Welcome to Liz's Bumps and Babes. Based in the South Hams area of Devon, Bumps and Babes provides instruction on Aquanatal and Baby Massage. Aquabumps classes are a fun and effective way to exercise in pregnancy and Baby Massage enables a wonderful relationship to be developed between parents and their babies.
I am a Community Midwife, working in the South Hams. In 1986, after 17 years in secretarial and administrative work, I left Devon for Bristol to train as an RGN. I then went on to train as a Midwife, qualifying in 1991. Since then I have worked in hospital maternity units and in the Community, including 2 years in a midwife-led birth centre. I returned to Devon in 2002, to join the South Hams team.
I feel very privileged as a Community Midwife to work with parents at such a special time in their lives, both antenatally and when they are at home with their new baby.
I became interested in Baby Massage after attending some professional meetings around the subject of infant development. I learned that by giving loving massage from an early age we can significantly benefit an infant's physical and behavioural development. I made the decision then to get involved and trained through the International Association of Infant Massage in April 2006. I have been teaching baby massage, up until now, through a Health Centre. I love teaching parents and babies and would especially enjoy facilitating smaller groups who can make a class a social occasion whilst learning baby massage. I am insured to teach baby massage through Independent Professional Therapists International.
In my work as a midwife, I am always telling mothers-to-be about the benefits of exercising in pregnancy, and especially about aquanatal exercise. Water supports the pregnant body to allow easier body movement and avoids compression stress on joints. It gives a wonderful feeling of weightlessness so exercising is not something to be endured - its fun! It was good to find 2 Leisure Centres in the South Hams who were looking for a midwife to teach aquanatal exercises so, in July 2007 I trained as an aquanatal instructor through Aquafusion and am qualified at Stage 1. I am employed by the Leisure Centres to teach at their pools.
Please visit the pages on Baby Massage and Aquanatal to find out more.
Liz Rider
For more information on the International Association of Infant Massage, please follow this link 