Parliament Workbench

Petition · PE01735 · Session 5

Include Pelvic Floor education in the Baby Box scheme

Closed Submitted 12 Jul 2019 Health
Signatures
0
345 online signatures with a country
Comments
23
Considered
2 meetings
in the Official Report

What it asks

Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to include pelvic floor education in Baby Boxes, to reduce stress incontinence amongst new mothers and improve women’s life-long health and well-being.

What the petitioner did first

I have spoken to my own MSP, Alex Cole-Hamilton, who held a Business Debate on incontinence in November 2017 (S5M-08218) and lodged a Parliamentary Question (S5M-19998) in December 2018. He and Neil Findlay MSP also co-sponsored an awareness-raising event I organised at the Scottish Parliament on incontinence issues. I have emailed Joan McAlpine MSP about pelvic health issues specific to our transgendered population.

Where it was considered

Official Report
  1. 19 Sep 2019
    Public Petitions Committee
    New Petitions
    1 mention
  2. 5 Mar 2020
    Public Petitions Committee
    Continued Petitions
    1 mention

Signatures by country

345 online signatures
  1. Scotland246 71.3%
  2. United Kingdom62 18%
  3. England27 7.8%
  4. Wales4 1.2%
  5. Australia2 0.6%
  6. Ireland2 0.6%
  7. Germany1 0.3%
  8. United States1 0.3%

Comments

23 comments, oldest first
  1. Tanya jewell 12 Jul 2019
    Female incontinence is a problem that has been normalised and accepted. With education early on women will be able to prevent potential future incontinence but this is such a taboo subject nobody is talking about it. Get the information out there early on xx
  2. Joan Beattie 12 Jul 2019
    very worthwhile campaign, saw it on breakfast TV this morning, info needed for all women not just new mothers
  3. ANNE COMRIE 12 Jul 2019
    Having children over 40 years ago at which point post natal classes in hospital after birth gave new ,young mums all the help and advice and instructions required. Current problem is no such post natal care seems to be available. This situation is really quite scandalous. Our health care has deteriorated in this area as in so many others. Surely post natal care should be part of pre natal care. AND certainly should not just be a leaflet in a box. Saddened by this regression of care.
  4. Lesley J Walker 13 Jul 2019
    All too many women think that leaks after childbirth are to be expected and tolerated without realuzing there is a lot that can be done and reliance on pads is not the only answer.
  5. Dr Ruth Jones PhD MCSP 13 Jul 2019
    This is really important to help women stop being incontinent and ensure they're assessed. sometimes the pelvic floor can work too etc.
  6. Elaine Holmes 15 Jul 2019
    Great initiative Elaine!
    Scottish Mesh Survivors Group support this 100%
  7. Joan Coverley 16 Jul 2019
    I think this is a great idea and the timing of the baby box is perfect.

    I find it shocking that we are currently seeing advertising on TV where the young mums refer to leakage being normal.

    I will maybe complain to ASA about that.

    In answer to your questions, I don't know how we can assess the true scale and costs unless some research is done.

    I suspect that embarrassment and being busy are the main barriers preventing women seeking help.

    I think the information should be encouraging. It should recognise that some people have a problem but that while fairly common, it is not 'normal'. They must not be made to feel like a 'failure'.

    I seem to recall that (40 years ago) I followed diagrams in a book, with descriptions of what you should be feeling. Communication experts will know how to present it for today and I think that humour, which you referred to, is important.

    I wish you well in this important work.
  8. Veronica Da 18 Jul 2019
    Such a simple exercise to teach, that if practised regularly every day can really help to prevent the embarrassment and discomfort of stress incontinence
  9. Morag Anderson 23 Jul 2019
    Tena culture suggests women should wear pull up nappies or pads at their wedding, festivals or at the gym and this is acceptable? Anything that supports women deserve better should be promoted.
  10. Karen Neil 23 Jul 2019
    Elaine, Asa member of Scottish Mesh Survivors, I whole heartily back you.
    But I have voiced this many times,we should be educating our Teenagers. We give Sex education,pelvic floor exercise should be include then,too.
  11. Sue Frost 24 Jul 2019
    Excellent idea!
  12. Karine Polwart 24 Jul 2019
    Information about pelvic health should be available to every woman post childbirth. Squeezy app is great. But just knowing you're not alone and that physio care and specialist advice exists would be a good start. Lack of attention to it, and unnecessary shame, ruins lives and costs money down the line.
  13. Margaret Sheridan 24 Jul 2019
    Stress in incontinence is not normal, get the message out there!!
  14. Susan Morrison 28 Jul 2019
    Great idea. I wish this advice had been more widely available when I was a new mum!
  15. Hal Osler 28 Jul 2019
    Having had two children I was really surprised that issue was not discussed at all prior to birth & not really focused on after birth. For long term health it is really vital
  16. Denise MacLean 28 Jul 2019
    It is essential that stress incontinence in new mums is recognised as a public health emergency and contributes to post natal depression. Organisations like Tena continue to make huge profits from NHSS when the problem can be addressed at clinic.
  17. Jen Downie 5 Aug 2019
    I can understand why there would be any reason not to include this information in the baby box. It effects thousands if women and this information would really help. The baby box would be a perfect way to disseminate the information.
  18. Irene Archibald 6 Aug 2019
    Many years have passed since I had wee (!) ones. I really wished someone had promoted this, way back then. Older I get more I dread getting a cold for fear of coughing or sneezing..lets get the younger generation educated in this important subject.
  19. Grainne Brady 7 Aug 2019
    Well done Elaine . This has to be added. Pelvic floor is very important... would've loved this information when i was younger .
  20. Tamara Gill 20 Aug 2019
    Early prevention is so much better than curing and can be so life affecting if we get it wrong! This is the kind of stuff young women genuinely don't know about until it is too late.
  21. Elise Rayner 20 Aug 2019
    Having suffered from pelvic pain and knowing how the NHS provide very little support for pregnant and post-natal women in pain I fully support this request. I didn't know I was doing pelvic floor exercises wrong for 2 years until I saw a private physiotherapist. Advice like this could have made a difference. Too many women suffer in silence.
  22. Pauline Singleton 23 Aug 2019
    If I knew then what I am experiencing now I would do them every day.
  23. Amy Emmerson 23 Aug 2019
    Its a no brainer. Will save the health service a lot of money. Just think about it, it makes sense, its an innovative public health scheme. You could win awards!!!