We have another crisis in our hands as a direct result of COVID-19 It is the neglect of our new mothers that in the 2020 climate are separated from their parents and grandparents, Who are leaving hospital 24 hours after giving birth

Who can not access a community mothers group because not enough babies have been born in their area yet, or because COVID restrictions won’t allow it, or because it is only available to parents with their firstborn, not their second third or sixth baby, Whose partners have lost their jobs, Who no longer have a job to return to after maternity leave, Who are suffering under the stress and tension at home, Who have not had enough sleep, Who can not remember what they last had to eat, Who craves the cradle of their own mother’s love and advice, Whose heart is aching from the isolation, lack of stimulation, over remuneration, feeling overwhelmed, frustrated and anxious but truly grateful and knowingly blessed, all at the same time.

We have another crisis in our hands as a direct result of COVID-19

It is the neglect of our new mothers that in the 2020 climate are separated from their parents and grandparents,

Who are leaving hospital 24 hours after giving birth

Who can not access a community mothers group because not enough babies have been born in their area yet, or because COVID restrictions won’t allow it, or because it is only available to parents with their firstborn, not their second third or sixth baby,

Whose partners have lost their jobs,

Who no longer have a job to return to after maternity leave,

Who are suffering under the stress and tension at home,

Who have not had enough sleep,

Who can not remember what they last had to eat,

Who craves the cradle of their own mother’s love and advice,

Whose heart is aching from the isolation, lack of stimulation, over remuneration, feeling overwhelmed, frustrated and anxious but truly grateful and knowingly blessed, all at the same time.

It is up to us.

The one’s who have been there, done that,

Who know how to multi-task, take short-cuts and do half-jobs, to hold and to hug,

Who are strong in their intention, who have had enough sleep to tap into commonsense,

Who have a heart of kindness and helping hands.

It is up to us.

The daily change-makers, the do-er’s, the home-makers, the brave, the privileged,

To step out of our comfort zones, and wrap that mother in a blanket of love and security, to tell her that all will be well and that you’ve got her back.

Please don’t wait to be asked.

Help a mother in her home, alone in a café, alone in a park,

And know that her stillness, absence or quietness may not be an inner strength, but an internal collapse and that she is quietly praying for an Angel to appear, a sign of hope, someone else’s energy.

Please let this be you. 

When a mother comes home from the hospital less than 24 hours after giving birth, when she has other children to look after, a home to care for, a farm to look after, with no or limited support from family, friends or community health services, when their milk comes in, they are wading through sleep deprivation, or overwhelmed with what to do,

We need to step in. Help and care for these mothers. But caring for mothers is not just about talking to mothers, it's about doing work WITH  them and FOR them. We can all do a better job of supporting the diversity of mothers caring for their babies in a diverse number of ways.

Please let this be you.