We are thrilled to welcome a new member to the Grow and Gather team! Laura is an incredible midwife, mum, colleague and pal and we are both so chuffed to have her on board. Laura will be joining us to teach baby and infant first aid with her first class happening at the end of May. We get asked about first aid a lot on our courses and whilst we do manage to touch on the basics during our antenatal classes, Laura is going to be offering a really in-depth, informative two hour course that we think is invaluable! Here is a little more info about the lovely Laura and her fantastic classes
Hello Laura! Can you tell us a little more about yourself?
I never really thought about being a midwife growing up. I went to university straight from school to study Biologocal Sceinces and worked part time. I wanted to be a biology teacher, few years passed and I was a manager with Asda when I had the chance to change my path and chose to apply for midwifery. Fast forward another few years and I got married at Edinburgh Zoo to my wonderful hubby Graeme and we have 3 incredible children, 2 dogs and a house that’s definitely not big enough for all of us at the moment!
We love birth stories over at Grow and Gather. Can you tell us a little more about your births with Graeson and the twins?
Graeson was a 'lock-down baby' born in June 2020. I developed gestational diabetes so was induced on my due date. I had a balloon induction and honestly it was textbook. The balloon worked really well and after my waters were broken, Graeson arrived 4 hours later! My placenta didn’t want to deliver however so I ended up in theatre to have help with that. I recovered well and was home after one night in the postnatal ward.
Jessica and Jack were born in November 2021, they were very much a shock as I have no twins in my family! Towards the end of the pregnancy Jack was breech so we made the decision to have an elective caesarean section this time. I was very nervous, having been at quite a few sections before but it was a really calm, lovely experience! All the theatre staff were amazing, we had music playing and Hailey even got to be there too! Recovery was obviously longer and I needed more help at home but nothing some good pain relief and support from friends and family couldn’t sort out!
Wow! You are doing such amazing job! How do you juggle the work of being a midwife with being mum to three little ones?
Hmmm I really don’t know a lot of the time…coffee helps! I’m not going to pretend it’s easy because a lot of the time it’s not. A big part of it is having good support around you, especially Graeme. I couldn’t continue to do the job I love if it wasn’t for him. I also try to make time for myself too, time off from being 'mum' isn’t a bad thing! I also try and write lots and lots of lists as baby brain never really leaves you does it!?
And on top of being a mum and working as a midwife you are joining us to teach first aid! What made you interested in first aid?
I’ve been thinking about it for a while and since having the kids it has played more on my mind. I wanted to do something rewarding so what better than to educate other parents on how to potentially save their child’s life if they ever found themselves in that awful situation.
And what are you most looking forward to about working with Grow + Gather?
I can’t wait to be part of the family! I’m really looking forward to being part of that journey into parenthood. I want to find out how I can help families get the most out of their sessions and build confidence around a topic that can be quite frightening at times.
So tell us more about your classes! Who should come and how do they book?
The first aid classes will cover lots of topics including CPR, choking, burns, breaks and lots more! They are going to be relaxed, easy to follow and give you the skills you need to help if faced with an emergency. They are for anyone who might be looking after your child, so invite granny and grandad along too! You can also bring your babies provided they aren’t moving around yet. To book check out the website, the first class is on 24th May 6-8pm! See you all there! https://www.growandgather.co.uk/booknow
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