Public health expert June Joseph says the Church could play “a pivotal role” in leading postpartum care nationally as the Senate launches a Select Committee on Women’s Health to look into issues of maternal health. Source: The Catholic Leader.
Dr Joseph has researched postpartum care and infant feeding across South East Asia, including with women from refugee backgrounds and from war-torn regions.
“The health of the baby and the ability to be a mother who nurtures to the best capacity is determined by whether she heals properly and has a good rest during the postpartum journey,” she said.
As the Senate launched the inquiry, Dr Joseph said Catholic healthcare practitioners in Australia were well placed to champion the cause of mothers and babies into the “fourth trimester” – the critical three-month period following birth.
Failure to support mothers and babies in this period could lead to long-term chronic conditions, developmental delays and maternal health risks that persist for years if left untreated.
She said faith-based health care could address the whole person – physically, emotionally and spiritually – and bridge what she calls the “pro-life gap”.
She said to protect “the postpartum period, we need to protect the bond” between mother and baby.
“We need to protect the unborn at all stages of development from fertilisation until birth, but to do that successfully, we must also build a more strategic safety net that but we also need to supports mothers, fathers and support families from the very beginning,” Dr Joseph said.
Health data shows that approximately one in five new and expectant mothers in Australia experience perinatal depression or anxiety, with many struggling without adequate medical intervention.
The Senate committee, launched on August 19, is calling on women to submit their experiences of motherhood as they investigate maternal healthcare, fertility and postpartum support across the nation.
As parliamentarians examine healthcare reform, Dr Joseph argues Australia must shift from reactive crisis management to a more proactive universal preventive care.
She is proposing a model of Medicare-funded “residential postpartum continuity hubs” integrated into general practitioner networks and midwifery services that would offer continuous care across the “fourth trimester”.
At the grassroots level, Dr Joseph called on parishes to build practical support systems, such as creating networks of “postpartum angels” – experienced mothers or older parishioners who can companion young families facing geographic or financial isolation due to rising housing costs.
FULL STORY
Australia lawmakers want to hear experiences of motherhood as Senate examines postpartum care ‘cliff-edge’ (By Joe Higgins, The Catholic Leader)
