There is an absolute WEALTH of information out there on the world wide web, relating to topics in health during pregnancy and post-partum. BUT! How do you know who and what you can trust? How do you know it’s from a reliable source? How do you know it’s up to date?

Well, just to get you started, here are just a couple of links to documents created by health professionals from state and national Australian bodies in health:

 

Exercise is Medicine Australia factsheet – Pregnancy and Exercise

Exercise is Medicine (EIM) is a global initiative, managed in Australia by Exercise & Sports Science Australia (ESSA). The focus of EIM is to encourage every individual under the care of a health care provider to engage in a conversation about their physical activity levels. This document was published in May 2014, and is backed by ESSA – the national body for Exercise Physiologists (in case you don’t know who or what an Ex Phys is, they’re health professionals who specialise in the delivery of exercise, tailored to the needs of the individual – whether it be someone with an injury, a chronic disease, looking to improve their sporting performance, or at a particular time in their life, such as pregnancy!). This is a great general guideline for women during pregnancy – outlining the basics. Of course, for individualised advice, it’s best to consult and Exercise Physiologist or Physiotherapist.

 

Exercise is Medicine Australia factsheet – Exercise for Postnatal Rehabilitation

Another one from EIM, this time around post-natal rehabilitation. Like the one above on pregnancy, this document was also published in May 2014 – so very current! It is also backed by ESSA. Again, this is a great document with generalised guidelines for women following pregnancy and birth. If you have any particular needs post-partum, you’re best off contacting an Exercise Physiologist or Physiotherapist with experience in this particular area of women’s health.

 

Sports Medicine Australia – Active Women

Sports Medicine Australia (SMA) is the peak body in Australia for sports medicine and science; a national, multi-disciplinary organisation, recognised internationally. SMA provides a number of resources for women involved in sport, including info on participating in sport during and after pregnancy. There are also resources for teenagers, right through to women during menopause. These documents are currently under review, however they were last updated in 2007/08, so are still a relevant and reliable resource.

 

Hello! And welcome to Wonder Women, you wonderful woman, you! Let me tell you a little about why I created this site…

I had two people very close to me have babies in the last 12 months. During that time, I started getting very interested in pre and post natal healthcare, so I decided to attend a 3 day workshop run by Carolyne Anthony – the Pre and Post Natal Pilates Specialist Program. During these 3 days, my eyes were completely opened to the complex needs of these women – as well as a lot of gory details I wasn’t expecting to hear!

From there, I realised there is a wealth of misinformation out there, thrown at women in all forms of media, creating an unhealthy and unrealistic standard to aspire to. I saw there was not only a negative body image ideal being created, but also this idea that anything “less than” a “natural birth” is a sign of failure by the mother. I also realised that it was not easy to find healthcare professionals who specialise or who have a special interest in women’s health. So I felt the need to make it really easy for women to find anyone they may need, all in the one place.

This is where my project started. Who knows where it will finish.