and now....for the rest of my life...

 2012 was the year that I lost 31.5 kg and became a Life-time Member of Weight Watchers. I am not trying to market Weight Watchers, but I have to say that the program was a very important part of my weight loss journey, and continues to be so.

The advantage of being a Weight Watchers life-time member is that you get free visits to meetings and discount on products. But there are certain conditions you have to fulfil, such as continue to be within 2 kg of your target weight, and visit a meeting to be weighed, at least every month. The beauty of this ongoing program is it provides continuing motivation and support for me to maintain my weight.

What I have found over the last few weeks since reaching my goal weight is that it's difficult to maintain my motivation. Part of the problem is I feel I have nothing to strive for. It doesn't take much for me to skip my exercise or go outside my eating plan. I've come to the conclusion that losing weight is easy....keeping it off is a whole other ball game!

Have you ever achieved a goal and then wondered “what's next?” How do you deal with that feeling of achieving something and finding it to be an anti-climax? 

Any suggestions for long term strategies for how I can keep my weight off?

New campaign to stamp out female genital mutilation in Australia

It looks like 2013 is going to shape up as the year Australia focuses on female genital mutilation. FGM is illegal in Australia, to perform the procedure, or support the movement of girls to another country to have it done.

This week, Julia Gillard announced a range of activities aimed to find out exactly what is happening in Australia, provide education to both communities and health professionals, and review laws about FGM. The Australian College of Midwives supports this move and will be working the health minister, Tanya Plibersek to help her in any way we can.

I was talking to my husband about this the other night and he felt, as a non-health professional, that there has to be a raising of awareness of the general population, so that we not only know what FGM is, but understand the long-term implications of the procedure.  We also need to understand that FGM is a cultural, not religious, issue which in turn will help us understand how to address the problem.

What do you know about FGM? Have you come across it in your every day life? What would you do if a girl disclosed that she had had it done to her? If you are a midwife, have you ever come across it in your practice?


Image: 'haunting eyes'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/62849250@N00/542892224
Found on flickrcc.net

Disposable friends - would you like some?

One of the challenges of moving to a new place, especially a new country, is that you have to start from scratch with making friends. I have found this hasn't been too difficult in the past because I have met people through my children - at school, play groups, Saturday sports and so on. But with my move to Canberra, and being on my own, I am having to make a determined effort to get out and meet people.

I have found the most successful way of meeting people in Canberra has been via the Internet. There are two main places I go to that help me get out and about. The first place is HerCanberra, which is led by Amanda Whitley, based around a blog, as well as Facebook and Twitter. It caters for women, although I am sure there are topics that men would be interested in. Not only does HerCanberra spread the news of local events and places of interest in Canberra, but it organises F2F events.

This week I am going to my second evening dinner organised by HerCanberra. I am really looking forward to it because Amanda has told us we must all get dressed up. So I'm excited about wearing a new outfit which I have just bought, although I am stressing about what bling to wear with it, which is a whole other story.

My first HerCanberra evening dinner in November was great fun....probably because I drank a little too much wine! My only critique, as such, was that the age range was a tad too young for me. The women who attended were in their late 20s and 30s. They are more interested in their young kids, and I spent all evening hearing their birth stories, once I made the mistake of admitting I am a midwife. But at the same time, it was a good thing in my new role at the Australian College of Midwives, to hear about the issues that face birthing women in Canberra and Australia.

The second site I am finding to be a great resource is Meetup.Com. This online movement started off in the USA after 911, as a way of bringing people together, who don't necessarily want to find romantic partners, but are interested in meeting people they can hang out with and share interests. This movement seems to be very successful in Canberra with any number of interests groups – apparently, this is because the population is so transient, so people need a quick and effective to find out what's going on.

I have been to a couple of general meet-ups at the pub but don't particularly enjoy them. It feels a little weird going to the pub by myself, and I feel just a tad vulnerable in a large, mixed-gender group. However, I have also joined some smaller groups, such as the Canberra Movie Goers and Canberra Bloggers, and been to a few events and really enjoyed myself. I have met some great people...shared interesting conversations...and had fun. And at the end of each event, gone home feeling great about myself, but at the end of the day, have no ties or expectations to bog me down.

