Why Western Medicine is Failing Women – And What We Can Do About It

For far too long, Western medicine has overlooked, misunderstood, and even dismissed the female body. Despite all of its technological advancements, the medical system still operates on outdated research that largely excludes women — and it shows.

From menstrual cycles to fertility, pregnancy to postpartum care, women are often met with two options in a doctor’s office: drugs or surgery. There’s little curiosity about root causes, no reverence for the cyclical nature of the womb, and certainly no space for holistic or alternative approaches.

I speak not just as a practitioner, but as someone who has lived this. At 21, I was told I had PCOS, hypothyroidism, anxiety, and depression. I was handed prescriptions for antidepressants I would never take, and encouraged to go back on the pill — despite years of side effects and disconnection from my own body. I remember thinking, How could this be considered normal?

That question sent me on a path of deep learning and remembering. I turned to Ayurveda, yoga, and the ancient wisdom of cultures that honored the feminine.

Practices like Breathwork, womb massage, castor oil packs, yoni steaming, nutrition rooted in cycle awareness — these began to restore me. They reminded me of what Western medicine had ignored: that the female body is not broken — it’s just not being understood.

For 13 years now, I’ve supported women navigating menstrual pain, fertility challenges, pregnancy, birth and more. Again and again, I meet women who’ve been told “there’s nothing we can do.” Women who’ve had hysterectomies in their early twenties because no one told them about non-invasive options.

Women losing pregnancies and still prescribed synthetic folic acid, which for many woman and embryos is toxic. Women with mastitis prescribed antibiotics — not knowing there are gentler, effective remedies that won’t harm their baby’s gut health.

The level of care women receive during these sacred life phases is not just inadequate — it’s devastating.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

We need more women offering “alternative” services — which, in truth, are often rooted in the most time-tested, body-honoring systems on earth. We need doulas, herbalists, yoga therapists, womb keepers, and Ayurvedic practitioners. We need to bridge ancient wisdom with modern understanding. Because we are the system now. And we are the change.

To every woman who has felt dismissed, gaslit, or disempowered by the medical system — I see you. Your pain is real. Your body is wise. And there is another way.

You deserve to be heard. You deserve to be held. You deserve holistic, womb-centered care.

Let’s reclaim it, together.

If you’re ready to step outside the limitations of the medical system and receive care that honors your body, your womb, and your unique journey — I invite you to work with me. From shamanic doula support for pregnancy and birth, to conscious conception consultations and E-courses, feminine health consults, and womb healing Ceremonies in Newcastle, NSW — I offer sacred, holistic care for every phase of womanhood. You can also experience Closing the Bones ceremonies, pregnancy massage, and energy healing rituals designed to restore, replenish, and reconnect you with your feminine essence. Your body is wise. Your womb is sacred. And you don’t have to walk this path alone.

Holliea Xx