Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education – Pregnant Pause Community Hero

Karinya House is proud to go yellow to partner with PregnantPause2020.   The ACT Pregnant Pause Community Hero campaign was launched on Thursday 18 June  by Ambassador and 106.3FM host Kristen Davidson and the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE).

The premise of the #pregnantpause campaign aligns with the Karinya House culture and practice of supporting women to establish or continue to develop a healthy lifestyle, during their pregnancy and after the birth of their babies. Both for themselves as well as for their babies.  

Every woman who is pregnant or parenting a new baby should be surrounded by the supports she needs.  However, not every woman has shelter, stability or support. Some may be at risk of violence, experience homelessness or be completely isolated.  For over 22 years, Karinya House has provided immediate support for women who are pregnant or have new babies and have nowhere else to turn. We provide casework in the community or in residence, safe housing, support during pregnancy and birth and connections to health, welfare, legal, educational and financial services. 

Substance abuse is an issue for around 33% of women we walk alongside. It may be a previous or current issue. It is respectful to recognise that for the most part, a history of domestic or family abuse, abandonment or other impact of trauma, either sustained over significant periods or during a period in a woman’s life is often symptomatic of substance abuse. Overcoming substance abuse is often more inaccessible to women who come from a less privileged position, where structural inequities are more determining of life’s journey and experience. The Karinya House Casework and Health Professional Team work with women, walking alongside them gently with respect and recognition, through every aspect of their journeys. Substance abuse is a specialist area, and where necessary, specialist support is engaged.  

As a Pregnant Pause Community Hero, we are helping to create a community supporting Canberra mums-to-be to go alcohol-free during pregnancy, recognising that for each woman the journey is different, with different challenges.  Karinya House values being a Pregnant Pause Community Hero, as we are continually seeking to speak for and on behalf of women in our community, who are pregnant or with a new baby, with limited support and who, even today, are subject to many assumptions and preconceptions. 

Community support – the support of your Village – the support of your Tribe – is critical to understanding and supporting, respectfully, the premise of the ‘no’ –when it comes to alcohol during pregnancy. An easy statement to make, yet a difficult statement to support with respect and recognition, including self-recognition about the almost ‘cultural importance’ alcohol plays in Australian Society.  

The message remains there is no safe amount, no safe time and no safe type of alcohol to drink during pregnancy. At Karinya House that message remains true, and we support this message with active recognition when walking alongside a woman, whose substance abuse is generally symptomatic of a history of trauma. 

We encourage all within our Community to become a Pregnant Pause Community Hero and help to give the 6,000 babies born in Canberra each year the best possible start in life. Through your active respect, you can help create a community of support around Canberra mums-to-be so they can achieve their alcohol-free pregnancy goal. 

#pregnantpause  #beahero #communityhero #alcoholfree

Caterina Giorgi, CEO FARE speaks with Kristen Davidson, Mix 106.3 Presenter and Pregnant Pause Ambassador since 2014.