health

Medicare petitioned to fund "mummy makeovers".

“We have done our service by populating and creating the next future taxpayers and war veterans, we did our bit and now it’s time to give back to the overlooked soldiers. MOTHERS!”

Anna Brine, a woman from Sydney, has started a Change.org petition to rally for mothers to have post-baby cosmetic surgery subsidised by the government to improve their confidence.

Because what says good self-esteem like a tummy tuck and a new pair of boobs?

But don’t be all judgey now – face lifts wouldn’t be part of the package deal – it would only include “body restoration” such as vaginoplasty, breast augmentation, liposuction of “fatty areas”, tummy tucks and more.

You know, just the necessary stuff.

The petition that should be stopped. NOW.

Why is this surgery required, you ask? Ms Brine argues that after “horrific” childbirth, women feel bad about their bodies and by allowing them to completely “fix” said body using taxpayers money, they will improve their mental health and self-esteem. Naturally.

READ MORE: Hold the phone. A baby has been born ‘pregnant’ with twins.

In case you don’t quite understand just how gross and shameful a woman’s post-baby body can be, Ms Brine has kindly summed it up for you by likening them to an incredibly hideous garment one should not be forced to wear:

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“If you put an ugly jumper on, and think ‘I can’t wear that!’ Well at least you can take that ugly jumper off. Women can’t take off what is bothering them, unlike an ugly jumper. It’s stuck and is a loose skin jumpsuit and its a part of them and it affects everything. It’s mostly in their mind it haunts and when they are alone looking at their reflections, but reality hits when it comes to being intimate to going swimming with the kids.”

It makes us angry. It leaves us confused. And most of all, it makes us feel sad for Ms Brine and any of the other 6486 people who have signed her ill-informed petition.

READ MORE: Mothers and midwives weigh in: Your biggest fears about childbirth eased.

To say that a woman’s postpartum body, the very body that brings another human being into this world, is something that should be irrevocably altered in the name of “mental health” is offensive to humankind.

To assume that a woman’s confidence can be improved solely by surgery is a joke. And a pretty funny one at that. (Post continues after gallery.)

If Ms Brine’s petition is approved, she’ll be asking the Minister for Health (and Sport), Sussan Ley, the Assistant Minister for Health, Fiona Nash, and the National Mental Health Commission for the following:

“Every mother should be entitled to one Mummy makeover in their lifetime, whether they use it after their first or their seventh child. Only one mummy makeover is fully subsidised in a mother’s lifetime. No face lifts – Just body the body restoration option at least, whether women take the offer or not.”

And just in case you’d made your mind up NOT to sign this petition (it’s a hard one, isn’t it?), Ms Brine has a final appeal to all Australian women:

“Women have no choice that they are born a woman and have to incur the brunt of womanhood – give mothers their day.”

Ugh.

Now you know what WE think, tell us your opinion on this petition.