In 2018, I became a qualified midwife. But I soon realised that women often lacked the vital support they needed during their pregnancy and postnatal journey. This inspired me to step outside the hospital walls and offer support ‘in the field’, leading me to create Bloom!
Having always been passionate about fitness and recognising the incredible benefits of exercise during pregnancy, I first obtained my qualification as a pre and postnatal fitness instructor. but I wanted to offer more.
“I’m so proud of what I’ve managed to do with the right support”
This is really exciting concept in perinatal education. With Bloom, my ultimate goal is to provide a nurturing and safe environment, so it fits perfectly with what I want to do. Antenatal Training International has helped me achieve this. and I’m now so busy with my antenatal classes and breastfeeding support that I haven’t had time to complexly finish the Diploma. It’s good to know I can take my time doing this.
“I am really excited at the opportunities that are opening up”
Abby Marsden started by simply visiting the oasis and building closer relationships with the local women and children. In the Siwan culture gender-segregation is high and the culture is very conservative making health education extremely difficult. In the past, official projects were initiated but they were all stopped.
“I very much hope that with a more grassroot approach, I can start something that lasts.”
After establishing trust, Abby prepared a session on pregnancy and birth, which was well attended and appreciated. Although parents often have larger families and most often home births due to the implications of seeking medical support and needing a male to attend these visits, birth education is non existent. She explains this is similar situation for breastfeeding. Mothers often adding in other things to the milk and the weaned children are often malnourished.
Find out more about some of the women and children Abby has been able to support, and how you can get involved with this important work that is literally changing lives…
I spent 20 years as a tax advisor but my passion lay in birth education. I didn’t have any prior experience in midwifery or teaching, and reading loads of books about childbirth, does not transform you into an educator nor a business woman, so I was apprehensive.
However, after talking to Lizzie, I decided to take the leap! I enrolled in the Antenatal teacher training because it would not only provide me with the relevant knowledge about childbirth but would also cover the skills I needed to teach adults and make my business a success. One of the things I really liked about the training is that it taught me to critically read and evaluate research. This is really important for me, because so many classes contain outdated and potentially dangerous information.
“I wanted to provide parents with the highest quality information”
As soon as I enrolled on my BSc Midwifery degree at the age of 19 I knew I had fallen in love with a career that was going to be a lifelong learning curve. Since then I’ve gone onto qualify as a Specialist Community Public Health Nurse, whereby I continued to work hybrid as a midwife and health visitor.
Part of my role was running antenatal classes in a West London hospital, but despite my professional knowledge as a midwife and health visitor I knew that as antenatal education changes lives and changes the birth story, I needed to do the best I could for my parents – and that meant getting trained in this area.
The reason I have reached out to study and complete an Antenatal Training course is so that I can further my knowledge, run classes the best way possible to provide expectant parents and parents with the exact information they require, which will be presented in a way that is perfect for them.
After doing much research in this field, I found Antenatal Training International and their Advanced Diploma in Childbirth Education ticked all the right boxes. Speaking to Lizzie about the diploma lit a fire inside of me.
” A fire about getting the right preparation and a fire about what really matters in classes”
I now run antenatal and postnatal classes where I regularly get 5* reviews from medical professionals. I feel so confident that my parent’s knowledge and skills are increased, no matter what background they have, as a result of everything that I have learnt!
Thank you Lizzie and the team!
I’ve been a night nanny for a few years now, and wanted to expand my business to offer a more holistic range of care my mums and dad’s.
I’ve done various courses over the years but none really helped me in the way I wanted – they just gave me extra knowledge. When I came across the Advanced Diploma it stood out because of the support that went with it. It wasn’t just more knowledge – it was the support that takes that knowledge and applies it so that you can create a real career, not just a part time hobby.
“Being seen as a professional and having a real career was really important to me.”
Passion to Profession: a FREE 4-day workshop, 5 to 8 October, 7pm on Zoom.
For anyone obsessed with birth work and wondering how to turn it into a real career. And for midwives who have lost the joy in it.
Design a career that fits your life, teach in a way that actually changes outcomes, see how simple marketing can be, and find the funding to pay for it. Live bonuses every night, and replays if you miss one.
