MEET OUR GUEST SPEAKERS
All of our guest speakers have been carefully chosen to help you leave every session with CLARITY, CONFIDENCE and CONNECTION.
We believe that you are the expert in your baby and know your baby best, so they’re not here to tell you what the ‘right’ or ‘only’ way is, instead they will aim to help you leave with one great idea to try in your unique motherhood journey and to have the confidence in the choices you are making. Most of them are mums themselves so they get what the journey can be like, they are small local business owners and we are very proud to be partnering with them.
Dr alana merkel
Osteopath at Northside Therapies
SESSION: What to expect in your postpartum pelvic floor and body recovery.
Dr Alana is an osteopath who has recently moved to Brisbane from Melbourne to join the exceptional team at Northside Therapies. She has a passion for women’s health and paediatrics and especially loves to be able to follow families through their pregnancy and postpartum journey and assist with any treatment the babies may require.
During pregnancy the body’s adaptation to the growing baby often creates different movement and breath patterns. Along with this the pelvic floor undergoes physiological changes in preparation for birth, so regardless of how you birthed your baby, your pelvic floor and breathing may need a little attention.
Dr Alana’s session will discuss the functions of the pelvic floor, it’s connection to breathing, along with some of the issues that are common during pregnancy and the postpartum period. This interactive session will have you loving your pelvic floor and walking away with great tips to help in your postpartum recovery.
FIONA HASSON
Counselling service coordinator and senior counsellor at Thryve Health
SESSION: Thriving mentally in your first year of motherhood: A guide
Fiona is the Counselling Service Coordinator and Lead Counsellor at Thryve. Her goal is to support individuals in overcoming life’s challenges and achieving personal and relational growth, healing, and resilience. Fiona is grateful to her mentors who have invested in her and believed in her potential, and she brings this same level of dedication and passion to her work. She is committed to helping her clients discover their strengths and guide them towards their authentic selves. Fiona believes that every individual has infinite value, and she holds this belief for them until they can recognise it themselves.
With a deep passion for her work, Fiona fosters an empathetic, calm, and encouraging atmosphere. She draws on her natural gift of compassion to be kind and understanding, providing a safe space for individuals to be heard, seen, and supported in their journey towards personal growth. Fiona finds great joy in empowering others to find clarity, strength, and peace in their lives, while embracing their true selves.
“I'm excited to support new mums on their motherhood journey, nurturing their growth and guiding them in self-care to become the best mums they can be.”
LIZ STEVENS
Certified Infant Massage Educator with Infant Massage Australia and owner of Massage Matter of Fact
SESSION: The benefits of Baby Massage for Mum and Bub
Liz is a Qualified Remedial Massage Therapist, Infant Massage Therapist and Registered Nurse. She is a mother of three young men, and a Nana, which she loves. Liz runs her home massage therapy business and also continues to work as a Registered Nurse. Her combination of backgrounds compliment her treatments for he clients, and she loves having the opportunity to help people in both her worlds of work, providing the best individualised care for everybody.
We are really excited to welcome Liz to facilitate a baby massage taster session at Bump Bub and Beyond. Liz will help answer any questions you might have and will do a guided massage session with you and your Bub talking you through proper technique, her top tips for embedding massage into your routine and the benefits of baby massage for both you and Bub. It’s a practical hands on session for you with your Bub and we will let you know the full details of what you’ll need to bring for the session.
“I’m excited to provide education and a fun safe space for mums and carers to support one another while learning skills to use at home for their children. I love to share knowledge and have fun with groups of people, and the opportunity to be affiliated with Bump Bub and Beyond is a great opportunity to be able to do that.”
RACHEL PRICE
Senior Occupational Therapist at Knot Therapy
SESSION: How to avoid the comparison trap with your baby’s development
"Rachel is an Occupational Therapist with over 10 years experience. She has worked in both adult mental health and pediatric settings, in both hospital and community-based services.
She is passionate about early intervention and healthy attachment. She aims to empower children, mothers and families with the knowledge, skills and support they need to navigate life's challenges.
Rachel has 3 primary school aged children and a 12 year old black Labrador. She enjoys finding new parks with her family and spending time at the beach."
BECK STEIN
Business owner of Ebb and Flow Sign Language
SESSION: A practical introduction to baby sign language
Beck is the owner of Ebb & Flow Sign Language a small business teaching baby sign and AUSLAN in the Moreton Bay Region.
This is not just a business to me but a lifestyle, starting just under 20 years ago when my third baby was born diagnosed with Down Syndrome. As you are fully aware, whether you've had your first or fourth baby you get bombarded with so much information so, as you can imagine, receiving this diagnosis brought on a constant flow of both positive and negative advice. One of the more positive ones was the opportunity for me to learn AUSLAN (Australian Sign Language) in order to assist my son with his communication throughout his life. Like any new Mumma I threw myself in 100%, today, nearly 20 years later I can look back and see how this skill has not only assisted my son, my extended family and others around him.
We’re excited to welcome Beck to deliver a practical introductory session to baby sign language.
I can't wait to come and meet you all, and your little ones and extend an invitation to you to learn so that you can teach your precious son or daughter how to communicate in a natural and easy way.
JESSICA ALBRECHT
Under The Fig Tree Photography, Video and Art Services
SESSION: How to capture your motherhood moments and a mini photoshoot with you and your baby.
Jess is a talented photographer who is in demand across the northern suburbs of Brisbane for her incredible family, maternity, newborn and event shoots. Bringing encouragement and fun to every session, she’ll be your own personal hype woman making you feel incredible as she captures you and your family on film. We are so excited to have her come and do a mini photoshoot with a complimentary print for all our Bump Bub & Beyond mums, she’ll also do a mini tutorial on how to capture the day to day moments on your phone so you have some great candid shots of you and your Bub to look back on.
‘Hello! Jess here, I do the photos and creativity for Under The Fig Tree.
Capturing your memories is an unbelievable honour and I still pinch myself that this is my "job". I started this business in 2017, purely for the love of photography, but out of that love grew a wonderful 6 year journey of meeting incredible people and photographing their milestones.”
“Collaborations are always exciting, but having an opportunity to work alongside Julie in Bump Bub & Beyond is one in a million. Creating keepsake moments for you and your little one will be the greatest privilege. I can't wait to photograph your journey of motherhood!”