My interest in birth and parenthood was triggered in Benghazi, Libya, where, as an eleven-year-old, I would accompany my mother on her rounds as a squadron leader’s wife. We would visit the young army wives who had just given birth or had small children, to check on how they were doing and whether they needed any help. I was also fascinated by the lives of the Bedouins encamped around us in large family groups with lots of babies and children.

         Later, due to give birth myself as a young first-time mother, I was invited by my health visitor to attend the local parentcraft classes. I was too shy to go.

         I will always be indebted to the young student midwife who sat on my bed in hospital and took the time to give me an impromptu ante-natal class, when she realised I knew very little about birth and was about to be induced.

         In the 70’s I helped to set up a group called the Oxford Women’s Health Collective, an information and campaigning group, inspired by a similar group in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.

         I decided to train as an NCT teacher after attending classes while expecting my second child, and qualified in 1981.

         I was inspired by my own teacher, and also was lucky enough to have Sheila Kitzinger, the renowned childbirth expert and anthropologist, as my tutor.

         Shortly after qualifying I was invited by the local G.P’s to a consultation on the local NHS parentcraft services, and was asked to design an updated syllabus. They then invited me to teach the sessions, along with the midwives and health visitors, and I continued to do so for twelve years, in what is now Manzil Way, east Oxford. So I found myself teaching the very classes I had been too shy to attend a decade earlier. I was also the out-of-hours call handler for one of the Oxford G.P’s during this time, covering the nights and week-ends he was on call.

         For many years I ran a drop-in centre for parents and babies in St. Clements, an early version of what later became the Baby Cafés (now called Oxford Breastfeeding Support).

         I have now been an NCT teacher for over 35 years, as well as teaching privately, and attend ongoing professional training. I am often asked by friends if working with parents gets boring, and the answer is no, because all prospective parents have their own individual take on things. It is a pleasure to meet so many lovely people at such an important time in their lives, and hope that they find the classes both fun and informative.