CATHERINE BELL BIRTH CARTOGRAPHER
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The Obsession with Sleep

29/4/2019

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From Fear to Celebration: The Five Stages of Being

31/3/2019

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I stood on a beach.  Dogs galumphed and trotted, wagging tails and lolling tongues.  Blissfully enjoying the freedom of an off leash frolic with their human companions.  
Not so long ago, this scene would have had me in a state of fear.  Near panic and disbelief would have overcome me, and I would not have stepped foot on that beach. 
I existed in a fearful Stage of Being for nearly 30 years.  The source of this fear was a black Labrador pup named Vada.  My earliest memory haunting me, this black dog looming over me.  But I married a dog person.  Who decided the time had come, and Mr Pooey Doddy Jet Houdini Englebert Sprocket Donkey came to live with us.  This rescue bitzer was a good dog.  My rational brain knew this.  But there was no telling my fearful being.  I was angry, so very angry. 

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Before Consent...

27/3/2019

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The stork story might be fun - but it disregards the importance of Mum.
That women birth seems an aside,
The truth of birth we^ like to hide,
With a storkish euphemism,
No real choice is given,
No honour or celebration,
Birth is an enduration*
And so their power, women relent,
And we begin with consent.

But before consent comes The Decision.
Hopefully made with some precision.
Hopefully made with time and space,
Free of pressure to complace*
Beginning with consent,
Removes freedom to dissent,
For here a Yes is implied,
And your freedom is denied.

^we, meaning society
*poetic licence..a play on endurance and compliance.

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Autonomy in Childbirth - why does it matter?

27/3/2019

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​​Many women don’t seem to realise they CAN question the doctor, let alone seek another opinion or change care providers.
Part of this is the power play that occurs when visiting the doctor: 
  • The act of waiting - makes you unimportant.
  • The act of being called - makes you submissive/obedient
  • Entering the doctor’s room - you become a visitor
  • The way the doctor launches into the procedures, types little notes or avoids eye contact - dehumanises you
  • The way you are ushered out before you can ask your questions - devalues you
…and before you know it, you have paid your fee and leave wondering what happened. Some people are satisfied as long as they have a script or a test to do (something to show for the consultation).  Others leave feeling powerless and confused.


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'identical' TWINS!

7/3/2019

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​There once was a Fella called Pollux,
Who thought his brother's mortality was bollocks,
So into the heavens they go
A guide to Sailors they show
St Elmo's Fire in which they could frolic

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When the Last Minute is also the First Minute.

18/2/2019

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"The time has come," the Doctor said,
"To seek informed consent:
blah blah risks--blah blah side effects
your labour to augment
I need your 'informed consent' now--
sign here for this intent."

​

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​Why can't we just be 'brutally honest'?

23/1/2019

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This post addresses a question many of us think, but know we can't voice without being offensive.  But the answer to why we can't be brutally honest it is not that it is offensive.  How can we just stand by when we feel a friend is making a 'bad' decision?
This is a question of support versus validation.  The desire comes from the heart...but is it actually True, Helpful, Inspiring, Necessary or Kind?  

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Birth - is it about Luck?

25/11/2018

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​
​Birth, for the modern human, is not without difficulty. 

Does it all come down to luck,
​or is it a matter of Good Management?

or could it be something else?



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GUEST POST by Kim Lock - Breastfeeding: Promote or Protect?

19/11/2018

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PictureKim with her youngest, 2012
Kim Lock is the author of three novels, and is currently working on her fourth.  She is a long time advocate of women's rights - particularly in breastfeeding.
Explore more about Kim on her author website (with links to her editorial writing), or rare-to-post but very awesome blog and her facebook page.  Send her some love, buy her awesome books and tell her I sent you!

What follows, Kim originally wrote as a facebook post. It is shared here, with permission.  Thank you Kim - your words are wise and need to be spread far and wide!


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Do Not Disturb

29/9/2018

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This poem, written by Catherine Bell in 2014, features in The Birth  Map: boldly going where no birth plan has gone before.

The book was launched on September 29th at the Braidwood Library.  Read Catherine's speech here.   The book is available for online purchase, details here.

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    Selected Articles by Catherine ​around the web:
    bellabirth.wordpress.com | evolutionary parenting | pregnancy.com.au | 
    ​| birth without fear | newborn mothers | PBBMedia |
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Photos used under Creative Commons from Editor B, Darling Starlings, SO Beach Party, Leonard Bentley, IQRemix, C. VanHook (vanhookc), lemonfilmblog, State Library of South Australia, Someone's Name, edenpictures, ShebleyCL, MassiveKontent, symphony of love, Kelly Sue, szwerink, Dawn Endico, fortfan, Jim Linwood, symphony of love, JLaw45
  • Home
    • About >
      • life BC
    • Is IBP for You?
    • Informed Decisions
    • Birth Support (doulas)
    • FAQs
    • Contact
    • submit a review
    • information policy
  • Birth Cartography training
    • private session with Catherine via zoom
    • Intensive
    • Retreat
    • Birth Cartographer Online training
  • THE BOOK
    • The Birth Map
    • ORDER TODAY
    • Event Pick up
    • Where can I buy the book?
    • Reviews and Testimonials
    • Talking about The Birth Map
    • feedback survey
  • Bellablog
  • Events
  • Stay up to Date
    • Newsletter Archive
    • StoryTime
  • Member Area
    • Read The Book
    • Support Group Discussion
    • Webinars and podcasts
    • links and recommended books
    • Resources (research articles)
    • example maps