As one wise woman once said “let's start at the very beginning, it's a very good place to start” (Julie Andrews).

My mother retired from nursing at the age of 50 to slow down and do a number of alternative therapies including massage therapy, rei-kei master, aromatherapy etc…

this just gives you a bit of background to see where I get my enthusiasm of learning, sharing and wanting to help my community.

I teach yoga and movement to different population groups but my main aim is to make positive mental health and well-being tools accessible to all and to all ages, which is why I teach pre and postnatally, in schools, to SEND children and young people (special educational needs and disabilities), as well as adult classes. 

When I am not teaching Yoga and well-being I am a bodyworker specialising in integrated myofascial release with soft tissue massage techniques for all ailments but mainly focusing on Women's Health, prenatal and postnatal bodywork, including scar work and pelvic health care.

All of the above is packaged with breathwork as the core foundation…

Which led me to the obvious training for being certified as a hypnotherapist and training in hypnobirthing, just to make sure all the areas were covered.

I have been working at East of Eden practically as soon as it started and I have seen numerous parents and babies adding to our community through the pregnancy and parent and baby classes.

This is to give you a brief overview of what I do and how I can help you and your family at this exciting stage of your life and what's great about actually being part of the Walthamstow/ Waltham Forest community is that anything I don’t know or specialise in, I will usually know someone who does. This is how BBB came about, wanting to help our community, so we can come and share our experiences together.

Mental Health support

My name is Sian and I am a counsellor/psychotherapist who currently runs a practice out of East of Eden, you may have seen me around if you visit regularly.  Although I do work with more general issues my speciality and focus is fertility issues, baby loss, pregnancy and birth, and post natal.  I work with couples and individuals. 

I will be running a pre-natal workshop from the perspective of mental health and I will be covering issues such as:

How to deal with anxiety and intrusive thoughts

Managing expectations

Managing relationships

Identity and self esteem

Choice, control and empowerment

Birth trauma 

Post natal depression

Social media

There will also be a Q&A

Baby feeding specialist

I work in women's health supporting women's throughout pregnancy, birth & postpartum, as a Mindful Breastfeeding Practitioner with the Mindful Breastfeeding School, Breastfeeding Counsellor with the Association of Breastfeeding Mothers (running a bi-weekly free breastfeeding support group at Hale End Library in Highams Park & taking calls on the National Breastfeeding Helpline), a birth & traditional postpartum doula and hypnobirthing practitioner.  I also support woman as they bring balance back to their hormones as a women's hormone health practitioner, at any stage in their life.  

During the two hour breastfeeding workshop we will cover:

• Feeding your baby

• Feeding cues to look out for

• Responsive feeding 

• Feeding options

• Getting breastfeeding/chestfeeding off to a good start

• Positioning and Attachment

• Signs breastfeeding/chestfeeding is going well

• Expressing Breastmilk 

• Formula feeding

• Paced feeding

• Q&A

Paediatric first aid

Hannah has over 15 years experience working as an Emergency Nurse in various settings including the NHS, Refugee camps and as an Expedition medic. Since qualifying as a Yoga Teacher almost 10 years ago and now an integrated Women's Therapist, Hannah has been delivering bespoke first aid to various yoga communities. Hannah's strength is creating a safe, inclusive and fun space to not only learn new skills but also feel very confident to deliver first aid in real life situations. For more info, head to www.goodspaceyoga.org

Hannah will lead a paediatric first aid session on the following:  

The role of the first aider

Managing an emergency 

Child/baby Resuscitation 

Seizures

Choking 

Burns 

Midwife

Essential knowledge

• Making the right decisions- birth plan

• Your body, your baby, your birth, your choice

• The role of the birth partner

• Gravity, baby’s position and birth positions

• Tearing (it isn’t as bad as you think!)

• The potential for intervention

• Due dates

• Sweeps

• Inductions

• Pain relief

• Caesareans and gentle caesareans

• Choosing where to give birth

• Early labour signs

• The stages of labour

• The golden hour