The Birthlight Trust was founded by Dr Francoise Freedman, a medical anthropologist, lecturer, yoga teacher and mother. It is an educational charity committed to promoting greater enjoyment of pregnancy, birth and parenting. A range of classes and workshops are available to parents and young children, from antenatal yoga and birth preparation, through to baby yoga and massage, and water confidence lessons.

Birthlight also runs training courses for midwives, health workers and yoga teachers, providing valuable training for antenatal teachers, doulas, baby yoga and massage instructors and swimming teachers.

The ethos of all classes is informal and supportive. Dr Freedman’s extensive work with mothers and babies from many cultures comes together with her own experience of raising four children, to offer a wealth of knowledge and wisdom to new parents, who often do not have the benefits of the extended family support network enjoyed in other societies.

The Newmarket Classes draw closely from this central core of Birthlight philosophy. Melanie Hamilton Davies has trained directly with Dr Freedman, and enjoyed classes as a Birthlight mum before deciding to study for the diplomas. She draws upon her own background of mainstream teaching, in addition to mothering her two daughters to enhance her Birthlight training, providing parents with a caring, relaxed environment for either group classes or private sessions. It is Melanie’s belief that through nurturing adults as they in turn nurture their children, we can enhance everyone’s experience of family life and invest the best of ourselves in the next generation.