What it has got me thinking about is...does groups like Meetup.com allow us to do away with the concept of friendship, or make it more of a disposable commodity? Think about yourself...why do you have friends? For company...to go to events...share interests...and so on. But there is a downside to friendship. It has to be maintained, which means work. Friends can demand time from you...make expectations of you...cost you money. Friendship can turn nasty...friends can use and betray you. 

So are disposable friends the way to go? What do you think?

Image: '61098'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/71865026@N00/3280003051
Found on flickrcc.net

And so it begins....

The big news over the last two days is that William and Kate are expecting their first baby.

Sadly, Kate is suffering severe morning sickness, which can be the most miserable thing in the world, and really takes the shine off the good news. But it doesn't stop me (and everyone else) speculating that she's expecting twins, as morning sickness can be one symptom of multiple pregnancy!?

As a midwife I cannot help wishing that she'd be a poster girl for normal birth. How cool would it be if she had a waterbirth at home....at Buckingham Palace! However, I have a horrible feeling her elective cesarean section is already booked!



Image: 'Royal Wedding of William and Catherine Duke & Duchess of Cambridge'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/48399297@N04/5669247285
Found on flickrcc.net

Book review: Lives we leave behind by Maxine Alterio

Lives we leave behind is the latest novel by Maxine Alterio. Maxine is a principle lecturer at Otago Polytechnic, in Dunedin, New Zealand and is extremely well known in academic circles for her work on reflective practice and story telling. I have used her academic work extensively in my own studies, but this is the first time I have read any of her fiction.

Lives we leave behind is the story of two New Zealand nurses, Meg Dutton and Addie Harrington, who travel from New Zealand as young, naive, Kiwi girls seeking adventure, and wanting to do their bit to help "the boys" in the First World War. They are thrown together as they share a berth on the hospital ship Maheno, which takes them to Egypt for their first posting. At first it looks like they will never have anything in common. Addie disapproves of Meg's frivolous approach to life, whilst Meg thinks Addie is a stick in the mud. But the horrors of war and their own personal traumas forms a deep and abiding friendship.

The story of Addie and Meg is very engaging, especially as Meg falls in love with a British surgeon, Wallace Madison. You just know it's going to end in tears, but keep hoping that Meg gets her happy-ever-after. Addie has her own romantic challenges as the men in her life are permanently changed by both physical and psychological impacts of war. 

However, for all the personal stories that thread themselves through this book to entertain us, it is the background history and detail that captured my attention, which I feel is the real strength of this book. Alterio has done an amazing job of researching the experiences of Kiwi nurses in the First World War. The use of language, historical fact and medical details transport you firstly to the hot, stinking military hospitals in Egypt to the freezing battlegrounds in France. Being a nurse myself, and having a great interest in history, I can attest to the authenticity of Alterio's writing, which is extremely easy to follow, and doesn't bog you down with detail. Yet at the same time, little touches here and there alert you to the amount of research that Alterio has carried out.

I highly recommend this book which not only entertains but also educates, and brings the reader's attention to the dedication and bravery of these unsung heroines.

It's not about the winning, it's about the finishing...or is it?!

 Last Sunday I took part in my very first triathlon. Oh...alright....it was a baby one - 200 meter swim, 8km bike ride and 2km run - but it was bloody hard work, and a major workout for me..

The morning didn't start well. I had to cycle to get there and developed a puncture about 2km away from the start. Actually, I was a tad relieved thinking I'd have a legitimate excuse not to do it...but blow me...there was a cycle repair man who changed my inner tube in about 20 seconds flat, to my disgust.

We were split into age groups, and my group, 40+ women were the last group of people to start. The first leg of the race was the swim in Lake Burley. I have to admit to having a number of concerns about the quality of the water...and what lives in the lake! I had visions of emerging from the water...not like the beautiful Ursula Andress rising out of the sea in James Bond Dr NO....but more like a green lake monster...with limbs missing and being horribly deformed like I had an overdose of nuclear poisoning. However, the water was beautifully clear, warm and very refreshing. And I didn't get attacked by any eels or other underwater iggly wigglies, so that was a bonus.

Within seconds of the swim starting I knew I was in trouble.Everyone was powering away with their frantic crawl and I was gliding along with my geriatric breast stroke. The distance wasn't an issue for me but speed was...I was at least 10 minutes behind everyone else. So needless to say, I was last out of the lake and already had no chance of catching up.

