Joy Horner, Mary Cronk MBE, and Dr Shawn Walker (Breech Birth Network event, Norwich 2011)

My Teaching Biography

I was a health professional for 37 years and a midwife for 21 years. I left the midwifery register in 2021 and now support families and birthworkers in a non-clinical capacity. I love sharing my knowledge and skills to enable Birthkeepers, and the Families they care for to access non-biased information.

I gained a Diploma of Higher Education in Antenatal teaching, and taught National Childbirth Trust antenatal classes from 2002 to 2007.

Since 2007 I have taught private “Birth Joy” antenatal classes, as well as online and in person courses workshops for doulas and midwives, and students.

I ran a Homebirth group in Portsmouth from 2005 to 2010 which evolved into a Birth Joy pregnancy group when I moved to Glastonbury in 2010. Since then I’ve run Village Prenatal and New Parent groups locally.

I was first asked to teach student midwives at Bournemouth University in 2007. I have taught students about the Independent Midwifery Model for many years since then, and have also spoken to whole cohorts about the importance of the mother-midwife relationship, vaginal breech birth and caring for clients with complex needs.

I taught “Once more unto the Breech” breech birth skills alongside my mentor Mary Cronk MBE from 2007 to 2016.

I have taught internationally in Spain, Washington DC, Germany, France, The Netherlands and Finland so far.

Please contact me on 07939247462 or email joy@birthjoy.co.uk to enquire about booking a study day, workshop or class in your area.

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Online courses for families and Birth workers

Oxytocin workshop recording February 2021 – If you didn’t join in person you can watch again for just £10.

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Writing Effective Birth Plans

Everything you need to know to write an effective birth plan. We all know that birth cannot be planned, but planning your birth choices can. To do this you need information about your rights and maternity choices. How to optimise your chances of a straightforward birth and how to ask effective questions is also covered in this course. Cost £20.

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Preparing for Birth Without a Midwife or Doctor

This best selling online course was inspired by many families asking for help at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. It caters for anyone who is worried about their baby arriving before they get to a birth centre or hospital, or if your midwife does not make it to your home birth before baby arrives. It also is great information for doulas and partners who may be present at a birth without a midwife in attendance. It contains lots of practical information on what to do if a birth is happening quickly, if there is heavy bleeding, or a baby that is slow to breathe, as well as the rarer scenarios of shoulder dystocia and unplanned breech birth. It costs £35.

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The Ultimate Birth Supporter’s Guide to Birth (coming soon)

Having an effective and loving birth supporter can make all the difference to your birth experience. They need information on how to create an oxytocin filled birth space, Practical labour skills and how to care for themselves during labour and birth. £30.

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Life After Birth

This popular course Is a comprehensive guide to life with a new baby. It covers what to expect day by day in the first week, and baby care up to 6 weeks after birth. There are practical videos on all aspects of baby care and safety. I also cover your postnatal recovery and mental health, and share practical tips to make your life as a new parent a little easier. It costs £35.

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The Wisewoman’s guide to Childbirth Course 

My ultimate birth preparation course contains everything you need to prepare for labour, birth and new parenthood. It covers everything contained in my other courses, so is the only course you will need. It helps you to prepare by looking at birth fears and beliefs, gaining knowledge of the labour and birth process, and preparing for life after birth and caring for your new baby. It covers practical preparation for labour and birth, and contains downloads including birth plan templates and what equipment to get ready for labour and caring for your new baby. You will find videos of practical parenting, tips for feeding and soothing, changing nappies and bathing your baby. As well as an extensive list of resources. It costs £60.

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The Birth Wisdomkeeper’s collective membership

Birthworker’s monthly online mentoring circle

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Contact me to speak at your conference, or attend one of my workshops.

Email joy@birthjoy.co.uk or phone me on 07939247462 for further information.

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2026 Workshops

Ist February – Birthkeeper’s Path 10 moons course. Our next live online discovery calls will be on 11th November, 9th December 2025, and 8th January 2026. Email joy@birthjoy.co.uk for further information.

What is included in the course?

10 months of online materials to work through at your own pace.

Downloadable materials to use in your own practice.

Monthly zoom gatherings with the rest of your cohort, for support and information sharing.

Three, private one hour long mentoring sessions with Jady or Joy.

Four weekend workshops, each consisting of two days, where you will learn practical skills, have time for self-reflection, and to hone the art of caring.

