Me and Mamahood

• R A I S E Y O U R V O I C E •

Every mother’s story matters — and right now, Australia is finally listening.

The Senate Select Committee on Women’s Health is calling for submissions, and this is our moment to speak directly to government about what postpartum care really looks like in this country.

If you’ve ever felt unseen, unsupported, dismissed, or left to “figure it out” on your own… your voice belongs in this inquiry.You can share:
• Your lived experience of pregnancy, birth, postpartum or infant loss
• Gaps in care you’ve faced — mental health, feeding support, pelvic health, partner support
• Barriers to accessing services, cost pressures, long waitlists, geographic location
• Moments where your pain, symptoms, or concerns were minimised
• What you wish existed; the care, resources, and support that would have changed everything.

Your submission doesn’t need to be formal. It can be a story, a reflection, a list of what helped and what didn’t.

Your voice helps shape funding, policy, and the future of postpartum care in Australia.The Terms of Reference are here: https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Womens_Health

Let’s make sure mothers, birthing people, partners and families are heard; loudly, clearly, and together.

This is how change ACTUALLY happens.

• P O S T N A T A L D E P R E S S I O N •

If you identify these signs and symptoms in yourself or a loved one, you could try to open a gentle conversation about what you have noticed.

Tip: show her genuine care and interest in her wellbeing, use a curious approach in your questions and invite her to be open and honest about her experience.

Let me know if you found this post helpful ⬇️

•S T A R F I S H •

When your friend writes an amazing song about you ⭐

Check it out of Spotify:
Song title: The Starfish
Artist: Tessie Bits

• S U P P O R T •

Trying to navigate intrusive thoughts on your own is a tough battle. Confusing, distressing, and incredibly isolating.

Here are some tips on sharing your experience with others to lighten the load and help you feel more supported.

• S L O W I N G D O W N •

Woke up feeling a need to calm my mind and stretch/move my body.

Made the conscious decision to pop the lovely Stacey on the telly and follow her lead 😍

Thanks for supporting me through my morning movement

• P E R I N A T A L O C D •

What's normal?

When should I start to question if it's more than 'just anxiety's?

When to seek professional support.

Where to seek professional support.

$ocdawareness

• P E R I N A T A L. O C D •

True OCD can be more debilitating than most people understand. It's nature and impact is minimized by overuse of the term. Eg. "That is messing with my OCD"
"I'm a little OCD"
"I need everything to be perfect coz of my OCD"

Perinatal OCD often involves the experience of obsessive, overwhelming, repetitive thoughts that are intrusive and ego-dystonic; meaning they do not align with the person's personal beliefs or values ~ causing significant distress. Additionally, there can be compulsive behaviours that the person may engage in to relieve the anxiety associated with perceived dangers or threats. This may include avoiding certain situations, places or tasks, engaging in repetitive actions, checking, washing or cleaning.

The OCD spectrum has several different themes ~ swipe through this post to understand more.

Like, save and share this post if you found this informative.

• R E F L E C T I O N T I M E •

Really think about it....

• M I L L E N N I A L P A R E N T S •

We're doing it differently because we don't really have a choice.

Our communities and societies have changed, and we've had to evolve and adapt to parenting in this modern day world.

But we're feeling the push-pull of it all, and this is increasing stress and anxiety. It's also resulting in more experiences of postpartum depression in mothers AND fathers. This is not something to feel guilty or shameful about. It's a sign that our modern day social expectations of women, parents and families are confusing and challenging.

Positively, our generation is resilient and knowledgeable about mental health and there is less stigma and increased understanding surrounding mental health struggles in the perinatal period.

Which theme do you find the most challenging?

If you're feeling the weight of the pressures identified in this post, support is available from services such as:





And other Perinatal mental health practitioners