Human rights Good to Know: Katie Vigos, the woman educating the world on childbirth one Instagram post at a time By Sofia Gallarate COPY URL

Meet Katie Vigos, nurse and founder of Empowered Birth Project, an online-based project and Instagram movement that promotes education on childbirth and motherhood. Since launching the project, Vigos managed to terminate Facebook and Instagram’s censorship on birth content. We spoke with Vigos about why she started Empowered Birth Project, technology’s impact on birth and motherhood, and how she’s advocating for women’s rights one Instagram post at a time.

1. What pushed you to start Empowered Birth Project, and in which ways did your experiences, as both a nurse and a mother, influence this decision?

I started Empowered Birth Project in 2014 because, during the beginning of my childbearing years, it was still difficult to find accessible online resources for people seeking to know and understand more about birth. I realised very quickly how important community and support is during pregnancy, postpartum, and parenthood, and I realised that social media could allow me to create that. My platform was originally intended to document the birth of my third and last child, who was born very dramatically via emergency cesarean at 43 weeks gestation. I processed my healing and recovery very publicly, and a wonderful, supportive community grew around me during that time. The platform eventually evolved to include stories from people of all walks of life, as well as information and education about birth in general. As a nurse, I use my background as a healthcare professional to inform my writing and critical thinking. Additionally, working on the other end of the life spectrum as a critical care nurse has actually taught me a great deal about birth. They can be understood, honoured, and celebrated in very similar ways.

2. Throughout the years you’ve managed to build an impressive online community. In which ways is this community taking place outside the internet?

Empowered Birth Project is still primarily an online initiative, though I have started hosting and speaking at events. I’m working on a lot of exciting things that will launch within the next year.

3. You’ve been battling with web giants to take down censorship on birth images and videos. What has been the hardest challenge you faced since you started this campaign?

Ironically, the greatest difficulties have come after the policy changes within Facebook and Instagram to allow uncensored birth content. The initial petition actually won pretty quickly, and since then, while we’ve been able to share so many wonderful uncensored images of birth, Facebook and Instagram still manage to find ways to limit the birth community. Accounts and photos still get taken down occasionally due to error, their filters and ‘safety features’ make birth accounts more difficult to find and/or prevent various hashtags from working properly, and so forth. Furthermore, their ad policies are much more restrictive, so businesses posting birth-related images on their landing pages often have difficulties publishing advertising and reaching other social media users. So, we won a major victory, but we are still fighting for visibility in many ways.

4. What are the biggest lies that are still sold to women about giving birth and how can we challenge them?

I think the biggest lies sold to women and birthing people is that they cannot trust their intuition or their bodies. They are told to give their power to an external figure, such as a healthcare provider or the medical institution as a whole. Birth should always be centred around the birthing person and their comfort, safety, and well being. Their voice should always be the most important and respected in the room.

5. What are the upcoming objectives for Empowered birth Project?

I’d like to expand my initiative across more social platforms, as well as continue to use my voice for advocacy and social change. I want to see policy changes happening on a grander scale—such as state and federal governments—to make birth safer and better for everyone.

6. Despite the many fights for women’s reproductive rights, today’s scenario looks threatening. How is the Empowered Birth Project addressing this issue and how dangerous are the pro-life movements for women’s rights?

I will continue to address this issue by speaking out about the importance of reproductive choice and freedom. Restricting access to medical procedures such as abortion actually leads to worse maternal and neonatal outcomes. In my opinion, the pro-life movement is really just anti-choice and anti-abortion. In order to truly protect the lives of birthing people, we need to ensure they have medically accurate information, access to healthcare, and support in their decision-making process. We certainly have a very long way to go in this regard. It’s only been recently that I’ve spoken out about this, because for many years I have been processing and healing from the shame and secrecy of my own abortion experience. I no longer feel any need to remain silent about it and I’m very excited to continue this conversation on my platform.

7. From assisted reproductive technology (ART) to the controversy of CRISPR baby, and potentially artificial wombs, the future of childbirth is going to be massively impacted by technology. What’s your view on reproductive technology and when do you think, if at all, should these developments be restrained?

I actually hadn’t heard of the CRISPR baby! I guess despite the fact I’m a huge birth nerd, some current events still manage to escape me. But as for assisted reproductive technology, I think it’s ‘natural’ for humans to evolve in ways that give us more tools and capabilities to reproduce and advance our species. As long as participants are giving fully informed consent and are aware of the risks, like anything else, I personally think it’s a remarkable way to offer the experience of childbearing to those who previously could not experience it. Like all areas of medicine, it’s an experiment and always evolving through the scientific process. I don’t think it’s morally inferior or problematic; it’s just different. And we need to make sure people participating in ART are supported and respected just as much as people who conceive without the assistance of technology.

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