'Birth Cartography: Communication and Sensemaking in Maternity'

The concept of Birth Cartography evolved when her Master's in Science Communication and her doula and breastfeeding educator/counsellor experience caused an adaptation of The Birth Plan.
Birth Cartography, an adaptation to the overly medicalised conditions modern maternity, has been tested across different models of care. In recognition of the uniqueness of every woman and birth, we used Realist Evaluation to ask what works for whom, in what circumstances and WHY?
The study design was built around the lens of The Woman, drawing out her story on her unique journey.
In this presentation I will share key findings, and describe the concept.

Catherine Bell

In becoming a Mother, Catherine was frustrated with the 'need to know' nature of maternity, so trained as a birth doula and breastfeeding counsellor and educator to fill the knowledge gap and support other women. Combined with her Master in Science Communication, this led to the development of Birth Cartography and the invention of The Game of Birth. Her book, The Birth Map, is the subject of her PhD study into communication and decision-making in maternity services.

Speaker Sponsor ~ Dial a Doula

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Dial a Doula is one of Melbourne’s oldest face to face doula training organisations, we have been training birth and postnatal doula’s for over 25 years. With this experience, we have seen the many ways our doulas have been able to support birth and postpartum. Past Dial a Doula students have started organisations such as Birth For Human Kind, they’ve been involved in setting up Doula Network Australia, there are past students who have built strong and lasting relationships with private midwives in homebirths, public & private hospitals; and some have worked alongside incredible Obstetricians.
Dial a Doula training is aligned with anyone who feels they want to hold space and support pregnant or postnatal people and families, through the most amazing and sometimes challenging time in their lives; our doulas come from varying backgrounds, with layers of experience, some are drawn to studying with us because they love birth; or someone they knew had a traumatic experience in birth or postnatally, and they wanted to do all they could to support people during this important time in their lives; some have had a really positive experience and feel called to support people in birth or postnatally; we have many doulas who were deciding whether to study midwifery or to become a doula, and they knew that in their heart they wanted to offer continuous care and support during pregnancy, birth and postnatally. Our doulas are personable, empathetic, warm hearted, passionate and want to support birth and postpartum in whatever space feels right for each birthing or postnatal person.
​https://www.dialadoula.com.au/

Retracing, rekindling and reclaiming inner knowing
​for more attuned birthing in our modern times