The change over to cycling was the next nightmare. It took forever to get my running pants on because I was wet, and I got twigs and leaves stuck to me...in my shoes...knickers...not at all comfortable. The cycle ride wasn't too bad. I was pretty pleased with how well I did around the course and was celebrating that I was catching up until the official told me that I had to go around a second time....

By the time I got to my run, I could hardly put one foot in front of the other, so mostly walked the first kilometer. I ran the second kilometer because it was all down hill, and my darling friend Deborah Davis, ran with me for the last 500m, which made all the difference.

The result...I came last!

I knew I was going to be last, from the time of the swim, and the thing I was dreading the most was the pity clap as I crossed the finish line...you know what I mean...when everyone thinks...oh well, we'd better give that poor woman a clap because at least she finished...even if it was half a day after everyone else!!

Thankfully, by the time I crossed the line, everyone had lost interest and gone on to prize giving...so I didn't even get a pity clap.

What I took away from this experience is that I can do anything if I put my mind to it.  At the end of January this year, I was flat on my back with a partially prolapsed disc...and I still have permanent nerve damage to my right leg. But here I am...nine months later...a tri-athlete!

The other thing that struck me was that there are all sorts of shapes and sizes and abilities amongst us women. I tell you...those all-in-one running suits don't hide a thing. So if you have a teenage girl worried about her body, take her to an event like this to show her what real women look like...and what we can achieve.

But if one more person says to me...it's not about the winning, it's about finishing, I shall poke them in the eye!!!!

Starting to develop social media guidelines for the Australian College of Midwives

At long last I have started work on the development of draft guidelines for the use of social media by midwives, on behalf of the Australian College of Midwives. This work is partly driven by the upcoming public consultation by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), and following the furore of AHPRA's initial draft consultation document.

At this stage, I am reviewing the social media guidelines of other midwifery and health organizations, both in Australia and internationally.

I am looking for examples of guidelines that:

• are proactive ie acknowledge that social media is here to stay;
• supportive of the use of social media by midwives/health professionals;
• give examples of good practice and practical tips for how we can use social media professionaly;
• doe not take a punitive approach.

If you have any suggestions of guidelines that you think may help me, please let me know. 

Image: 'twitter_Good_Bad'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/32931740@N06/3528880050
Found on flickrcc.net

Should waterbirth be offered to all women?

The Australian College of Midwives is asking for feedback on its draft Position Statement on the use of water immersion for labour and birth - click here for details of the Statement and how to submit your feedback.

I have to admit, there are two areas that I feel a tad uneasy about and am looking forward to seeing how others feel - these are my own opinions and I am not reflecting the Australian College of Midwives.

The first thing I have reservations about is the opening statement "The ACM supports the choice of all women at term to have the opportunity to access water immersion for labour and/or birth."

I think there are instances when women have risk factors that would preclude them from water immersion, so I am not sure "all women" should be in the statement. Having said that...if water immersion is restricted to just low risk women, we would be preventing women with conditions such as diabetes, who are labeled "at risk" but actually would be fine to labour in water.

I believe that every woman needs to be assessed individually at the time, and I am not sure this is reflected in the Position Statement. At the same time, we do have a lack of evidence about water immersion and the outcomes for so-called "high risk" women, so it is difficult to give an informed opinion.

The second issue that I am a little uncomfortable about is the point "All maternity services to be encouraged to provide women with access to water immersion in labour and/or birth including telemetry as required". Note: telemetry is the monitoring of the baby's heart beat using water proof equipment. Thus, women who require continuous baby heart rate monitoring can still have access to water immersion.

I just need to be clear...it's not telemetry I have a problem with...I think it's fabulous if it supports more "at risk" women to have access to water immersion. What I am concerned about is that the minute it is included into the ACM Position Statement, some midwives and doctors will take it as an opportunity to push continuous fetal monitoring for all women, including "low risk" women, which is not evidence based practice, but widely supported in areas.

What do you think?

If you have any comments about either these issues or any other aspects of this Position Statement, please make a submission as per these instructions.

Image: 'untitled'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/48819968@N00/2925295583
Found on flickrcc.net

My big fat bum!

