Catherine The Birth Cartographer

My name is Catherine. I am a Mother. My Passion is Informed Decisions; My Mission is to help People preparing for birth and parenting to make them. I am undertaking a PhD: The Birth Map - Facilitating Communication and Informed Decision Making in Maternity Services. Here you will find my book 'The Birth Map' and my Birth Cartography Courses. You will also find My Thoughts. My Feelings. My Reflections. The things that hit my radar and compel me to share. There are no conclusions because You will draw your own conclusions. There is No One Way.

Have you NOTICEd something?

NoticeBeing pushed out of our comfort zone may be an opportunity to stretch our horizons or reinforce a boundary. The key is knowing WHY and responding with confidence. nOticeThe feeling of offence is our processors signally that this new information needs to be carefully considered before making a determination. There is No One Way..your offence …

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why do we need birth preparation and support?

Have you ever heard, or even said: It would be great if we didn’t need doulas or I wish we didn’t need birth plans Like ‘leave your dignity at the door’, these statements are not quite what we think they are. What would it look like to not need a doula? would this mean a …

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Are you being reassured, or dismissed?

“I raised a concern with the obstetrician and she said we just have to play it by ear as to what’s happening with the pregnancy at that point. So I felt reassured by that.” Reassure say or do something to remove the doubts or fears Dismiss treat as unworthy of serious consideration The quote above describes an all too …

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Preparing for Caesarean

The following is an excerpt from The Birth Map: boldly going where no birth plan has gone before The medical terms used to describe pre-labour caesareans are ‘planned’, ‘elective’ or ‘scheduled’.  Any in-labour caesarean is deemed an ‘emergency caesarean’.  However in the interests of clarity, there are degrees of urgency. From ‘Pregnancy, Birth and Baby: …

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Is there such a thing as forced professional passivity?

In this video, I challenge a recent paper, “Second Victims in Maternity Care – The Hidden Fallout of Parental Birth Plans”, that raised some concerns for me. Hidden? or non-existent? or disrespectful? The merging of consent with compliance is alarming. You need to comply/consent, or you’ll hurt the feelings of the one seeking your consent/approval. …

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You are the Expedition Leader

Preparing for Birth is like preparing to climb Mount Everest, but with much more chance of success and a lot more warmth! When climbing Everest, a Sherpa is an essential part of your team. They know the landscape, the climate and remain calm and alert. In Birth, a doula is like a sherpa. The doula is familiar with the location, the people and the physiology, remaining calm and alert, guiding and supporting you.