Would you like to Become a
​Birth Cartographer®?

The Intensive is for birth workers unable to attend a retreat, who are looking to enhance and support the decision making process with their clients in birth and beyond.  
This is your opportunity to bring The Birth Cartographer to you!
Use the form to register your interest in arranging an intensive near you, and you participate for free*.

During the intensive we will develop our team of support, role play the language of birth cartography and develop confidence in the practice of birth cartography.  

Birth Cartography is
​taking Australia into a new paradigm of
​birth preparation and support:
a woman-led experience.

*as the arranging participant, your fee to Catherine is waived in exchange for your time and efforts in organising the Intensive.  You need a minimum of 8 participants (in addition to you), a venue and (optionally) catering.  

Informed Decision Making

For a decision to be informed, it needs time and space.  It is indeed a four dimensional process.  And yet, in the maternity system, it is often dimensionless.  We skip to the point of 'consent'...where without enough information, without context, without space and without time, we are asked to 'consent'.  

Consent assumes a yes...and in a dimensionless environment, options are not clearly understood - or even visible.  

Taking the time, and creating the space needed to make informed decisions provides the landscape in which we will create our Birth Map.  When we can see the landscape, in full, the pathways can be determined; the detours identified, the dangers and safe places marked and the contours understood.

Asking Questions

Creating a Birth Map takes time, and many questions.

The key is knowing the questions.

Once you have asked the questions...what do you do with the answers?  Do you simply accept them as gospel?  or do you need to ask more questions, check other sources to clarify and test the answer?

How do you know you know all you need to know?

At what point do you determine a decision, and how do you communicate it?

Here be Dragons.

This is where we go beyond the Map...the uncharted waters of Parenthood.
In murky or crowded places it becomes difficult to find safe, joyful or inspiring aspects in the cacophony of advice. This is a long journey; we must be prepared to weather storms, expect to become becalmed, learn how to recognise pirates and discover new ways to communicate.  We will meet new people, and travel in an ever changing landscape, creating a unique map that tells our story.  The map, story or company of an ally may bring comfort, guidance or insight, which helps us navigate more confidently.   Recognising the allies is most powerful skill to acquire.

Australian College of Midwives CPD Recognised Activity

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A BIRTH CARTOGRAPHER®?
Becoming a Birth Cartographer means that you are committed to supporting informed decision making and woman-led maternity experiences.

You understand that there is No One Way and seek to promote autonomy and respectful maternity care.  

Attending the Intensive will give you the opportunity to embrace the concept and declare yourself a Birth Cartographer.  You will gain the opportunity to use the term Birth Cartography within your service, and be listed on the Wall of Informed Birth Supporters as a provider of Birth Cartography.  

As a Birth Cartographer, you will provide your clients with their own copy of The Birth Map: boldly going where no birth plan has gone before and mentor them through the process, encouraging them to create a full Birth Map.  In birth attending, you will support them as they use their Birth Map.

AM I ELIGIBLE?
This training is particularly useful for certified doulas looking to extend their skill base. 
It is, however, open to all practicing birth workers (doulas, midwives and obstetricians)

HOW DO I ARRANGE AN INTENSIVE?
1. Choose the venue near you.  
2. Commit a minimum of 8 participants, in addition to yourself.  
3. Contact Catherine and determine the date
4. Book the Venue, arrange catering (or make it BYO).
5. Set the price per person ($280 plus venue and catering costs)
6. Start inviting participants and collecting payments.
7. Book and Pay the venue (and catering), pay Catherine $280 pp.


WHAT IS THE INVESTMENT?
Catherine's fee is  $280 per person (this is waived for the organiser)
You may need to add venue fees and catering.