Pelvic health petition supported by 55,000 going to Parliament.

A petition calling for improved pelvic floor care for New Zealand women, pre and post birth will be presented to Parliament this week.

More than 55,000 people have signed a similar online petition which asks the Government to improve pre and post birth care for all women.

The pelvic health petition will be formally handed over at 1pm this Thursday, on the steps of Parliament.

The online petition was created by Kirsty Watt, a personal trainer who strongly believes women aren't receiving the care they need after giving birth.

“After many discussions with mothers from all different areas and backgrounds it became clear that there was no standard level of care for mums postnatally, and this had not changed in years. It got to the point that the frustration grew from hearing the same problems happening and we needed to say something and do something about it as, otherwise, it would never change, our mothers deserve much better!” Watt says.

“The support for the petition has been incredible, but reading the comments and stories show that it's more problematic than I could even imagine, which has been incredibly sad but motivating to do better for our wāhine.”

Since the petition took off, Watt has been working with a multidisciplinary group of professionals to develop some clear goals for the Government, “the working group are passionate about preventing and minimizing the costs to women and our health system.”

Don Wilson, an Emeritus Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Otago has been chairing this group. He feels strongly “that the Government can improve the situation for women by providing assessments and physiotherapy treatment and better preventative education on pelvic floor disorders relating to pregnancy and childbirth.”

They are extremely common as approximately one in three women will experience urinary incontinence, one in ten faecal incontinence, one in twelve pelvic organ prolapse and one in five sexual dysfunction following childbirth. These pelvic floor disorders reach ‘epidemic proportions’ in later life with 46 percent of women having at least one major type of these problems.”

Professor Wilson says in addition to the effect on the quality of life, these problems also have a financial burden for many women, their whānau and the NZ health service.

“Pelvic Floor disorders have been described as ‘the hidden burden of women’s ill health’ as many women will not mention this due to embarrassment, shame or a belief that pelvic floor dysfunction is ‘normal’.

“Pregnancy is an ideal opportunity to implement prevention strategies and in particular pelvic health physiotherapy and pelvic floor muscle training [PFMT], which is by far the most cost-effective intervention for treating mild to moderate incontinence and prolapse. However, these prevention strategies are not routinely discussed in pregnancy and after delivery,” he adds.

This would involve all maternity care providers [pelvic health physiotherapists, continence nurse specialists, midwives, GPs and practice nurses] working together and [with appropriate funding] in partnership to provide multidisciplinary care to achieve this goal.

The petition also calls for increased funding for Continence NZ, which runs a free helpline staffed by experienced continence nurses. It also has a comprehensive website, provides community education sessions and Pelvic Floor Focus workshops for fitness professionals.

Continence NZ CEO, Louise Judd, highlights that the petition has clearly resonated with New Zealand women.

“There is already so much to juggle during pregnancy and post birth. Navigating the health system can be an additional challenge at a particularly vulnerable time.”

Judd says Continence NZ’s helpline team can provide women with the information and advice that they need to enhance their wellbeing, and support them in accessing the appropriate professional support for their individual situation.

“We are developing a pregnancy guide that will be released in November, to coincide with the New Zealand College of Midwives 16th Biennial National Conference. The guide will provide essential advice during pregnancy and post birth, however, this guide is only one aspect of the work required. A multidisciplinary approach to pelvic health care is critical if we are to enhance outcomes for women.”

The petition is being presented to Parliament on Thursday 8th July. Media are welcome to attend. This will occur at 1pm, on the steps of Parliament.

See the full online petition here: https://www.change.org/p/ministry-of-health-improve-physical-maternal-health-care-for-our-mothers-post-labour

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