AIMS Journal, 2017, Vol 29 No 3
(31 January 1926 - 14 July 2017)
Prunella Mary Briance founded the Natural Childbirth Trust in 1958; it became the National Childbirth Trust three years later. Like many birth activists she was provoked into action by her own birth experiences, the loss of her second baby, and a desire to ensure that no other woman suffered as she did. "Curious minds may wonder why I was prompted to start something as important as NCT. It was due to a horribly mismanaged birth and the loss of my precious baby girl."
Throughout her life she promoted a more natural way of giving birth where women would feel confident and in control. In a letter to The Times in 2013, she wrote: '97 per cent of mothers, accurately instructed, attended and encouraged, can give birth without any interference or medication whatsoever'.
Tens of thousands of women, babies and families throughout the years have benefited from her initiative and life-long dedication to improving maternity care.
Her husband, John, died before her, in 1989, and our thoughts are with her two surviving children, Richard and Alison.
The AIMS Journal spearheads discussions about change and development in the maternity services.
AIMS Journal articles on the website go back to 1960, offering an important historical record of maternity issues over the past 60 years. Please check the date of the article because the situation that it discusses may have changed since it was published. We are also very aware that the language used in many articles may not be the language that AIMS would use today.
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