Chill Mama Wellness

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!!

Few things are better than an armful of puppies 🤩
Happy weekend!

Would Stella McCourt approve my uniform today?

Stella McCourt was our beloved NUM when I first started midwifery 20 years ago. She was old school and ran a super tight ship (she numbered the tissue boxes in the tea room so she knew how many we were going through!!), but she was dedicated, fair and kind, and I miss that our students and grads rarely have this kind of influence in their careers now.

- hair up in a bun ✅
- Nails short and trimmed with no polish ✅
- Navy cardigan ✅ with cherries 🍒 ❌
-Scrubs ❌ (we only wore those in theatre. I attended my midwifery graduation ceremony in scrubs because I had attended a fantastic birth that morning and my uniform got covered in amniotic fluid! Stella was BESIDE herself and nearly didn’t let me attend!!).
- Scrubs with a pattern ❌❌❌ (clutches pearls).
- sneakers ❌❌❌❌❌❌ (absolute dressing down).

I love that I can express some fun and personality through my uniform, clinical environments are scary enough for patients. But thanks to Stella and lots of other senior nurses and midwives I’ve worked with over my 25 years, I’ve kept a side of old school to be sure 😉

Gorman

My friend:
“…It’s like my body says you need to cocoon, rest and calm and I can’t get out of my head that i am being lazy and gross…”

Enter: wintering ❄️☃️

Rather than fighting to maintain peak productivity, wintering is a mindful retreat to conserve energy. Just as trees draw their energy into their roots during the winter to prepare for spring, humans also require fallow periods to recharge. Wintering provides us with necessary periods for rest, reflection, and repair.

Unfortunately, our industrialised society makes us feel guilty and slobbish for resting. Rest during perimenopause and menopause is absolutely essential and I’m over feeling guilty for it (mostly because I’m too exhausted to care! 😂). So here I am all cocooned this afternoon, nap trapped by Chico, the new addition to our family since my father in law passed away, with laundry in the background in hope of getting dry on this very damp weekend.