powerful article from The Guardian shares the experiences of women whose pregnancies were overshadowed by coercive control, violence and fear.
It is an important reminder that abuse is never the victim’s fault, and that legal protection and specialist support are available.
Read the article: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/oct/07/i-thought-the-baby-would-change-him-the-women-whose-pregnancies-are-blighted-by-domestic-abuse
An estimated 20,000 cases are disclosed to maternity services in England every year. Two survivors tell their stories