I held on to my baby tightly. Was this a fear that someone would take her away from me?

‘Despite the weight of trauma and the injustices our women have to face, First Nations mothers are determined to redefine parenthood with strength, love and power,’ writes Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts Photograph: Supplied

The fears my parents both had when I was born carried through when I was pregnant with my own daughter.

I couldn’t help but feel a sense of fear and apprehension. The stories I had heard, my own lived experiences and the knowledge of historical trauma deeply rooted in my being made the hospital experience daunting.