Village Voices: Help shape the future of perinatal mental health support

The Australian Senate has established a Select Committee on Women’s Health to examine women’s experiences of healthcare across Australia.

The inquiry includes pregnancy and postpartum care, perinatal mental health, pregnancy and infant loss, access to support and the impact these experiences have on mothers and families.

Motherhood Village will be making a submission to the inquiry. We deeply value the experiences of the mothers and families who have come through our doors, and we want our submission to reflect the voices of our community.

By completing the survey below, you can help us show:

  • Where families are struggling to access support

  • Why lived experience-led peer support matters

  • What helps mothers feel heard, connected and supported

  • How peer support complements clinical care

  • What needs to change for mothers and families

The survey should take approximately five minutes and closes on 5 October 2026.

Have your voice heard

You can contribute in two ways:

Complete our Village Voices survey below. Your responses will help inform Motherhood Village’s submission.

or

Make your own submission directly to the Select Committee through the Parliament of Australia website.

How we will use your response

Motherhood Village will combine and de-identify responses to inform our submission.

You do not need to provide your name or contact details. Please do not include names or identifying information about yourself, your child, another person or an individual healthcare professional. You can answer as much or as little as you feel comfortable sharing.

Ready to share your story?

Before you begin

Some questions ask about pregnancy, birth, loss and mental health and may bring up difficult feelings. You can skip any optional question or stop at any time. Motherhood Village provides peer support only and is not a crisis or emergency service. This survey is not monitored for requests for help.

Thank you for sharing your voice

Your response will help inform Motherhood Village’s Senate submission, advocacy and efforts to secure sustainable funding for lived experience-led perinatal mental health support.

Need support?

Motherhood Village provides peer support only and is not a crisis or emergency service. This survey is not monitored for requests for help.

If you or a loved one needs immediate support, please contact:

  • PANDA National Helpline: 1300 726 306

  • Lifeline: 13 11 14

  • 13YARN: 13 92 76

  • Gold Coast Health Acute Care Team: 1300 MH CALL (1300 642 255)

  • Medicare Mental Health: 1800 595 212

If you or someone else needs urgent medical help or is in immediate danger, call 000.

You can also learn more or make your own submission through the Parliament of Australia website.

Village Voices

Many parents tell us they were nervous, unsure, or afraid to reach out for support. Reading another mother’s real experience can be the moment someone realises: “It’s not just me,” and “It’s okay to ask for help.”
By sharing your story (if you choose to), you may help another parent feel seen, reduce stigma, and take that first step toward support.

You are only invited to share what feels safe and comfortable — you do not need to share your name, photos, or identify your baby or children.

How Motherhood Village uses your story

With your consent, we may share stories (or short excerpts) to:

  • encourage other parents to reach out for perinatal mental health support

  • raise awareness and reduce stigma across our community

  • advocate for improved perinatal and early parenthood mental health services

  • demonstrate impact for reporting, funding, and sustainability of free services

Note
We will always follow your preferences about anonymity, wording, and what is included.

What to Share

If it helps, you can write about:

  • what you were experiencing (e.g., anxiety, depression, intrusive thoughts, grief, overwhelm, isolation)

  • what led you to reach out (or who helped refer you to our support)

  • what Motherhood Village support felt like for you - your experience of our support groups

  • what changed for you (even small shifts matter)

  • any message you’d want another mum/parent to hear

Gentle reminder:
You don’t need perfect words. You don’t need to share details you’d prefer to keep private. Your story can be short, simple, and still meaningful.

Your story. Your choice.

You can share anonymously or use a pseudonym.

  • You do not need to share photos.

  • You do not need to name or identify your baby or children.

  • You can set boundaries about what we include.

  • You can withdraw consent at any time.