I grew up hating my bottom. Right through to my adult years, I was forever hearing someone say (usually my mother!)..."you've got your Granny Gammon's bottom"...and it wasn't meant as a compliment. At the same time, I was told I had good childbearing hips...whatever that meant! At 16, you are more interested in whether you can get into a pair of skinny jeans...not that you can push out a 10 pound baby!

Needless to say, I  have had a complex about my bum all my life, especially as a young woman. And it hasn't got any better over the last few years as I have put on weight. I have always done my best to cover it up, and in my mind's eye, it has been as huge as a mountain! I never asked my hubby "does my bum look big in this?" because I always thought I knew what the answer would be - to be fair, my hubby has never said my bum looks big.

But now I have lost weight, I am down to the size I was when I was in my early 20s, and it's dawned on me that my bum wasn't fat at all. I spent all those years hating my bum, and having a poor image of myself, but really, my bum was a perfectly normal. Now, I regret those wasted years...instead of worrying about my bum, I should have been out and about enjoying it.......shaking my booty!


I am not going to hate my bottom any more. I'm going to embrace it and love it, and clothe it in tight (well...not too tight) jeans! OK...it's a lot saggier than it was 30 years ago...but I am going to make the most of it, because in another 20 years, I'll definitely have something to worry about!!

What part of your body do you love....and hate?

Shame on the Warriors rugby team!

I generally do not take much notice of what's going on with rugby league because I am more a union girl - go The Highlanders!! However, news about the latest sponsorship deal that The Warriors have recently negotiated has got my dander up.

Earlier this week, The Warriors - the biggest New Zealand rugby league team - announced they have struck a sponsorship deal with the Chinese-owned New Zealand formula milk company, Fernbaby. This deal includes the Junior Warriors wearing the company's logo on its shorts next year, with The Warriors wearing the logo on their shorts 2014-2015. This news not only has implications for New Zealand, but also Australia, because obviously The Warriors spend a lot of time playing in Australia.

There are several reasons why I am concerned about this move.

Firstly, this marketing move contravenes the World Health Organization International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes. Many countries have enacted the Code into legislation, but as far as I can tell (and I'd love to be put right if I've got this wrong) the New Zealand and Australian governments support the Code but have not integrated it into legislation.

Secondly, by endorsing Fernbaby, The Warriors will be encouraging its fans to use formula feed. Keeping in mind that many of the fans of the Warriors come from communities who need to be encouraged to breast feed for as long as possible as a means to reduce health problems such as diabetics, obesity, asthma and SIDS, this is hugely problematic.

I am not the only person concerned - the Infant Nutrition Council has stated that this move clearly contravenes voluntary as well as regulatory marketing codes. The snag is that Fernbaby is not a member of the INC, so I would imagine the company isn't terribly worried about adhering to any voluntary  codes.

What really annoyed me was the arrogant attitude of The Warriors chief executive Wayne Scurrah who said he wasn't concerned about "how breast-feeding advocates and the general public might react to the Fernbaby sponsorship."

Well, I disagree! I think he should be very concerned. If he wants to attract more women and families to games, then he's going the wrong way about it. And, as for The Warriors being supportive of the community, well...it's clear they do not give two hoots about the community. All they are interested in is making money, and not promoting a "breast is best" message, which would be far more beneficial for their fans...let alone the poor people they will be targeting in Asian countries, where both Fernbaby and The Warriors want to increase their market. 

I am thinking about what I, and the rest of the midwifery community in New Zealand and Australia, can do to lobby against these sorts of cynical marketing ploys, and put pressure on The Warriors to think again about this sponsorship deal. Any ideas?

Image: 'Skyline'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11821713@N00/6892502081
Found on flickrcc.net

How can I keep veggies growing in pots hydrated during Canberra's hot summer?

I am living in a flat on the 6th floor of an apartment in Canberra. Luckily we have a really decent balcony, so I should be able to grow some veggies in pots this summer. Apparently the summers in Canberra get quite hot so I thought I'd have a go at growing chillis, capsicums and cucumbers - all plants that were not so easy to grow when I was living in Dunedin.

The only snag is that I will be away for periods of time during the summer and am concerned about how I can keep the plants hydrated, so they do not die while I am away.

Any suggestions about how I can manage this problem?

