Articles written by Julie Bell

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About me - Julie Bell

Julie Bell was born in Australia but grew up in New Zealand so has experienced life on both sides of the Tasman. She claims allegiance to whichever nation is winning the cricket. After completing her training as a Registered Comprehensive Nurse, she decided

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Parenting & Pregnancy > Childbirth & Labor Childbirth: Advice for dads: 1 of 9

This is your "Cheat Sheet" for Fathers! She's about to have the baby, and you haven't had time to plough through the plethora of books, articles & stuff off the internet. Birth videos make you want to leave the room and you wonder how much of what they said at the pre-natal classes you'll remember in the heat of the mome...
Parenting & Pregnancy > Childbirth & Labor Childbirth: The benefits of hiring a doula: 1 of 7

"If there was a drug that could shorten labour by an average of two hours; reduce the likelihood of ceasarian by half; decrease the need for artificial pain relief; increase a labouring woman's sense of relaxation, comfort, confidence and overall satisfaction; and promote positive feelings that promote bonding of the mother,...
Parenting & Pregnancy > Childbirth & Labor Postpartum care: What to expect after a natural birth: 1 of 7

In our culture, new mothers are often expected to bounce back after giving birth and carry on as normal. We can have a competitive or impatient drive to do this ourselves. But your fourth trimester" is an important and precious part of your birthing journey. This is your "Babymoon" a time for milky snuggles with this soft-sk...
Creative Writing > Essays Essays: War: 5 of 24

A few days before Anzac Day, 2006, I sat in a Melbourne caf, reading the paper and nursing my latte. My eye fell on an article on the debate surrounding whether descendants of deceased veterans should march in the parades. The author took issue with requests from the R.S.L. that a dress code be adhered to, as a sign of respe...
Parenting & Pregnancy > Childbirth & Labor Choosing a birth partner or doula: 1 of 4

I heard about the Doula concept while I was pregnant with my first baby. I read all I could find on the subject of birth support and doula care. When I found out that there are Doula training courses, I thought, "That's for me!" During my training I had the privilege to meet many dynamic doulas (put a few hundred of these re...
Creative Writing > Reflections Reflections: Childhood memories: 40 of 135

"What?!" Dad screwed up his sweat-streaked, sun-peeled face and tilted his ear towards me. I cupped my hands around my mouth, sucked in a lungful of air and "I SAID, CUP OF TEA'S READYYY!" Dad cut the motor in mid-sentence and went cross-eyed as my high-pitched wail shattered the silence. "All right, all right! No need to ye...
Relationships & Family > Married Life Stay-at-home moms: Are they appreciated enough?: 18 of 39

This is 'The Lament of the Real SAHM' - that would be, the 'Sometimes At Home Mother'. One day there will be a movie about modern motherhood and it will be called: "Wife. Interrupt what's that darling? Interrupted." Recently I saw an article lamenting the low status of Stay at Home Mothers in modern society. The article star...
Parenting & Pregnancy > Pregnancy The spiritual aspects of pregnancy: 1 of 2

There is something about giving birth, or witnessing the woman you love give birth, that causes us to be mindful of the spiritual dimension to life in a deeper, keener way than we normally know in everyday life. It seems that we are more sensitive to the things of the Spirit around the time of birth. How similar this is to o...
Parenting & Pregnancy > Pregnancy Tips for reducing the risk of pre-eclampsia: 1 of 2

High blood pressure in pregnancy can be scary. You may have heard of this affecting the growth of the baby, or causing fetal distress in labour, or even of mothers having fits from pre-eclampsia. Yet few people realise how much diet and lifestyle contribute to rising blood pressure in pregnancy, and how much we can use our d...
Parenting & Pregnancy > Childbirth & Labor Homebirth vs. hospital: things to consider: 7 of 12

There she lay... a stranded beetle tethered to the bed... a bleeping machine with wiggly lines on one side... another bleeping machine infusing some kind of ominous cocktail into her veins on the other side - and suddenly she sat bolt upright and cried, "I'm frightened!" The midwife seized her by the shoulders and pushed her...