Birthlight Cambridge - About Us

Sally Lomas

I have always enjoyed working intuitively and flexibly. From my years of experience as an artist in London to my closer contact with families in my work as a teacher and counsellor, and now my involvement with Birthlight, I have tried to be true to my inner feelings and values.

I originally trained as a textiles designer and with a partner opened a shop in Fulham Rd producing exclusive hand painted silks. I learnt to combine my creative ideas with commercial realism. Although the business was successful I felt the need to expand my horizons and left the UK to travel through Asia, Australia and North America. I was fascinated by the glimpses into the lives of other cultures. I feel travelling has helped me to open my mind, to accept and explore different attitudes in the knowledge that we can all learn from and help each other.

I settled in California and with the birth of my first child my involvement with babies began. It was such a wonderful experience and I so enjoyed getting to know my new daughter.

I began by training and then working as a Montessori teacher with babies and children from birth to 3 years old. Over time I realised I had equal interest in the parents and their relationships within the family. My communication skills developed as I learnt to listen and to guide them.

On returning to England I trained as a counsellor but was unsure which direction to take. When I became pregnant with my second child I attended Birthlight classes with Françoise Freedman. Knowing the joy and support I felt being close to other women about to give birth and realising how special this was to me I knew it was work I needed to be involved with. I felt the different skills I had learnt over the years could come together to help others towards a more enjoyable birth experience.

I combined being a mother with continuing to study. I attended classes to learn from Françoise Freedman and trained at the Active Birth centre in London with Janet Balaskas.

I am now settled in Cambridge, have four children and have been teaching here for nearly 10 years. My training and experience has progressed and I now teach Antenatal Yoga, Aqua Yoga and Childbirth preparation courses for couples. I have helped to develop Birthlight courses to support families after the birth and I teach fun Baby Yoga and Baby swimming classes.

I have now become a director of Birthlight and I am involved in our teacher training programme (Director of Training). I believe passionately in the Birthlight vision, helping mothers and fathers towards an empowering birth experience and babies to a gentle and loving welcome to the world.

Gillian Nevin

I am a mother of four children and attended Active Birth with yoga Classes in London throughout my pregnancies. I found that the confidence and knowledge gained was the most invaluable contribution to the way in which I coped with the enormously powerful experience of labour and birth. I subsequently trained as a yoga teacher and an Active Birth Teacher with Janet Balaskas. I have taught Antenatal yoga, postnatal yoga and Baby Massage for many years. I have recently moved to Cambridge and have joined Birthlight. Before becoming an Active Birth Teacher, I taught Art History.