Mums have a reputation for putting everyone else’s needs in the family ahead of their own.

A recent survey by Motherland confirms as much, with 85 per cent of rural Victorian mothers reporting they had put off seeking healthcare because they’d been unable to find or access the services they needed.

Their health and well-being are being put in the too-hard basket while family life continues busily moving around them.

Health and support services just got easier to find.

Motherland, a national charity that supports rural mothers across Australia, launched an online health platform in September called Motherland Connect.

Motherland Connect is the country’s first digital resource hub for rural mothers.

The hub connects mothers to the services they need with the click of a button to support their own and their family’s mental and physical health.

“Motherland’s mission is to reduce isolation for rural mothers and improve mental health outcomes,” Motherland founder and chief executive Stephanie Trethewey said.

“The fact that 30 per cent told us they don’t have access to mental health services in their nearest town shows the dire need for the Motherland Connect platform.”

Motherland’s recent survey of rural mums across Australia also found that over 60 per cent of rural mums turned to Google to find services when they couldn’t find them locally.

Motherland Connect mobilises support into one easy-to-use platform where women can search by their location or postcode, and be connected to physical services or telehealth support across a range of categories.

More than 100 organisations are listed on the platform across several categories, including mental health, relationships, pregnancy and birth support, matrescence, allied health, fitness, nutrition and parenting support.

“Mums are the backbone of our rural communities and our charity will continue to advocate for them and offer support to them and their families in any way we can,” Ms Trethewey said.

Motherland is calling on more Victorian businesses to list their services on the platform.

Organisations can register for membership via motherlandconnect.org.au

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Sunday, 3rd March 2024

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