Glasgow, Scotland -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/09/2015 -- Thousands of women are currently seeking career changes or simply an exciting new project. The Birth ROCKS Academy (BRA) is an online training course for women wanting a new career. In addition it's a great way to boost their existing skills, discover new talents and increase their social circles.
Launched last year, the Academy is the brainchild of multiple-award winning Cheryl MacDonald – author of the Birth ROCKS book and founder of global women's yoga and birth franchise, YogaBellies. Now that Cheryl has moved to Singapore she is keen to grow BRA and encourage women from across the world to work for themselves – and help other women at the same time!
The aim of the Birth ROCKS Academy is to provide women with the opportunity to train in something that they feel passionate about, in the comfort of their own home and at a pace that suits them and their family commitments.
The Birth ROCKS technique is unique as it is the only bespoke birth preparation programme created for parents as individuals – as opposed to being a 'one size fits all' approach to pregnancy and birth. BRA Mentors work with parents to guide them through a safe and comfortable birth and help give them confidence in their role as new parents. BRA mentors are able to create bespoke packages that they can customize the techniques each parent uses, in line with their own personal preferences and coping styles.
Founder, Cheryl MacDonald says: "My aim is to make training for birth and baby professionals as accessible as possible to women who want to work around their families. Thanks to the internet, I can now share my passion for helping women during this most special time of their lives – through mentoring parents and also allowing other women to train as mentors!"
"So many women want to start their own business but are afraid of going it alone or don't have the finances. BRA gives every woman the opportunity to train in a subject they love, have the backing of a well-respected brand, teach when suits them – and ultimately make a huge difference to another woman's life at an amazing time in their lives."
There are four types of Birth ROCKS Academy training available:
- Birth ROCKS Mentor Course: The world recognised birth preparation qualification, enabling you to work with expectant parents in your area as a Registered Birth ROCKS Mentor (RBRM). It covers everything you need to help guide parents on their journey towards birth and is strictly accredited. The entire course – including your first year's registration with BRA – costs just £399.
- Baby ROCKS Mentor Course: This course enables you to teach Baby ROCKS, the unique parent craft educator course which helps parents prepare for life with a new baby. It has four modules; initial care following birth, growing baby (0-6 weeks), hands on baby care and postnatal care of mum and family life. The course – including your first year's registration with BRA – costs just £197.
- Birth ROCKS Baby Massage Course: This has been designed to teach qualified therapists to work with pregnant and post natal women and offer them comfort and reassurance during pregnancy and beyond. The aim of the training is to provide you with as much knowledge about the physiological and psychological effects of pregnancy and how to ease these symptoms with gentle massage. If you are already a qualified Swedish massage therapist you can do their 'add on' training online or can undertake the accredited live Swedish massage training. For qualified massage therapists, Birth ROCKS Massage Courses cost £197. For those with no base qualification, it costs £418 and includes two days of live training and complete home study and a qualification in Swedish massage.
- Birth ROCKS Angel Package: This is the complete package for those who wish to complete all three of the above mentoring training courses – where you get 20% off the overall costs.
Many of those women who become Birth and Baby ROCKS mentors are former midwives or were inspired when they took the course themselves during their own pregnancies. Jenny Gough is one graduate of the Birth ROCKS Academy who has been teaching Birth ROCKS and Baby ROCKS across London for a year now. Formerly a midwife, she was forced to leave the industry due to recurring back problems. She says: "I love my job as a Birth ROCKS mentor and helping women and their partners through this exciting time in their lives. I've met hundreds of people I would never have met in my old day-to-day life. It's a great way of networking and developing my knowledge of parenthood and birthing. Although I loved being a midwife the support just wasn't there like it is with YogaBellies and the Birth ROCKS Academy, and I prefer the flexibility and freedom I have compared with the tiring night shifts on the hospital ward! I really do feel more alive now and I can't explain how passionate I am about my job."
Although they include yoga elements such as breathing, relaxation and hypnobirthing techniques, they are more about birth preparation and the transition to parenthood. These are an exciting addition to the programmes already available at YogaBellies and, combined with Jenny's midwifery skills, she now help hundreds of parents prepare for their big day and new addition to the family.
Cheryl adds: "There is a real gap in the market for more Birth ROCKS mentors because midwives just don't have the time to look after their patients as much as they'd like. Quite often women don't even know their midwives when they go into labour but as one of the most important days in their lives, this shouldn't be the case. It's essential they are prepared and not worried about the experience."
There is no commitment required to undertake a BRA training course, making it the perfect way to test the water to see if working for yourself is the right choice for you. The courses can take from six months to two years, depending on how much a time a person would like to put into it.
The courses includes video content, audio, downloads and a reading list to consolidate your learning. Each person is given online exams and assignments that need to be a set standard in order to achieve Birth ROCKS Academy status. As well as becoming part of the global BRA support network of birth and baby mentors.
Birth ROCKS Academy (BRA) are looking for mentors across the world to join them with their new online training academy for birth and baby mentors. For more information visit birthrocksacademy.com.
SPECIAL OFFER – For everyone who trains with BRA in September 2015, they can use the code BRA97 at checkout to buy their first course for only £97!
Cheryl MacDonald, Nicola Bradley and Lisa Logan are available for interview, along with a number of case studies of women who have completed courses at the Birth ROCKS Academy.
About Birth ROCKS
Birth ROCKS was founded by Cheryl MacDonald in 2011 It promotes fun, realistic and approachable childbirth and approachable childbirth and parenting preparation and care for mother and baby.
About Cheryl MacDonald, Founder of YogaBellies & the Birth ROCKS Academy
Cheryl MacDonald has been practising yoga since she was 17 years old and has always been fascinated by all things yoga, birth and baby. Cheryl has a Degree in International Business and Modern Languages and has completed her 200 hours Hatha Raja Yoga Teacher Training Programme with Chi Yoga School. Cheryl was the first teacher in the UK to gain the prestigious accreditation of RPYT and is also an approved antenatal educator and practitioner and has gone on to write the best-selling 'Birth ROCKS' book on natural childbirth and the birth mentor training programme by the same name. She has taught hundreds of women yoga through every stage of their lives and has trained yoga teachers, antenatal educators and baby massage instructors across the world.