My Tribute to Vicky
Change
If you are aiming to run a marathon, you’d train for it. Giving birth is called labour. Provide us with the training so that the wisdom of our bodies is honoured during the birthing process. So that we are empowered as women to take an active part in the labour. So that we are empowered to use our voice to co-create the experience with our medical team. Stats prove that it facilitates better health outcomes for babies and mothers, thus saving expensive medical costs in the long run. Responsive rather than reactive medical intervention…… prevention is better than cure.
Mum to receive an osteopath assessment post-partum. This facilitates re-alignment of the whole body speeding up the healing process. Mum has just turned a seed into an actual human. Carrying the weight of the baby plus the process of childbirth can leave mums hips misaligned. Left untreated, this can cause long-term health issues which can be costly to our health service. Responsive rather than reactive medical intervention…. prevention is better than cure.
The journey for our babies down the birth canal, while necessary to clear the lungs and receive life affirming microbiomes, can leave baby misaligned. Every baby to receive a cranio-sacral adjustment by an osteopath before they leave the hospital. This is even more essential for caesarean section babies. This simple, fast adjustment can pick up on countless potential challenges a baby may be suffering with. When picked up early can be treated quickly and effectively. Responsive rather than reactive medical intervention…. prevention is better than cure.
Breast feeding is not for everyone and it’s not always an easy journey for families. However, it’s benefits are extraordinary. Convenient for mum, cost effective, nutrient dense and it’s better for the environment. Did you know that a mother’s body can recognise if her baby has picked up an infection and will produce antibodies to heal baby. No long-term clinical trials necessary, no side effects to watch out for. Just a woman’s amazing body, once again creating the solution. Support us to do this by giving parenting partners two weeks paid additional leave for breastfeeding mothers Not only will the quality of her milk benefit from the rest and recovery time, but also her connection to her baby. This connection has proven long-term health and wellness outcomes for babies. Responsive rather than reactive medical intervention…. prevention is better than cure.
All Public health nurses tasked with home visits to post-partum mums to receive specialist training to support mum and baby. It’s natural that breast fed babies will lose a little weight after birth. Perhaps it would support breastfeeding outcomes if nurses allowed for this. If they were hyper aware of their language while visiting an exhausted, hormonal new mum. Breastfeeding is not easy for a baby; they must put effort into getting a feed, but long term it is very good for baby’s development and wellness outcomes. Responsive rather than reactive medical intervention….. prevention is better than cure.
Currently children in our system of disease management who require an occupational therapy assessment are assessed in groups, not one to one, as is best practice. Additionally, all children regardless of needs, are provided with 4 therapy sessions. Some will require two, others ten, but staff are not allowed to swap and juggle sessions. Absolutely nothing child centered or humane in that response. I am no expert in sensory challenges, but I have enough experience to know that sensory processing can cause countless behavioural difficulties. However, with targeted intervention sensory sensitivity can be retrained. How about every child, as standard, receives an occupational therapy assessment at age 3, when they start playschool. Picking up on additional needs early when the brain is very adaptable, thus saving money and stress in the long run. Responsive rather than reactive medical intervention…..prevention is better than cure.
We are all born with learning preferences. Imagine if teachers and parents were empowered with knowledge of how their pupil/child learned. How cool would it be, if in school, children sat a simple test to uncover their learning style. How empowering to know at a young age that I am an auditory learner, so I need to say things out loud when I’m learning it to help me. Responsive rather than reactive medical intervention….. prevention is better than cure.
Changing from a child into a young woman is a gradual process requiring our bodies to change drastically. It impacts us physically, mentally, and emotionally. With education, it’s possible not only to understand these changes, but we can predict our first menarche. Imagine if a young women understood that the mild cramping on day one or two of her bleed is normal, that reduced energy levels are also normal on one or two days preceding her bleed. What would the mental health impact of that be. Empower and support her to understand that it’s ok, she’s not lazy or sick. Empower and support her to understand that her body requires a little extra rest or just gentle exercise, rather than pushing through, it’s necessary to slow down. Responsive rather than reactive medical intervention….. prevention is better than cure.
I cannot complete this blog without mentioning Menopause. In 2022 women in this country are still receiving a phone call from their GP practise simply stating the bloods show you are in menopause thanks now take care…………… No offer of counselling to support them through the changes, no information on the changes, no support network they can connect into, no information on how they can support their body to change through targeted nutrition or exercise programmes to suit their body’s changing needs or energy levels. No thought for their mental health, while going through these changes. Just an expectation to push through, keep going and do your best. Shameful. Responsive rather than reactive medical intervention….. prevention is better than cure.
During his tribute to Vicky on Late nights Late Late Show, Ryan said “She fought the system”. Vicky is me, and I am Vicky, as is every woman and mother in this country. We are constantly fighting to be seen and heard. Our bodies are not fully understood by medical professionals. Our education system still treating our children as units of productivity rather than creativity. Our assessment services are disjointed, not fit for purpose, at the same time challenging and time consuming to engage with. I don’t have the heart to list all the ways mothers and women up and down this country are fighting the system.
We don’t want to fight
We want to live.
We want the system to see us.
We want the system to honour us.
We want the system to understand us
We want the system to support us
We want to live.
Vicky died, two children left without their mum, a husband left without his life partner.
Responsive rather than reactive medicine could have saved Vicky, Lindsey, Emma, and countless others.
Prevention could have cured them all.
The system should be helping us to live, not killing us.
