Walk with Me: On the Shoulders of Mothers

Have we given perinatal mental health the attention it needs? Join two graziers for a ‘Walk with Me’ conversation to see its impact on farming communities.

If you’ve tuned in to our first Walk with Me talk with guest speaker, Stuart Austin (Wilmot Cattle Co.), you’d know that we don’t shy away from tough conversations around mental health. This time, we are spotlighting an issue that is often experienced but suffered in silence – perinatal depression. So, if you’re about to welcome a little one into your family, or know someone you care who is, please enjoy the replay.

Watch the replay

 

About our next Walk with Me

Together with our guest speakers, Stephanie Trethewey (Motherland, Tas Ag Co.) and Stephanie Schmidt (2020 South Australian AgriFuturesTM Rural Women’s Award, ACT for Ag), we’ll discuss the very important topic of perinatal anxiety and depression in our next installation of this series.  Join us in this live online session to get an understanding of perinatal depression and how it especially impacts families in rural communities.

$2 donated to Gidget Foundation for every registrant

$2 for every registrant to this event will be donated to Gidget Foundation. Gidget Foundation is an Australian not-for-profit organisation that raises awareness of perinatal depression and anxiety. It provides programs to support the emotional wellbeing of expectant and new parents.

By attending the talk, you’ll learn a bit more about Gidget Foundation from its CEO, Arabella Gibson.

It is estimated that 1 in 4 people worldwide experience issues with their mental health annually []. If farmers experience problems with their mental health at the same rates as the general population, this would mean that approximately 25% of farmers worldwide are struggling with their mental health every year.

PL0S One

What is perinatal depression?

According to the Australian Institute of Health & Welfare:

The perinatal period extends from when pregnancy begins to the first year after the baby is born. The term perinatal depression includes a wide range of mood disorders. These disorders can affect a woman during pregnancy and after the birth of her child. It includes prenatal depression, the ‘baby blues’, postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis.

  • 1 in 5 mothers of children aged 24 months or less had been diagnosed with depression.
  • More than half of these mothers reported that their diagnosed depression was perinatal (that is, the depression was diagnosed from pregnancy until the child’s first birthday).
  • Of all the cases of diagnosed depression, just over 1 in 5 were diagnosed for the first time during the perinatal period of the infant selected for AIWH 2010 Australian National Infant Feeding Survey.

How RegenAg impacts rural motherhood

Stephanie shared a snippet of the challenges that rural moms encounter with us for our 2021 Field Day program. In it, she draws a connection between the journey of motherhood and regenerative agriculture. Watch it here:

About our speakers

Stephanie Trethewey

Stephanie Trethewey is a seasoned broadcast journalist who has reported for some of the country’s biggest shows including A Current Affair.

She now lives in rural Tasmania with her husband Sam and their two children. Rural life and her struggles as a new mum inspired her to launch Motherland Australia, a podcast which shares real, raw and unbelievable stories of motherhood told by women on the land. The show has been downloaded more than 170,000 times. Stephanie is committed to improving the mental health and emotional wellbeing of rural mothers across Australia through the Motherland community.

She is also the co-founder of regenerative beef brand the Tasmanian Agricultural Company, a trailblazing business that’s on a mission to produce truly carbon positive meat.

Stephanie Schmidt

Stephanie Schmidt is passionate about developing a thriving rural Australia, supporting individuals and communities not only to grow but to thrive. Steph is a Clinical Psychologist and farmer, running a large sheep and cropping farm with her husband and 3 young sons. Most recently, Steph was honoured to be the 2020 South Australian AgriFuturesTM Rural Women’s Award winner and the founder of ACT for Ag.

Steph has also experienced her own hurdles and challenges, learning the importance of caring for herself after experiencing Postnatal Depression twice. She combines her psychological knowledge with her lived experience of the challenges and rewards of farming life to introduce accessible and effective resilience skills. Through ACT for Ag Steph facilitates in-person community workshops and online live courses to build the capacity and resilience for our farmers and rural communities.

Let’s talk about it

Is there a mental health topic that you would like us to cover? Or do you know any graziers who were on a rollercoaster and would be open to sharing their story with our community of farmers?

By normalising conversations on mental health, we can help to de-stigmatise it. This in turn will encourage farmers to seek support from their friends, families and health professionals. So, drop us a note at community@maiagrazing.com if you have a suggestion for us.

Mental health resources

If you’re feeling down, or sense something is just not right, we encourage you to reach out to the many organisations that can support your mental health. Listed below are some Australian organisations:

 
MaiaGrazing Wilmot Field Day Replay 2021

Recent Articles

NEW: Pasture Observations with MaiaGrazing’s Photo Capture Feature

16th November 2023

By James Camody - MaiaGrazing Product Manager We are thrilled to announce the upcoming release of an exciting new MaiaGrazing... Read More

MaiaGrazing LIVE: Adapting Amid El Niño and Increasing Market Challenges

10th October 2023

In anticipation of another looming El Niño declaration, recollections of past droughts cast shadows across the Australian landscape. However,... Read More

Grazing Management Lingo: Decoding Terminology To Drive Operational Efficiency

11th September 2023

In the world of livestock farming, getting the hang of grazing management lingo can sometimes feel like deciphering a... Read More

MaiaGrazing LIVE: Feed Budgeting for Livestock Producers

16th August 2023

Discover the power of Feed Budgeting in this educational MaiaGrazing LIVE webinar, designed to help livestock producers easily approach... Read More

MaiaGrazing LIVE: Discovering ‘Regenerative Rangelands’ with Grazier Jody Brown

10th August 2023

Watch the presentation by MaiaGrazing customer and western Queensland grazier, Jody Brown of LaTrobe Station to learn more about... Read More

The Importance of Graze Plans, and How to Prepare Them

07th July 2023

Looking for a better way to manage your grazing operations and achieve your goals? If so, graze planning might... Read More

Graze Planning - What, Why & How It Drives Success

04th July 2023

Are you looking for a better way to manage your grazing operations and achieve your goals? This month, we... Read More

How MaiaGrazing Helped Graziers The Archer Family Achieve Carbon Credits

27th June 2023

Tom Archer is a grazier in southern Queensland who has been using MaiaGrazing, a grazing management software, for many... Read More

Know Your Carrying Capacity, and Why It Matters

13th June 2023

Are you a livestock producer looking to optimise your grazing management practices? Understanding your carrying capacity is crucial for... Read More

Navigating Dry Times in Livestock Production 

16th May 2023

Dry times are common in Australia. With the more recently wet cycle now potentially shifting to a drier time,... Read More