Catherine Bell

Catherine is the creator of Birth Cartography, author of 'The Birth Map: Boldly going where no birth plan has gone before' and inventor of The Game of Birth. She is currently a PhD Candidate at the University of Canberra, with a vision for Woman-led Maternity: where care providers work together to support women, assist if needed and honour and respect the immensity of matrescence. Her mission is to provide all women with the means to make informed decisions regarding their pregnancy care, labour, birth and parenting.

In becoming a mother, Catherine shifted from the Marine Biology path into Science Communication. Training as a doula and breastfeeding educator in 2011, sparked a feminist fire, as she identified the glaring hole in the shape of maternity. Frustrated at the need-to-know nature of the maternity system, and the limited information provided when facing decisions, Catherine developed birth cartography. Her website, birthmap.life evolved to provide access to this concept, resources and training for birth workers.