A little background about me...
Hello, I am Jan Phelps and I would like to share a little bit about myself and Aqua4Baby.
I am a mother of two girls and two dogs, I am lucky to be married to my husband of who I have known for 33 years.
Whilst I was carrying our first child; I was working in London and travelling daily by train to work where I worked as a Personal Assistant to the Head of Housekeeping in the Tower Thistle hotel, it did mean that I had to organise staff and run the floors at all hours. I was tired but found the pool to be of great benefit especially taking the weight off my and body, running up and down corridors helping the chamber maids get the bedrooms ready was physical work, and body need looking after.
When I was expecting our second daughter I was the assistant restaurant manager of Muddy Waters river boat restaurant, Chelmsford and then I was a chef at Little Waltham and Ford End School, it was very exhausting being on my feet all morning whilst pregnant as well as having another child and a puppy!
How did you begin Aqua4Baby?
I was informed about Aqua Natal from my sister in law it was a relief to find, it refreshed my body and mind by giving me great benefits, my sleep increased and eased my joints by being supported by woggles and water, lying on my tummy on the woggles was just bliss, feeling my baby move and the time in the water just allowed us to bond and share our growing love, with the added bonus I was able to take forward breathing techniques and tips shared by other mums-to-be into my labour.
When I was pregnant with my second child, Chris was running them, Chris quietly approached me and said she was looking to retirement and looking for someone else to take over. This was the job opportunity I was waiting for; the job attracted me as fitted in with who I am’
I love meeting new people, cultures, helping people feeling I was doing some good. I got great benefits from these classes and did not want them lost to all future pregnant women. The physical and emotional benefits are empowering – enabling the pregnant women to feel they know their bodies and the benefits of talking with other mums-to-be about their fears and anxieties and letting go of their emotions of pregnancy without the negative comments of everyday society.
I started training for Aquanatal just under 12 years ago now, under the watchful eye of Chris Johnston who is a midwife who started these classes in the area and Franchoise Barbira Freedman the owner of Birthlight.
In October 2010, I passed my qualification with Distinction, and I have been running Aqua4baby for 13 years and have enjoyed teaching these classes, sharing experiences and being able to reflect from experience and personal knowledge of delivering two children myself.
I have used the classes for both of my pregnancies, who then the classes were taught by Chris Johnston and her business partner, Sue Bradley.
When the classes run
It is an absolute honour to share my knowledge with mums to be and give them the me-time that I enjoyed with my unborn child. Something no mum-to-be should not miss.
My classes run Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 8pm from Newland Springs school pool on Nickleby road, www.aqua4baby.co.uk or contact direct jan@aqua4baby.co.uk