Due to an influx of pregnant patients (we have had 7 patients give birth in 2 months!!) I was inspired to dedicate a month of information sessions aimed to educate and empower parents to give their children the best start to life. After setting this intention, things fell into place. 3 speakers just about fell in my lap, so planning began for Santosha’s Child and Maternal Health Month in Feburary. Each speaker focussed on a different aspect of children’s and family health. We covered birth, breastfeeding, maternal mental health, childhood development and raising a healthy family through diet and nutrition. The information was really well-received and we had some great feedback.
The month started off with Louise McCartney. She covered many aspects of 20th century health from why our diets are making us sick, to things to avoid and why ‘gut health’ is so important. We were at capacity for Louise’s talk and I am still investigating the possibility of her coming back for a second presentation. Some feedback from the presentation:
“Louise is extremely informative, providing information that is hard to access in mainstream medicine.”
“Very informative.”
“I have heard Louise speak 4 times now and every time I attend one of her sessions I learn something new or remember the importance of something.”
Our second speaker was Rebecca Kubenk, a lactation consultant and expert on Tongue-ties, speaking about breastfeeding and tongue-tie. This was information that is hard to find! Rebecca is extremely knowledgable on these topics and those who came went away with a sense of empowerment.
“Having had 2 children with ties, I learn something every time i talk to Rebecca. I wish I knew when my kids were babies, what i know now.”
On the same weekend Sarah Menadue from RDGP spoke to the mums about mental health particularly around having a new baby. She shared information about where to turn to in times of need and different services available in the Riverland.
Anna Siebert, an Adelaide based doula (see her blog post 8 things you might not know about doulas). Anna spoke about all things birth, particuarly things you may not hear in your traditional birthing class. She covered a history of birthing practices, why we do what we do and how to have your best birth (yes! it can be enjoyable). We received a lot of verbal feedback (nothing in writing) but the general consensus was that Anna’s knowledge was extremely empowering and those who attended felt more prepared for their upcoming birth and labour.
The last weekend in February I presented to a small group on “Optimising Learning and Development”. Discussion was focussed on the normal milestones of development from infancy to childhood and why each of those are so important. I also explained what may impact these normal stages and how to prevent this from happening in children. This presentation was aimed at parents, but is extremely important information for any care-giver or teacher. Some feedback received:
“Catherine spoke very well and made us feel comfortable enough to ask questions and comment.”
“I found it very informative.”