Profile

About Wendy's Blog:

Bellies, backs & babies (BBB) was conceived in Adelaide, South Australia, 2000 in one of those light bulb moments when I realised that working with pregnant and postnatal women was my passion. I was working as a Physiotherapist (Physical Therapist) in general private practice seeing a range of people and word had spread that I treated pregnant and postnatal women which I loved. I knew this was what I wanted to pursue. The seed was sown for setting up my practice specialising in providing individual assessments, treatments and aquanatal and land based pregnancy and postnatal classes.

In a crazy and inspired move I gave up full-time employment for a one morning a week contract in a private maternity hospital, and was soon was doing another contract at another maternity hospital as my classes and client list grew. It all went from there. With a wide range of physio skills I helped Mums return to a pain-free comfortable state so they could enjoy pregnancy, and approach birth with confidence in their body’s ability to birth well. I knew that supporting women through their pregnancies and beyond, in a physical, emotional and social sense was so important. BBB classes provided the opportunity for Mums to connect in a fun environment, passing on informal information while enjoying all the great benefits of exercise.

Last year I was delighted to bump into one of the Mums and discovered that a group of Mums from my earliest aquanatal classes have met monthly for the last 12 years. These women have held each other’s hands through thick and thin of motherhood and I love knowing that Bellies, backs & babies played a part in forming such deep and connected friendships that have stood the test of time.

While my practice grew I also had the opportunity to work part-time with an amazing team of Specialists and Psychologists in an intensive pain management programme for people with chronic, persistent and disabling pain. I had also worked as a Physio with veterans with post traumatic stress disorder earlier in my career. These experiences were extremely valuable for both professional and personal development and have provided a firm foundation from which Bellies, backs & babies could evolve.

I always held a deep yearning to travel and return to my birthplace in London and in 2006 Bellies, backs and babies took a break as we travelled through Nepal, the UK and Europe for 6 months before settling in London for 6 years. During this time I had more amazing life and work experiences which included having my two babies at home in London which was completely exhilarating. I have been truly blessed with so many amazing opportunities in both countries and so much support along with way.

While living in London I also had the opportunity to train in Pregnancy Yoga with Francoise Freedman at Birthlight (when I was pregnant with my first baby), qualify to do acupuncture as a Physiotherapist and complete specialist women’s health training. I also had the privilege of training and teaching with world-renowned Canadian Physiotherapists Diane Lee and Linda-Joy Lee in their intensive courses – one of those rare ’once in a lifetime’ opportunities. I have had two journal articles published reviewing literature on the safe use of Acupuncture in Pregnancy. I am very excited to be presenting at the Trust Birth Conference in Sydney in September this year (2013).

My work has always been holistically based with a top to toe approach. I look at the body as a whole taking into account all important mind-body connections and how we interact and respond to the world around us in a multi-dimensional way.

Modern living, early experience, inherited patterns, trauma and everyday stress can contribute to people dissociating from themselves, their internal world and their body. Reintegration is so important for dealing with physical and emotional pain and discomfort. I believe is a key to how we stay grounded for birth, parenthood and life in general. I advocate reducing stress, increasing relaxation, providing nourishment for the body and quietening the mind to find yourself and deepen your intuition.

Bodywork and physical therapies, Yoga, mindfulness and meditation are beneficial at any age for reducing stress and allowing us to just ‘be’. They can also help clear the space for birthing yourself as the mother and meeting your baby. Pregnancy affords a unique opportunity for women to heal and transform and discover themselves in a new and amazing light. From my experience too, self-discovery and healing continues to be an ongoing process requiring ongoing practice however.

I am now back in Australia and based in the Adelaide Hills. I currently look after my two young children full-time so my active role in treating pregnant and postnatal women, classes and teaching has taken a back seat for the time being. Instead my creative work energies have shifted to writing, keeping up with research and course development in my ‘spare’ time!

Bellies, backs & babies is currently a platform for information sharing via this blog and Facebook. I look forward to being able to offer treatments, classes and birth skills courses when Bellies, backs & babies re-emerges in its fullest form.

I feel so grateful that I followed my passion all those years ago when I first had a light bulb moment! I feel so fortunate to met so many other amazing people along this path– both colleagues and clients – who have taught me so much. Above all, my greatest teachers have to be my husband, my children and my own family – thank you!

I look forward to sharing my thoughts, ideas, experiences and discoveries with you. Thank you for supporting women, babies and birth. May love and peace that ripple onwards from there! Wendy Langshaw Profile Photo WL