Royal College Of Midwives apologized and removed safe-sleeping guidelines with babies. These guidelines were for ‘post-natal persons’, but did not mention women or mothers. 

The move came after the body was criticised by a childbirth campaigner who was ‘cancelled’ online for questioning the use of the term ‘birthing people’. 

Milli Hill from Somerset faced an angry backlash after she challenged the usage of the term when speaking about obstetrical violence, which is medical interventions that are performed in childbirth without consent.

Author of the bestseller, now the RCM has changed its recent safe sleeping guide, which did not refer to women, but rather to ‘post-natal persons’ to accommodate the fact that transgender people can give birth.  

The pregnancy campaigner pointed to research showing that women who are breastfeeding have a heightened responsiveness due to their hormonal feedback cycle. 

This means there could be safety differences if a baby was co-sleeping with a breastfeeding mother compared to a non-breastfeeding mother or father.   

Milli spoke to FEMAIL and said that she was surprised but very encouraged to learn that the RCM quickly admitted its error and is now ‘pledging better’.  

The RCM's sleeping guide, which has now been removed, refers to 'Postnatal people' but makes no mention of women

RCM’s sleeping guidance, which was removed now, mentions ‘Postnatal people’ but does not include women 

Milli Hill, from Somerset, has convinced midwifery body RCM to change their latest safe sleeping guidance, which made no reference to women and instead used the term 'post-natal people'

Milli Hill of Somerset has persuaded RCM midwifery group to alter their most recent safe sleeping guide, which did not refer to women, but rather used the term ‘post-natal person’.

After the campaigner raised the issue on social media, the RCM swiftly offered an apology for their mishap and insisted they are dedicated to ensuring 'women are never erased from the narrative around pregnancy and birth'

The RCM quickly apologized to the campaigner for raising the matter on social media and stated that they will continue their efforts to ensure that women are not forgotten about in the birth narrative.

Milli said that although these changes in language are made under the guise of inclusion, they insult and exclude the majority of RCM’s target audience – women. 

“Women do not want to be called “postnatal people”, or “bodies with vaginas” or “vulva owners”. They are proud to call themselves mothers and women in nearly all cases. 

It is crucial to remember that cisgender women are not allowed to breastfeed, so it’s important to refer to yourself as a woman rather than a person post-natally. 

Milli stated that sex matters when it comes to safety sleep advice. There is an obvious difference in safety between breastfeeding mothers and fathers who share a bed with their baby. This is because there are no hormonal feedback cycles that promote heightened responsiveness. 

The RCM's sleeping guide, which has now been removed, refers to 'Postnatal people' but makes no mention of women

RCM’s sleeping guidance, which was removed now, mentions ‘Postnatal people’ but does not include women 

“I am so happy that the RCM saw sense in this issue. I hope it is part of the turning tide, as organisations question Stonewall’s influence on their language and begin to listen to women’s needs.”

After the campaigner raised the issue on social media, the RCM swiftly offered an apology for their mishap and insisted they are dedicated to ensuring ‘women are never erased from the narrative around pregnancy and birth’.

One spokesperson stated that Twitter“We regret that the recent safer sleeping guidelines did not include women. This was a huge oversight on our part, especially as we are committed as an organisation to ensure that women are never erased from the narrative around pregnancy & birth.’

The RCM added that the guidance has been removed from its website while the text is being revised.  

Milli said being called a 'woman' rather than 'post-natal person' isn't just a matter of being offended, but an important factor to consider when it comes to co-sleeping with children, because cisgender men are not able to breastfeed

Milli explained that the distinction between a woman and a post-natal individual isn’t an insult, but a factor you should consider regarding co-sleeping. Cisgender males are not allowed to breastfeed.

Mother-of-three Milli took to social media to emphasise how ‘impressed’ she was with the swift action of the RCM and for ‘thoughtfully’ addressing the thoughts of women. 

She said, “Really important today to support the #MidwivesRCM. It is difficult to admit that you made mistakes in this sensitive field. It is very difficult to admit that you have made a mistake in this highly sensitive area. 

Royal College of Midwives is being contacted.  

Milli is a journalist and advocate of women’s rights in childbirth who penned bestselling pregnancy guide The Positive Birth Book and Give Birth Like a Feminist.

Her revelation that she had been targeted via social media earlier in the year made her headlines. She faced calls to boycott her books and was also dropped from a charity with which she worked for many years because of her remarks about ‘birthing persons’. 

She was called out by a stranger on Instagram last November, who wrote: ‘Birthing people are seen as “the fragile sex’ who need to be kept under patriarchal authority by doctors.’

Hill responded: “I would challenge that term birthing person in this context. These women are often referred to as “fragile sex”, etc. and even obstetric violence. [medical interventions performed during childbirth without a woman’s consent]Violence against women is a crime. 

One person commented, “Let’s just broadcast it.” Milli Hill. It is wrong to buy her books. They shouldn’t get gifts. You shouldn’t follow her. It is wrong to quote her. It was dangerous to hold her beliefs or opinions. 

Milli started the Positive Birth movement in 2012. This network provides support for pregnancies for women. Milli’s work as a journalist/author has also been heavily influenced by women’s reproductive rights.  

Milli is a journalist and advocate of women’s rights in childbirth who penned bestselling pregnancy guide The Positive Birth Book and Give Birth Like a Feminist

Milli is a journalist and advocate of women’s rights in childbirth who penned bestselling pregnancy guide The Positive Birth Book and Give Birth Like a Feminist

On her blog, she explains that around three years ago, she noted a changed in language around childbirth, particularly the two phrases ‘birthing people’ – which was used alongside or instead of “women”, and ‘assigned male/female at birth’. 

She said she was confused by the second because prenatal testing and scans are used to determine sex. While the term ‘assigned,’ suggests that you have something given, not innate, like biological sex. 

Milli, who used to be a creative psychotherapist and worked with young people post abuse and trauma, continued: ‘My work and thinking around obstetric violence had led me to the view that it is “sex based violence.” You will notice that I used the word “sex” here and not the ….gender. 

“What I observed in the slide was a real mix-up between the completely correct idea that patriarchy is the problem and an obfuscating terminology which is incapable of naming the oppressed. 

After being tagged in the comment online, Milli went on to say she felt the need to speak out and so responded to the account which had few followers – adding she just felt ‘moved to say what she thought.’   

A doula took screenshots of the comments she made to her stories, and all hell broke loose. 

Amy Gibbs was the chief executive officer of Birthrights. She reached Milli soon after. Birthrights is a charity advocating for childbirth rights.

Milli was a long-term employee of The Positive Birth Movement. She had been abused in the past and decided to close the organization in 2021.  

Amy said that Milli had made comments regarding obstetric violence and Amy was deeply concerned. these were ‘challenging/disputing that it could happen to non-binary or trans people who give birth’.