Chill Mama Wellness

Very excited to be hosting this event in September! Come have a perimenopause party with us!!

At the turn of the century when I had fully functioning hormones, with my mum who in this photo is exactly the same age as I am now.

The work I do in the perimenopause/menopause clinic is in part because of the difficult time my mum had during her own perimenopause/menopause and the extraordinary difference hormone therapy made in her life - it was literally life changing for her, in a time when very few doctors were prescribing hormone therapy, when nobody was talking about perimenopause or menopause as major life changing health events, and everyone was terrified of hormone therapy and breast cancer due to one large, poorly designed study (something we’re still trying to address).

I’ve had patients in the past tell me that they’re not sure if they believe that perimenopause exists, that it’s just a new thing that has been blown out of proportion because of social media. I can confidently tell patients that it’s certainly real, and that it’s absolutely not new, regardless of the big push from social media. I lived it through my mother’s experience (and now my own), back in the late 1900’s! 😉🩷

The problem with being a midwife…
This sculptural artwork is called “water and the river landscape” by Anderson Hunt, it’s located in Stanley st in Wodonga. I think it represents the underside of boats in the water. But if you’re a midwife, please tell me I’m not alone - tell me what you see…

From a recent post by Mary Claire Haver, MD | Menopause

In the clinic, we discuss exercise. By the time most women make it to their first consult (they have usually been through quite a bit before this), they are completely exhausted, not sleeping well, running on fumes and have a lot of joint and muscle pain. Exercise is the last thing women feel like doing, but they know they should. Enter the humble walk 🚶🏼‍♀️‍➡️🚶🏾‍♀️‍➡️🚶🏿‍♀️‍➡️🚶‍♀️‍➡️

Amazing for metabolic and mental health. If you can do anything for yourself, get your runners on and go for a walk. We can work out the rest once you’re sleeping well and have some spark back ✨💫

Swipe to see how many puppies it might take to support the life I’m trying to create…😂

But seriously, a great reminder from my yoga class on Sunday. We make hundreds of choices every day - have an idea of what kind of life you’re aiming for, and make daily choices that support that.

Vitamin D deficiency has been a theme in clinic this week, so I’m taking advantage of the sun this afternoon to enhance my levels! ☀️

Many individuals with mild deficiency are asymptomatic. However, noticeable signs can include chronic fatigue, muscle twitching, lowered mood, bone pain (especially in the lower back and legs), and frequent illness. Chronic Vitamin D deficiency can lead to osteoporosis, which is an important consideration for perimenopausal/menopausal women.

How do we get Vit D?
Primarily through direct exposure to sunlight. Risk factors for deficiency include having darker skin (which requires more sun exposure to produce vitamin D), staying indoors, using sunscreen consistently, limited dietary intake, and medical conditions that affect nutrient absorption.

How do we know we’re deficient?
A blood test.

How do we treat Vit D deficiency?
Increasing sensible sun exposure, adjusting your diet to include foods like oily fish and egg yolks, and taking vitamin D supplements as required.

And the sun was finally shining! ☀️

My morning routine is pretty important - I’ve developed it over a very long period of time to try and optimise my regulation. I’ve been meditating daily for a long time, probably about 10 years (I’ve lost track), but journaling is a fairly recent addition that I’m enjoying. I prefer to workout in the morning, but have had to change my routine a bit to increase my sleep opportunity and manage my fatigue, so I rarely workout at 6am anymore.

Lifestyle adjustments are part of what we discuss during our appointments in the perimenopause/menopause clinic at MEDICAL - LASER & AESTHETICS
Everyone is different, with different capacities, goals and time priorities. But when discussing lifestyle changes; very small, incremental, achievable changes that can be tweaked over time are the priority. Nothing too crazy too quickly.

(Are they iced vovos on my scrubs? Yes. Yes they are).

Not my age (yet!), but the number of women I have seen for initial visits in the last 4 months since the inception of the perimenopause/menopause clinic MEDICAL - LASER & AESTHETICS at the end of February.

Here I am tonight, in my pj’s, on the couch with both our newly adopted dogs, pretty tired after a full day in the clinic, but feeling a real sense of accomplishment.

In midwifery we talk about woman-centred care. It places the woman at the centre of the care as the informed decision maker, and also acknowledges the significant other people that surround that woman, and the impact of the way she is cared for on them as well - particularly from a family aspect. So to me, care for 50 women is far more than care for 50 women alone. It’s inadvertently care for their families, friends and colleagues too, given the caring roles that many women hold. Good care for women is exponential and improves family and community health overall. Research tells us that.

Amazing news is, we’ve opened up some clinic hours on a Monday now too - so I’ll be available for consults Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday alongside the amazing Dr Liz Onley and the rest of the team MEDICAL - LASER & AESTHETICS

Onwards 💪 and thank you to everyone who has entrusted their care to us so far.

The Australian government has recently launched a website addressing perimenopause and menopause. It’s a great resource if you’re trying to wade through social media wondering where do I even start?! Head to health.gov.au/perimenopause

RN prescribing is a very new change that is being made by the NMBA and AHPRA to the way senior RN’s can work in Australia, in very close collaboration with primary prescribers (eg. GP’s).

It is something that I am working towards alongside Dr Liz Onley so that women have improved access and a more streamlined approach to their care in the perimenopause/menopause clinic MEDICAL - LASER & AESTHETICS

It’s exciting, and we’re excited, but it’s still a little while away, so watch this space!!