WITH a burst of music and a flood of red t-shirts, Town Beach came alive on Saturday 22 November as part of a series of flash mobs appearing around the country.
Led by Rachel Leman of Miss Motivator, 25 mums descended on the local beach with one mission in mind: to highlight the importance of better care for pregnant and postpartum women, and a safe return to exercise.
Recognising the lack of support and funding after the current women’s health budget skipped these important challenges, founder of MumSafe, Jen Dugard, wanted to do something to get the conversation started.
“All mums should have access to safe, effective exercise”, Jen told News Of The Area.
“Returning to movement after birth is not a nice to have, it’s health care.”
Nine towns across the country sprung to life with motivated mums doing a workout, each having their own personal reason for participating.
Port Macquarie mums hit the mats early at 9.30am, coordinating a fun routine to the empowering sounds of Beyonce’s “who runs the world?”.
According to Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia (PANDA), one in three women experiences pelvic issues after giving birth, often accompanied by physical or psychological trauma, and up to half develop some level of prolapse.
“Pelvic floor and prolapse are common, yet under-discussed”, said Jen.
“Prevention and early, supported recovery matters.
“When postpartum rehabilitation and safe return-to-exercise are underfunded or overlooked, problems can compound, affecting long-term health, participation in sport/work, and quality of life through perimenopause and menopause.”
Despite a women’s health budget of $700 million there is no clearly earmarked funding for preventive postpartum recovery or safe return-to-exercise programs.
Also of concern, is that the fitness industry is largely unregulated.
“A routine 6-week check is not enough to ensure a mum is ready for impact exercise or heavy loading”, said Jen. “Mums deserve qualified guidance and collaboration with pelvic health physiotherapists.”
Women in need of specialised trainers and exercise professionals seeking further information can refer to the MumSafe Movement website: mumsafemovement.com/.
By Rikki WALLER
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