Şebnem Susam-Saraeva is a Senior Lecturer in Translation Studies at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, U.K. She has been working on translation and maternal health since 2010. Her most recent contribution to the field is the Routledge Handbook of Translation and Health (2021, with Eva Spišiaková), including a chapter on ‘Translation in maternal and neonatal health’ (2021, with Luciana Carvalho Fonseca). She is also a practising doula since 2009 and is a co-facilitator on the Mother Tongue project hosted by Doulas without Borders, training multilingual birth supporters since 2020.
Jenny Patterson is a midwifery lecturer at Edinburgh Napier University, Scotland. Jenny’s work as a midwife since 2007, both independently and in the NHS, led to her particular interest in women’s traumatic birth experiences and midwives work-related trauma. Jenny’s PhD thesis explored the woman/midwife interaction, a significant factor in the development of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) post-birth for childbearing women. Lack of communication, control and involvement in decision making are significant factors in PTSD and language barriers contribute to these issues. For optimal maternity care interactions around communication and consent, Jenny believes we must first ensure midwives and other maternity care professionals are supported and empowered in their role.
Find out more about Şebnem Susam-Saraeva at her university webpage
Find out more about Jenny Patterson at her university webpage
Find out more about the Mother Tongue project at their website
Find out more about Doulas without Borders at their website
