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This blog is a collection of articles written or compiled by Catherine Bell. Generally, these posts cover topics relate to pregnant, birth and mothering. Maternal feminism is a common theme, as is informed decision making. As with any blog, these are my thoughts, my ideas, my poems…you are encouraged to draw your own conclusions. There is No One Way.

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What is Information Overload? The Navel string and placenta, a unit that substances first an embryo, then a fetus...and then for final flourish, a baby. For 15 minutes, maybe an hour, the blood will continue to move into the baby. Waiting for White "some hours after the birth the cord is thin, dry, hard, and exsanguine. It can then be cut without any special precaution" Michel Odent (p.71 Childbirth in the Age of Plastics (exsanguine means bloodless)) If your baby is born in a hospital, there may be a sense of urgency to weigh the baby. This is not an evidence-based practice but rather a clinical habit that may cause harm. Have you discovered Birth Mapping? Most people hear birth plan and think of something set in stone, something that has to be followed to the letter and has no room for error. Something that is inflexible, rigid and ultimately impossible to achieve. Birth is unpredictable, so surely it is pointless to plan. I first heard the term 'scientific birth' used by Michel Odent in the (must see) documentary Face of Birth. The medical terms that describe pre-labour caesareans are ‘planned’, ‘elective’ or ‘scheduled’. Any in-labour caesarean is deemed an ‘emergency’. Frequent advice on how to write a birth plan suggests being polite and positive. And not adversarial. Politeness, manners, respect. These are the cornerstones of a functional society. Being kind, acknowledging others and listening are all considered reasonable.