The Purple Book: An Idea Whose Time Has Come

Three years ago, I shared an idea with the Mums of the Hills community that came from many discussions with professionals in the mental health and women’s health spaces…and yes…they also happened to be fabulous MOTHs members too.

We talked about this simple situation. When we have a baby in Victoria, we're given the Green Book. It's a wonderful resource, that records our baby's growth, development, immunisations and health. It creates a consistent record that follows our children through those important early years and supports conversations with health professionals every step of the way.

What really nagged at us was lack of focus on mum. Where's the place that follows her through one of the biggest physical, emotional and psychological transitions of her life? Where's Mum's book?

A record that asks how she is recovering, sleeping and, dare I say it, coping? Plus other important questions such as if she feels connected, safe, and, if she thinks she’s struggling, knows where to turn?

Back in 2023, we called the idea the Purple Book. Many have told me how much it resonated, some sharing stories of feeling invisible after their baby arrived. Others spoke about the loneliness, the exhaustion, the pressure to hold everything together, masking that you’re doing ok when at mother’s group and the sense that once the focus shifted to the baby, their own wellbeing quietly slipped into the background.

Since then, I haven't let the idea go. If you know me by now, I like to see ideas, come to fruition, especially those that have come about through the knowledge and passion of others. So, we've quietly continued pushing it. We've looked for funding opportunities, contacted health professionals and researchers, developed our own postnatal wellbeing groups (with proven success), and most importantly, continued listening to mums. This week we started giving our purple book proposal to politicians in the lead up to the state election.

Then this morning, when I read an ABC News article discussing the growing recognition that women's experiences within healthcare have too often been overlooked or misunderstood, it reminded me, yet again why I continue to not let this idea go.

In essence, the Purple Book isn't really about a book, but about creating more opportunities for meaningful conversations, to break stigmas and normalise mums speaking openly about their health.

Just imagine if every routine conversation about a baby's growth and development pre and post birth was accompanied by a routine conversation about Mum. Sometimes being asked is exactly what gives someone permission to answer honestly.

Research tells us that pregnancy and the first year after birth are a critical period for a woman's lifelong health. We also know that women who experience mental health challenges during this time are at greater risk of experiencing future mental health difficulties, while early identification, timely support and strong social connections can improve outcomes for women, babies and families.

That's why I don't see the Purple Book as simply another resource, but a prevention initiative that normalises conversations about maternal wellbeing before problems become crises. Better than any Mother’s Day gift (IMHO), it reminds every mum that her health matters too and strengthens the connection between our health system and the community organisations already supporting families every day.

This idea has also been shaped by our own community. In 2021, the Yarra Ranges experienced a tragedy that deeply affected so many of us. Like many people, I found myself asking whether there was more we could do to ensure mothers felt connected, supported and able to seek help before reaching crisis point. While no single initiative can prevent every tragedy, it reinforced that conversations about maternal wellbeing need to become just as normal as conversations about a baby's health. It was that tragedy and that reflection that led us to create our postnatal wellbeing groups.

Unlike groups that (understandably) focus on babies, ours focus on mum’s physical recovery and emotional wellbeing. Beyond that, we hope these groups improve confidence, retain identity and connection to other women navigating the same extraordinary, exhausting and beautiful stage of life.

Over the coming weeks, we'll be presenting a proposal to pilot and independently evaluate the Victorian Purple Book in the Yarra Ranges. The vision has grown beyond a book to include a mother-held maternal wellbeing record, structured wellbeing conversations though our community-based postnatal wellbeing groups and an independent research evaluation to understand whether this integrated model could improve outcomes for women and families.

If successful, it has the potential to inform maternal health policy across Victoria. How amazing would that be?!

Why does that matter?

Over the past decade, Mums of the Hills has walked alongside thousands of women in our private community. We've seen countless posts from mums who were overwhelmed, isolated, exhausted or struggling long before they reached out. Some were experiencing anxiety or depression while others were facing family violence, financial stress, housing insecurity or relationship breakdown. Almost all had one thing in common - they had been carrying it on their own for far too long.

Reading those stories, it's impossible not to wonder whether one more conversation, one earlier check-in or one stronger community connection might have made a difference. We know that not every problem can be prevented, or crisis avoided. However, earlier support is almost always better than waiting until someone reaches breaking point. When we invest in mums, we're investing in families. A mother's wellbeing influences her own future health, her confidence, her relationships, her connection to her community and the environment in which her children grow and develop. Who would ever want to be at breaking point just to receive support? For us, it seems like a no-brainer.

I’m hoping by now that you can see the future the Purple Book might help shape. We hope that looking after mum is simply part of looking after baby, not just something you do on Mother’s Day. Normalising the conversation would also make a huge difference so that women don't feel they have to pretend they're okay. Importantly, we want every mum to know that her wellbeing matters just as much as her child's.

Three years ago, we asked, "Where's Mum's book?" I think it's time we started answering that question.

I'd love to hear your thoughts. If there had been a Purple Book when you became a parent, what would you have wanted it to include? What question do you wish someone had asked you? And what support made the biggest difference, or do you wish had been there?