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.

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: …

Preparing for Caesarean Read More »

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. …

Is there such a thing as forced professional passivity? Read More »

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.

Humanised Birth: the minimal standard

Our current approach to maternity is far short of what the minimal for maternity should be. In a society that values mothers, we would see a minimal standard based on compassion, connection and confidence. We would be celebrating and honouring the transformation, and doing everything we could to ensure women transition whole and powerful. We …

Humanised Birth: the minimal standard Read More »