Regional women share postpartum journeys to create change

In short: Women in SA's south-east have gathered at a forum to discuss the gaps in perinatal care in the region. They are encouraging others to share their pre- and post-birth experiences with the Senate Select Committee on Women's Health. What's next? Submissions to the committee close in October, with its findings to be delivered next August. After giving birth to her second child and moving to regional South Australia, Taegan Partington realised just how far away help can be. "We ended up moving home [from Adelaide] for more support from family, but found the services that I still required needed me to travel back to Adelaide," she said. Ms Partington quickly realised she was far from alone, so began a charity with other mothers in Mount Gambier. "We were hearing these stories over and over again of people's motherhood journey being really marred by the services they could attain here, and what they had to travel for or were just missing out on," she said. "It's not just the travel factor and the finances, but being a mother with young children and what travel actually looks like is sometimes completely unachievable." Women putting up with gaps Ms Partington is one of several women from SA's Limestone Coast making submissions to the Senate Select Committee on Women's Health about their experiences with regional perinatal care. Along with pelvic health physiotherapist Sarah Coshan, Ms Partington organised a forum to discuss the select committee and the challenges local women faced. "I don't need to make a personal submission, so my submission will be based on my profession," Ms Coshan said. "It's about sitting with women and hearing their stories constantly about where these gaps are, how much it's costing them, the time to travel. "There's a vibe that it's accepted that it's hard here, we have to tolerate things, we're a little neglected as compared to our metropolitan counterparts." The forum included a video call with the committee chair, Marielle Smith. Senator Smith's push to establish the select committee followed her own challenges after giving birth to her son in 2019. "Senator Smith's own experience mirrors a lot of women's experiences," Ms Partington said. "Unfortunately, I am probably hearing more stories of women in our community not feeling empowered by their birth, so they start on the back foot. "Then they are launched into a postpartum journey that is marred by lots of obstacles." Ms Coshan said those obstacles extended even to her own service provision. "Part of anyone's submission could be that they didn't receive postpartum physiotherapy and I had to go and privately seek it," she said. "I hear a lot about the financial toll of physiotherapy and lactation support postpartum, and this inquiry is looking also at fertility, women's pain and medical devices as well, all of which I've seen come through my doors. "I've built up a back catalogue of stories that have led me to want to act on this." Tragic event hits hard Ms Coshan said a suspected murder-suicide by a woman in the region in July had impacted many locals, including mothers. She said mental health was a key area where regional women might struggle to get the care they needed before or after giving birth. "Every time we retell a challenging story, that can actually be re-traumatising for us, and also for the people that are listening." But she said it was important for women to make a submission if they could so regional voices could be heard. "You are important, your story matters, your voice matters. "If you have the capacity to share, then that could help change things for future women." Submissions to the select committee close on October 9, with the committee's final report due next August.