Chris Johnston
My Journey with Birthlight.
In 1998 while still working as a midwife in our local hospital in Chelmsford, I attended a one day course in London on Yoga with Babies. It was run by Francoise and was totally magical and inspiring.The following day when I watched the video which I had bought, my journey with Birthlight had begun.
I'd already been running Baby Massage classes as a midwife and soon introduced baby yoga movements into these classes. The following year the NHS withdrew funding for me to run the classes on their behalf.So for a year or so, my friend, Sue Bradley, and I ran them voluntarily before setting up our partnership and running more classes together privately. I just loved helping the parents to recognise how much their babies understood from such an early age and how the Birthlight approach could help to heal any birth trauma and help them bond with their babies.
I completed my Diploma in Baby yoga in April 2002, followed the next day by doing my 3day Infant Aquatic Foundation course. As Sue and I drove home that night with 'information overload' neither of us would have minded if we never saw the inside of a swimming pool again! However, after a few days rest and more inspiration from many mums and babies, we continued with our plans to run Infant Aquatic classes at a local hotel pool. Every 6 to 12 weeks we needed to start another class as word spread about our fun classes and to accommodate our lengthening waiting list. Rapidly Birthlight became an important network for mums, dads and babies throughout Chelmsford. This time was a steep learning curve for me as although a confident swimmer (I was swimmimg with my dad in an outdoor pool in Scotland at 4 years old!) but I had never handled a baby in water, except all wriggly covered in soap when I bathed our two sons many years before!
As a midwife I had also run aqua aerobic classes for pregnant mums but in 2004 the NHS stopped the funding for these as well. Having completed the Foundation in aquayoga the previous year, Sue and I started running these classes as aquayoga classes .The feedback from the mums was so encouraging and inspiring. At the end of each class when we did relaxation, it was a real priviledge to watch the mums sharing the experience of floating with their unborn babies.
I have just stopped doing my two aquayoga classes each week so as to have more time at home but do still miss the contact with the pregnant mums in the water.
I have always been interested in helping pregnant mums have the best birth possible so in 2006 the Yogacise Foundation followed by the Diploma was an obvious must for me. I learnt an incredible amount from Francoise and LIz Doherty in N. Ireland. As I flew home I wished so much that I had known as a midwife what I learnt on the course in terms of breathing, extra positions and how to help build real confidence in the mums for the birth of their babies. As I set up Yogacise classes in Chelmsford it was daunting and I was working on my own for the first time and had no one to bounce ideas off. However it was very rewarding setting up the classes and hearing how each labour went. I received many text messages and some photos and treasure them to this day.
In 2008 we heard the exciting news that we were to be grandparents and in September little Matthew came into our world. He has changed our lives and we look forward to every time we see him and his mum and dad and note all the changes in his little personality. Knowing I would want to be more available with my time and able to help with wee Matt as necessary, I have been encouraging other Birthlight Instructors in Chelmsford with their Birthlight training so they can take over some of my classes. This may mean, in a few years time, maybe as soon as 18 months from now, I will 'retire again' knowing Birthlight in Chelmsford is in safe hands with Gemmma, Jan, Michelle, Liz and Rebecca.
All my time with Birthlight would not have been possible without the help of my dear hubbie, Eric, as my unpaid secretary, my friend and business partner, Sue, Francoise and her ideas, her inspiration from the Amazonian parents,her team of tutors and of course all the very special babies in and around Chelmsford.
Eric has now made a web page: http://www.satsig.net/birthlight-in-chelmsford.htm
Since 2004, when a personal tragedy affected Sue and her family, I have been raising money for the Meningitis Trust. They are an amazing charity supporting all families that need them. I have done this by raffling my knitted clowns, selling knitted Easter Chickens and holding coffee mornings. I have also cycled up to 60 km a day on some holidays while being sponsored by my family, friends and the Birthlight mums and dads. I guess for me the overall joy of Birthlight has been meeting and getting to know so many inspiring teachers and so many wonderful families. I continue to learn from them all and love to see the babies develop their own personalities. Family dynamics change as new brothers and sisters arrive and the Birthlight approach showing love and respect for each little person can help them adjust to their new circumstances in the best way possible.
Thank you Francoise and all at Birthlight for your love, help, support and encouragemnet over the last 10 years
Chris Johnston