WCF Mates is the title of our new segment where we feature and showcase the lives of those who have collaborated with WOMENCANFLY.CO. (Commonly used by Australians, ‘mate’ refers to a friend or someone you are close to.)
Our first WCF Mate is midwife, Kana Masutani.
WCF started a YouTube channel in April 2020 where we shared some videos in collaboration with Kana.
Have you seen it?
Many people who have seen the videos have been wondering, “Who is Kana?” and “Why did she collaborate with WCF?”
In this segment, we introduce Kana!
Who is Kana?
Kana has been working as a midwife at a hospital in Tokyo up until now.
Having belonged to the gynecology department, NICU (Newborn Intensive Care Unit) and MFICU (Maternal Fetal Intensive Care Unit) which supports the pregnancy of severely ill mothers, Kana has knowledge and experience in a wide range of fields.
Midwives have the image of being someone who picks up the baby but did you know they’re actually specialists in the female body regardless of whether you’re giving birth or not?
For example, understanding female hormones and the mechanism of menstruation can be a hint in controlling how you work physically.
To help with this, Kana holds online seminars because she wants women to have a greater interest in their bodies. She also carries out activities to inform women about balancing hormones and how pregnancy works.
In May 2019, Kana came to Sydney, Australia to study English.
The reason why Kana came to study abroad was because she was interested in overseas lifestyles, sex education, childbirth and child-rearing situations. She wanted to experience it all herself.
While attending a language school in Sydney, Kana interacted with midwives and pregnant women and taught new mothers who to take a bath.
Kana currently has temporarily returned to Japan due to COVID-19 but when the situation calms down, she would like to return to Sydney again.
“I’m interested in ‘Naturopathy’ (natural remedies) and ‘Epidural’, an anesthetic that supports the prenatal and postnatal stages. There’s so much more I want to do!”
Kana’s amazing accomplishments
The other day, WCF members attended an online seminar held by Kana called, ‘A Gathering for Women on Women’s Health.’
The theme was, ‘How Pregnancy Works.’ The WCF members didn’t have much knowledge about the topic but Kana spoke in a way that was easy to understand while using visual cues and images.
For example, her explanation on female hormones went like this. ↓
Estrogen, which works in the low temperature period after menstruation, is a "hormone of beauty." It has the effect of making women shine by making their skin glow and their hair smooth.
Progesterone, which works during the high temperature period before menstruation, is a "mother's hormone." It makes you have an increased appetite or an inner feeling to raise your baby.It is understood that hormones are heavily involved in mood swings before and after menstruation.
One of the most interesting things we’ve learned about Kana is that she is close with the people who visit the hospital and their families.
Birth and pregnancy are very delicate. A single word from a midwife or doctor can hurt or save her.
Kana has often wondered, “What words should I use?” As each situation and feeling is different, there is no one correct answer to what words to use or the way to deal with them.
How much do you try to understand someone’s pain without knowing the right answer?
How much attention can you give when you can’t understand it completely?
Kana never gives up on trying to understand and compromise with kindness and has helped many women.
A woman who had a stillbirth once settled from crying after the moment they saw Kana’s face following their examination by an obstetrician and gynecologist.
It is very encouraging for women to have someone they can feel truly at ease with.
Why did Kana collaborate with WCF?
Midwifery is a profession that is close to life’s big events like pregnancy and childbirth.
In many cases, we will meet a midwife for the first time when we get pregnant.
However, Kana wants to support women even before they get pregnant so she wants to expand her activities beyond hospitals.
When the WCF Team asked me to appear on their YouTube channel, I was willing to accept it with the attitude to just try anything.
Kana and WCF had the shared goal to empower women.
Kana works in health education. WCF helps spread Kana’s knowledge. We will do our best to do what we can through each other’s support!
Check out our YouTube videos
<How to Use a Menstrual Cup>
In this video, we talk about what there is to know about menstrual cups. We’re not necessarily recommending the use of menstrual cups but want to expand choices for sanitary products. We share how to use menstrual cups, its pros and cons and reviews so please check it out!
<What is the basal body temperature?>
This video explains how to measure your basal body temperature, how hormones work and the relationship between menstruation and hormones. It is important to know how changes work because the female body is greatly affected by hormonal balance. Learn about the relationship between hormones, menstruation and body temperature and use it to manage your body.
We look forward to future collaborations with Kana!
Kana Masutani
Born in Tokyo, Kana has been a midwife for five years. She is working to help women become more positive about themselves through adolescent sex education and sexual health. She quit the hospital she was working at after five years and studied abroad in Sydney for one year. She hopes that you become more open towards sexual health. See what Kana is up to on Instagram.
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