About Me

I'm Elle; Mummy to my sassy little toddler Maeve and baby Fearne, Wife to Matt and self-confessed Pregnancy & Birth Nerd.

I'm a real local, born at Salisbury Maternity unit, schooled in Figheldean and Durrington and now live about a mile away from where I grew up. I'm a village kid, the outdoorsy type. I like to live slowly and try my best to live sustainably. We're a laid-back, baby wearing, beer drinking, dog-walking kind of family.

I am passionate about making positive changes to our local maternity services and being a voice for the local parents I support and the wider community as service user representative and deputy lead for the Salisbury Maternity Voices Partnership.

I've always had a bit of an obsession with pregnancy & birth for as long as I can remember - my Dad worked as a herdsman when I was growing up and I think it all stems from all the cows I've seen give birth like total bosses. Growing up near to Stonehenge has also shaped much of teaching - I often refer to our ancestors who settled here and consider how they would have given birth before all this crazy medical intervention & media scaremongering came in to practice.

When I was pregnant with my firstborn I practised Pregnancy Yoga and Hypnobirthing and just knew that was my jam. I was totally mind-blown by the idea that we can enjoy our pregnancy and enjoy the birthing experience by simply taking control, changing our mindset and trusting in our baby and our body. It all seemed so logical and made so much sense.

I trained as a Birth Worker after returning to work after maternity leave, initially in Hypnobirthing and Pregnancy Yoga with the ZenMuma training school and after a really successful first year I joined The Birth Uprising gang to teach a Hypnobirthing course better suited to my vibe and because I can't get enough of seeing you I've also trained in Post-Natal & Baby Yoga so I get to support you post-natally too!

All my classes and services are inclusive to every body and every relationship, situationship - including those flying solo!

If you're looking for a laid back, friendly, fun and non-judgemental class, you're in the right place. We do yoga to Beyonce and Sean Paul on occasion and I've been known to present Beer Babies to well behaved Dads at the end of a Hypnobirthng course! Apparently the cookies are always worth the trip to a class too!

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10 things I am passionate about

Pregnancy, birth and the fourth trimester
Educating people about the simplicity of birth
Empowering birthers to have the birth they deserve... a birth they choose that they're not coerced in to
Helping birthers have their best birth possible by teaching them how to use their bodies and breath
Supporting young Parents through what can be a really scary time
Building communities for local pregnant folk, especially military families who don't have their natural support network nearby
Representing my local community and passing on feedback to our maternity systems
Raising casual awareness around infertility, miscarriage, pregnancy after loss and keeping people's private lives private
The power of nature
Cheese, wine, beer, pizza (ok I know that's cheating but I couldn't just choose one)

Qualifications

ZenMuma

Full Certification in Hypnobirthing, Pregnancy Yoga, Postnatal & Baby Yoga

The Birth Uprising

Hypnobirthing Instructor Conversion Course

The Earth Doula

Breast/Chestfeeding 101, for Birth Workers

Birthrights

Human Rights in Maternity Care: Supporting Informed Consent and Choice