Newcastle Pregnancy and Baby Centre

About us

Newcastle Pregnancy and Baby Centre was founded in 2009 by Linzy Thirlaway, Josie Lucas and Judith Soames.

Linzy Thirlaway

Linzy qualified as a midwife in 1999, gaining a first class honours degree from Northumbria university.  Since then she has worked within the NHS as a midwife and specialises in parent education.  In 2000 Linzy also began studying complementary therapies and holds diploma qualifications in massage, reflexology, aromatherapy and the use of complementary therapies in maternity care. 

In 2007 Linzy qualified as a Certified Infant Massage Instructor with the International Association of Infant Massage and has since also qualified as a Certified Baby Yoga Instructor and Kindermusik Educator.  She has been running baby massage and baby yoga classes in Gosforth for the past 3 years. In 2009 she founded the Newcastle Pregnancy and Baby centre with Josie Lucas and Judith Soames.

She is passionate about supporting women through their pregnancy, birth and early days of parenthood.

To contact Linzy telephone  07795438135 or email linzyhedgecock@hotmail.com

Josie Lucas

Josie originally trained in Newcastle as a contemporary dancer, graduating from Norhumbria University in 2002 with a first class honours degree.  She then completed her Pilates training with the Body Control Pilates Association in London, also graduating in 2002.  Since then Josie has been working towards her Masters degree in Dance Science as a part-time learning course with the University of Wolverhampton, is working towards her Pilates machine work qualifications and has passed her Advanced Pilates Matwork giving her Master of Matwork teacher status.  Josie has also since had two children of her own in 2007 and 2009!

Josie started out her teaching career teaching dance at Dance City where she taught community based adult Jazz classes and children's creative/contemporary classes.  Josie did some choreography, performance and outreach teaching work across Newcastle Schools with a graduates dance company before moving into teaching GCSE and A-level dance and working for Stagecoach Stage School, teaching  children's dance and drama.  

In Pilates, Josie began her teaching with The Pilates Studio in 2002 and has been based there ever since teaching private and group Pilates sessions.  It was from this base that Josie decided to set up her 'Bumps and Babies Pilates' classes.  Josie has also taught the anatomy and physiology, and Pilates units on the dance degree courses at Newcastle College.

Josie set up 'Bumps and Babies Pilates' as she really wanted to use her skills to help women maintain and even improve strength and posture during pregnancy and especially to encourage good postural habits around their children.  The mother and baby classes were developed with the ethos that 'every little helps', and are geared towards encouraging mums to see Pilates as part of their every day routine rather than something that requires lots of child-free time!  All of the classes are intended to provide a friendly and informal setting to come and exercise with either bump or baby!

 

 

To contact Josie telephone 07736928277 or email bumpsandbabiespilates@hotmail.co.uk 

Judith Soames

Judith studied at the Natural Therapies Institute in Tyne & Wear and in 1999 qualified as a Massage Therapist with International Therapy Examination Council diplomas in Anatomy & Physiology, Massage and  Aromatherapy Massage.

She is a member of the Complementary Therapists Association (EMBODY) with whom she is insured. She is also registered with the Aromatherapy Council and the General Regulatory Council for Complementary Therapists.

In 2003 she studied Massage for Pregnancy and Labour with Well Mother achieving a qualification from the Association of Physical and Natural Therapists. 

She set up her  own practice SoamesTherapy in 2002 and has found working with pregnant women rewarding, inspirational and extremely enjoyable.  In 2005 and 2007 she had her own children and her experiences during pregnancy have helped to develop her practice with pregnant women.

To contact Judith telephone 07789010317 or email  soamestherapy@aol.com

 

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