A birth coach has been ‘ostracised’ by her professional organisation after transgender activists branded as offensive a Facebook post in which she said that only women can have babies.

Lynsey McCarthy-Calvert, 45, was forced to stand down as spokesperson for Doula UK and has since resigned altogether from the national organisation for birth coaches. Her exit comes after transgender rights activists triggered an investigation in which Doula UK concluded her message breached its equality and diversity guidelines.

Mrs McCarthy-Calvert, is a professional doula – a trained non-medical companion to moms-to-be. She published a photo on social media which contained the message: “I am not a ‘cervix owner’ I am not a ‘menstruator’ I am not a ‘feeling’. I am not defined by wearing a dress and lipstick. I am a woman: an adult human female.”

“Women birth all the people, make up half the population, but less than a third of the seats in the House of Commons are occupied by us.”

However, the seemingly unremarkable post sparked a backlash among trans rights activists.

One user accused her of using “absolutely disgusting language”, saying: “You seem to be forgetting that not only women birth children.”

A group of activists lodged a complaint with the non-profit support group Doula UK, claiming her post contained “trans exclusionary comments” including the description of a woman as an “adult human female”.

They did not expel the mother- of-four, who has been a doula – who provide continuous support during pregnancy – for six years, but threatened to suspend her unless she deleted the post.

Mrs McCarthy-Calvert did so, but resigned believing Doula UK had ‘acquiesced’ to demands from a small number of activists and failed to stand up for women’s rights.

“I am angry and sad …I was effectively ostracized for saying I am a woman and so are my clients,” she said. “I have been very disappointed by Doula UK’s response. The leadership is paralyzed by not wanting to upset transgender rights activists. They have fallen over themselves to acquiesce to their demands.”

Lynsey McCarthy-Calvert (seen left with her niece) says she was (Image: Instagram)

Then it seems that her words provoked a group of about 20 individuals, also known as “trans-activists”, they wrote to the company saying that she had “clearly” breeched the company’s inclusive guidelines.

In the letter they wrote, they claimed McCarthy-Calvert was guilty of making several “trans-exclusionary comments” which included, of course, her description of being an “adult human female.”

Doula UK proceeded to straight away withdraw Mrs. McCarthy-Calvert as a spokesperson and, after a four-month dragged out an investigation, its board of directors decided: “[The post] does breach Doula UK’s guidelines”.

A Doula UK spokesperson denied it had “acquiesced” to trans activists, saying:

“We are proud to say that we seek to listen to the lived experience of marginalized groups and make changes – including changes to the language we use – if we believe it is necessary to make the Doula UK community more welcoming and supportive”