BECOMING FAMILIES
- Improving the lives of local families through pregnancy and beyond.
Helen Hunt (Co-Founder) is a qualified antenatal teacher (DipHE) and has many years' experience facilitating antenatal education.
She and Jo met when they were training and set up Birth Choices Worcestershire to provide accessible and affordable antenatal classes to local parents.
Helen also works as a midwife, has two children and lives in Pershore.
Along with Jo, she develops and runs two community websites that support pregnant and new families voluntarily.
Jo Lederer (Co-Founder) is a qualified antenatal teacher and transition to parenthood practitioner (DipHE) with several years' experience teaching antenatal and postnatal courses and supporting local mums and dads as they become parents.
She has a BA (Hons) in Psychology & Sociology and has undertaken further training and continuing professional development (see below) in infant development and maternal and infant mental health.
She has previously worked as a postnatal wellbeing support worker within Early Help.
As part of her commitment to safe practice, Jo receives regular clinical supervision for her work within Becoming Families.
Jo is a mum of 3 and lives in Worcester.
Cathy Green
Cathy Green has been a qualified antenatal teacher (DipHE) for many years and an experienced midwife working in a birth centre and homebirth team.
She is also a qualified Birth Trauma Resolution Practitioner. This therapy provides relief from the symptoms of birth trauma in as little as one to two sessions.
Cathy is passionate about supporting women and their families to have a positive and empowering experience of pregnancy, birth and the early postnatal period.
She is a mum to two teenage daughters and lives in Worcester
Lynn Ratcliffe
Lynn Ratcliffe has been teaching parents-to-be with the NCT, Birmingham Women's Hospital NHS Trust and Birth Choices for the last 10 years.
Lynn also teaches NCT Relax, Stretch and Breathe classes in Worcester and Evesham.
She is passionate about helping parents to explore their ideas and to get the birth they want and absolutely loves facilitating groups on their journey to parenthood.
Lynn has 3 children, lives in Evesham and works part time for the NHS in Worcestershire
Maxine Downes
Maxine Downes became a qualified antenatal practitioner after studying a Birth and Beyond course for two years through the University of Worcester. Prior to this she qualified as an adult nurse (BNurse)Hons and worked for many years in the operating theatres in the UK and Australia.
After having her first baby she found her passion had moved away from clinical nursing and lay in supporting others through the antenatal and early parenthood transition.
The desire to support parents on their journey initially started by volunteering as a breastfeeding peer supporter, then through volunteering for the NCT in the Worcester and Droitwich branch and finally facilitating her own antenatal classes once qualified.
She is soon to be a mum of two and lives in Stourport-on-Severn.
Coming soon....
Another amazing practitioner coming soon!
Jo's Qualifications and Training
Currently studying MSc Perinatal Mental Health, Sheffield Hallam University
BA(Hons) Psychology & Sociology The University of Sheffield
Dip(HE) Antenatal Education/Transition to Parenthood The University of Bedfordshire
Certified Birthlight Teacher in Yoga for Maternity
Certificate of Training in Nurturing Baby Massage, Birthlight
Certificate of Training in Birth Preparation, Birthlight
NVQ3 Children's Care, Learning and Development
Infant Mental Health Online Certificate Warwick Medical School
Infant Mental Health and Development Foundation Program The Wonder Weeks Academy
Maternal Mental Health E-learning Institute of Health Visiting
Postnatal Depression Training (level 4) Be Ready to Parent
Counselling Skills for Non-counsellors (level 3) Relate
Pregnancy loss and the death of a baby SANDS training
Pregnancy and Infant Loss: the Ultimate Bereavement The Foundation for Infant Loss
Certificate in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Institute of Counselling
Attachment Theory OXPIP
Watch, Wait and Wonder OXPIP
Emotional Regulation in Pregnancy OXPIP
Assessing Parent Infant Relationships OXPIP
Ghosts in the Nursery OXPIP
Brazelton Newborn Behavioural Observation Practitioner, The Brazelton Institute
ITSIEY: Early Intervention Skills to Enhance Parent-Infant Relationships Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families with the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust
Parent-Infant Group Work Module 1 OXPIP
Helen's Qualifications and Training
BSc(Hons) Midwifery The University of Worcester
Dip(HE) Antenatal Education/Transition to Parenthood The University of Bedfordshire
Pregnancy loss and the death of a baby SANDS training
Safeguarding Adults, Safeguarding Children
Adult and Neonatal Life Support