GOLD Speakers

uk

Sheena Byrom, RM, MA, OBE

  • Country: uk
Biography:

Sheena Byrom is a freelance midwifery consultant, using the knowledge and skill she developed during an extensive midwifery career in the NHS.  She was one of the UK’s first consultant midwives, and as head of midwifery successfully helped to lead the development of three birth centres in East Lancashire. She is a board member of the Royal College of Midwives (RCM), a member of the RCM's Better Births initiative, Patron of StudentMidwife.Net, and Chair of the Iolanthe Midwifery Trust.With esteemed colleagues, she lead the Midwifery Unit Network, an initiative which aims to support the development and success of midwifery units through connecting and sharing resources.

Her midwifery memoirs, Catching Babies, is a Sunday Times bestseller, and her absolute passion is promoting normal physiological birth, and a positive childbirth experience for all women. Her latest book, The Roar Behind the Silence: why kindness, compassion and respect matter in maternity care is jointly edited with Professor Soo Downe OBE, and they hope the book will used as a resource to promote positive childbirth throughout the world. 

Sheena was awarded an Order British Empire in 2011 for services to midwifery, and actively lobbies for maternity service improvements through several social media channels. She is a member of the @WeMidwives team, running regular online chats for student midwives and midwives. She lectures nationally and internationally on midwifery and childbirth related topics, and the benefits of using social media. In 2015 Sheena  was made an honorary fellow of the Royal College of Midwives.