Dear Reader,

What do you think can happen when a Call to Action moves from paper into practice?

This is one of the questions we have been holding since we launched the international Call to Action: Postpartum – A Critical Window in Women's Health.

And recently, we received the most beautiful answer from Australia.

Our partners at the Well Supported Mothers Collective (WSMC), who were crucial during the process of drafting and finalising the Call to Action, have been taking its principles and putting them literally into action—developing new approaches to postpartum care, supporting hospital and service models, embedding perinatal education, and building interdisciplinary continuity of care.

We wanted to share their story with you because this is exactly what we hoped the Call to Action could inspire.

From supporting mothers to changing systems

What makes this development particularly exciting is that WSMC is not stopping at one clinical model.

The Collective has also brought its experience and recommendations into Australia's Senate Select Committee on Women's Health, through a parliamentary submission published in October 2026.

Their parliamentary submission, Is Postpartum Our Most Preventable Cause of Morbidity and Mortality?, draws attention to the consequences of fragmented postpartum care and calls for meaningful reforms.

Among its recommendations are longer-term postpartum care pathways, funded physiological screening, coordinated perinatal services, improved access to support and preventative care planning.

It also highlights the importance of culturally affirming care, support following pregnancy and infant loss, and stronger links between healthcare professionals and community resources.

These are exactly the kinds of structural changes envisioned in our International Call to Action.

Two opportunities to join the conversation

On 14 November 2026, WSMC will bring clinicians, researchers, advocates and community representatives together at the Postpartum Symposium in Coolangatta, Queensland.

The Symposium will explore how the Call to Action can be implemented in real-world clinical settings, alongside discussions about community infrastructure, education, interdisciplinary care and the future of women's health.

Online participation will also be available.

And looking further ahead, WSMC is preparing Advocacy in Action — a Global Online Symposium in March 2027.

This will offer another opportunity for the international postpartum community to connect, exchange perspectives and continue building momentum for change.

​EXPLORE ADVOCACY IN ACTION — MARCH 2027​

We warmly encourage you to explore both opportunities and connect with the inspiring work taking place in Australia.
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What about you?

The Australian story shows that change is possible, and the postpartum period can be given the attention and care it needs.

We invite you to ask:

What could this look like in your community?
​How could you bring professionals together?
How could you introduce continuity into your own service?
How could you advocate for better postpartum provision?

If you haven't already, we invite you to read and sign the International Call to Action and use it as a starting point for your own action.

​READ & SIGN THE CALL TO ACTION​

Because the Call to Action was never meant to be the end of the conversation.

It was meant to be a beginning.

And seeing our Australian partners turn shared principles into real services, real collaboration, national advocacy and real continuity of care is a wonderful reminder of what becomes possible when we move from calling for change to building it.

With deep gratitude to the Well Supported Mothers Collective and everyone contributing to this work in Australia—and everywhere else around the world.

Let's keep building.
​The Postnatal Support Network​
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