Hello! Hailey and I have been running Grow+Gather since 2020. A fact I find hard to believe. Where has the time gone? Life has been so full; working as midwives, running our business and growing our families. It has been such a joy to meet so many of you over the last five years and we can’t wait to welcome more of you into the Grow+Gather family! Since it has been such a while since we said hello, we thought we would tell you a little more about ourselves.
Who we are
Grow+Gather was co-founded by midwives, Hannah and Hailey. We met whilst working in the same community midwifery team. Hailey had just come back from Costa Rica where she had been studying pregnancy yoga and Hannah had moved up to Edinburgh from London where she had done her hypnobirthing training. When lockdown hit in 2020, we were acutely aware that there were no NHS classes being offered and so we both felt like we wanted to do something to help prepare couples in a time that was incredibly stressful for those expecting a baby. At this point, we were doing zoom classes online. We then began our in person antenatal classes in Leith. Over the next few years we ran our classes at various times and in various venues all the while juggling midwifery work and small children. We absolutely love what we do and we are both so passionate about antenatal education. Our aim is to provide honest, reliable and non-judgemental information so that you can approach the birth of your baby, and the early days of parenting with confidence and a sense of calm.
Why Grow+Gather
Hailey and I wanted to create a space where expectant folk could come together, gather together and grow in understanding. Where Hailey and I could be open and upfront about the realities of growing and birthing your baby as well as caring for your little one in the early days. We wanted to cut through all the noise surrounding birth and parenthood - gosh there is so much noise - and make sure you feel confident in your options and choices going forward. A space where there isn’t one ‘right way’ of birthing your baby or one way of feeding your baby. Where you can make your own decisions based on up-to-date and relevant evidence. Our classes are interactive, fun and factual! There is no topic off the cards and no question too wild! We also want people to practice hands-on activities, ensuring you can use a sling or swaddle your baby with confidence when the time comes.
What next for Grow+Gather
Hailey and I are constantly putting our heads together to think about next steps for Grow+Gather. We love our antenatal classes and 1:1 sessions and have really enjoyed teaching our active birth classes too. In the coming year, we hope to focus a little more on supporting parents postnatally. Both of us have decided to embark on some further training and we can’t wait to reveal our news to you soon. We realise, both as midwives and mothers, that becoming a new parent is both exciting and daunting. There are challenges and bumps along the way and we want to be able to support you during those moments too. We can’t wait to get started!
A little bit about us
Hannah
Hello! I have been a midwife for nearly ten years now and I have worked in different clinical areas both in London, Edinburgh as well as working for a time in Uganda. I am also a hypnobirthing teacher and a nurse. I believe strongly in bringing together a medical model of care whilst recognising the importance of relational care, movement and the role of the mind-body connection for birth, healing and overall wellbeing. I have two little boys who just wont stop growing and are now 4 and 6! My days are often filled with the school run, endless trips to the park, stories, and lego! When I am not working or teaching or looking after little people, I love to run, drink hot coffee and experiment with random soup concoctions. Fun fact; I birthed my second baby in a dry bath tub at home because I didn’t have time to fill it before he was born! It was the wonderful Hailey who arrived 10 minutes before my son did and helped me bring him into the world (via the dry bath tub)!
Hailey
Hi! I am the other half of the Grow+Gather team. Midwife, mum, wife, dog mum and a big lover of that feeling you get after you have been for a walk to ‘blow the cobwebs away’. I have been a midwife for seven years now, but in some ways it feels like I have always been a midwife. I was around when my brother was born and have been fascinated with birth and the incredible resilience of women since then. Since training as a midwife, and more recently having my own baby, this wonder has only grown. My days are currently filled with baby classes, buggy walks with the dog, sneaky coffee stops when the baby sleeps and finding moments of stillness amongst the madness (read joy) of the first year of parenthood. I have been continuing to teach on our antenatal classes and privately in people’s homes too. The mountains and beaches are my favourite places for adventures in our campervan, but I am equally happy on the sofa with a good bit of grand designs or designing the Hebrides!
We would love to meet you at our antenatal weekend classes, active birth sessions, first aid classes or at home during a 1:1 session. Or, if you have already had your baby, we can come and support you at home too. We love supporting people during pregnancy and as they become new parents. It really brings us so much joy. So why not get in touch and say hello?
@growandgatheredinburgh
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