My new job: professional development officer for the Australian College of Midwives

Those of you who follow my blog may vaguely remember me saying back in August that I was moving to Canberra to take up my new role as professional development officer at the Australian College of Midwives. I have hardly said a word about my new job since because a. I have been far too busy settling into the job and getting my head around what I am supposed to be doing, and b. I have been thinking how I can continue to blog my personal opinion without compromising my professional position.....am still thinking about that one.

Busy...busy...busy
I am loving my new job. It is very busy and varied, and whilst I feel like I am struggling to keep up some times, I will never be able to complain of boredom. Midwifery is on the cusp of  amazing changes in Australia, and I am delighted to be part of it.

Portfolio
I do all sorts of things from posting links up on our Facebook page to supporting the development of position statements. My main jobs at the moment are:

• supporting private practicing midwives;
• supporting and developing the Australian Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative;
• supporting our application to become a registered training organisation;
• developing midwives' use of telehealth; 
• supporting projects such as the up and coming education summit in February 2013, and the ACM structural review.

My hopes for the future
My goals for the next couple of years are:

• to increase transparency and communication and collaboration amongst members of the College and the wider midwifery community;
• to explore ways that we can support each other so that we are one integrated group of midwives, who work together to promote midwifery, as opposed to breaking off into fragmented groups;
• to work out how I can continue to use social media in my new position;
• and, to work out how to integrate my interests in education and research into my job. 

If you're an Australian midwife, what are your hopes for the midwifery profession over the next couple of years?

Getting settled in Canberra

I have just realised it has been about a month since I wrote a blog post, which is virtually unheard of since I started blogging back in 2007. The main reason for this is because I have been very busy settling into my new home and job in Canberra, Australia. So I have promised myself that I am going to catch you all up with my news, and develop a new routine that helps me get my blogging mojo back again.

No one wants to move to Canberra!
I must admit, when I first got my new job, I was a little concerned about moving to Canberra. Everyone I spoke to, especially Australians, said......"Why on earth do you want to move there! Nothing happens in Canberra...it's the most boring place in Australia". I have to say that I have been very pleasantly surprised now that I have started to settle here....Canberra has much more going for it than you would think.

Initial impressions
My feeling is that Canberra is more a place for families and more "mature" people like myself who are interested in family-friendly events and environments, than raging night clubs. There's two theatres...lots of fabulous little cafes and restaurants...and great places to run/cycle/walk, if you're interested in keeping fit. There's events on all the time, so much so, I struggle to make up my mind what to do every week. I have to say that we don't get the really big concerts and sporting events here, but Sydney is only 3 hours away, so if I am desperate to go to an international show, I can always take the bus up and back...in a day, if I wish.

My top 5 things to do in Canberra

1. Go to the Farmer's Market on Saturday mornings. It has just about everything there with regards to fresh food except for a decent cheese stall. But as I am still on my diet, I am not allowed to eat much cheese, so I appreciate not having to deal with the temptation of buying it.
2. Walk around the lake. We are having beautiful spring weather, so I have been making the most of the fact I can walk around the lake to work. I saw a duck-billed platypus the other day, and at the moment there are plenty of cute little ducklings out on the water. 
3. Visit the Australian War Memorial. I have heard it criticised as an exploitation of a very serious issue to gain tourist visits. But I have found it to be a very sensitive place to go and reflect on the horrors of war, and human bravery and endurance.
4. Explore the back streets to find interesting and "happening" cafes. It isn't obvious in Canberra where to go for good food and relaxing conversation, compared to places such as Melbourne. So you have to put in a little effort and hunt around for places to go. I have been getting ideas from the numerous free magazines about Canberra that can be picked up from supermarkets, as well as HerCanberra.
5. Afternoon tea at the Hyatt Hotel. This is a lovely experience. Maybe not quite as posh as afternoon tea at The Savoy, in London - I was disappointed that there was no minimum dress code, especially as I made the effort to dress up in a dress and high heels. But you can eat all you like, which makes the afternoon really good value for money.

Long story short...I do miss Dunedin and have been heard to say that there is no where in the world like Dunedin on a good day. But I am loving Canberra and have a feeling I am going to become very fond of my new home. I do miss the sea, but the lovely weather here is going to make up for being land-locked.

So if you're ever in Canberra, let me know and I'll introduce you to its little, hidden treasures.

Image: 'We Will Remember Them'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/40195741@N00/3216771987
Found on flickrcc.net