Contact with Jady and Joy throughout the course.

A private online chat area where you can communicate with other students.

Free membership of the Birth Wisdom-keeper’s Collective

Listening partnerships

The option of ongoing mentorship or apprenticeship after the course (additional costs will apply)

What is required to complete the course?

• Complete all online monthly modules.
• Complete the minimal level of homework – mostly personal reflections, podcasts to listen to or films to watch.
• Attend three private mentoring sessions.
• Write 2 book reviews.
• Create a pregnancy, birth, or parenting – related topic to be presented at the end of the course. This can be as simple as a factual handout, some artwork, or a much bigger project.
• Attend the four in person weekends (8 day workshops) in Glastonbury of practical skills, and consolidation of the online modules. Our workshops will be held in Glastonbury throughout 2026

We organise listening partnerships with a fellow student, for personal support and to practice listening and being witnessed, plus small study groups where you can discuss the course content and get peer to peer support from other students.

We envision the study and attendance time would equate to approximately 2- 3hrs per week. Of course, this could be more if you get really excited to read more about a topic.

 

How can you use this knowledge after the course?

We can provide certificates of attendance for all workshops and modules completed.

These can count towards your continuing professional development (CPD).

You can use the knowledge gained to enhance your current doula or midwifery practice.

You could use it as part of your portfolio if applying for midwifery training.

Some professionals use it to enhance their understanding of caring for pregnant or postnatal clients if they work in other areas of healthcare, e.g. cranial sacral therapists, yoga teachers, hypnobirthing instructors etc.

The knowledge and skills gained during the course will equip you to be able to care for families throughout pregnancy, labour and birth, and early parenthood as a family companion, advocate or birthkeeper.

 

How Much does it cost?

The investment for 10 months of online content, Downloads, In-person workshops, Email support, 3 private mentoring calls and Zoom calls is:

£2,500 (GBP). Payment by instalments is available. An Early bird offer of £200 off course price will be announced in Autumn 2025

1x £1,500 (GBP) Bursary Placement is available for those in financial hardship

Anyone who is in financial hardship or with low household income can apply to find out more about our accessible rates.

 

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Next steps

Email joy@birthjoy,co.uk with specific enquiries or subscribe for updates.

We are excited to welcome you on this exciting path!

Jady and Joy. x

 

2025 Workshops and Trainings

January – Da A Lumiere, France – teaching the Deep wisdom module

February – December – Birthkeeper’s Path 10 moons training

June – Crops not shops festival – Birth from a baby’s perspective

July – Homebirth Emergencies workshop Sussex

July – Homebirth Emergencies workshop, Glastonbury

August – Da A Luz Netherlands. Stories of the brave and humble. 3 day workshops

October – Da A Lumiere, France

November – Yoga for pregnancy training with Nadia Raafat. Teaching about the birth process, birth hormones, and birth rights. Find out more about Nadia’s yoga for pregnancy teacher training courses here

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2024 Workshops and Trainings

June – Healing the Earth by Healing Birth talk in the Sacred Elders space, and in the Love Dome with Da a Luz crew at the Crops not shops festival, Somerset

July 20th – An introduction to The Birthkeeper’s Path – a one day workshop in Glastonbury.

July 28th – First Aid for babies and children

November – Yoga for pregnancy training with Nadia Raafat. Teaching about the birth process, birth hormones, and birth rights. Find out more about Nadia’s yoga for pregnancy teacher training courses here

2023 Workshops and trainings

May 1st, 2nd and 3rd – Da A Luz, Spain – teaching the 3 day Deep wisdom module, taking the long view as a birthkeeper, the weird and wonderful, and Birthkeeper challenges and poor outcomes.

May 5th – Sacred Birth Centre Launch event. Goddess House, Glastonbury, UK.

May 25th, 26th and 27th – Da A Luz, Spain -Midwives Rock weekend teaching birth from a baby’s perspective, and clay yoni crafting.

June 9th 10th and 11th– Wise Woman Collective, Summer school in Cornwall.

June 14th– Mother of the groom duties, Bristol, Cake making and having a great time with my family.

August – Da A Luz Wales, Summer school – Postponed due to unforeseen circumstances.

Sacred Birthkeeper training in Glastobury – dates TBC

October 11th-16th – Midwifery Today conference in Bad Wilbad, Germany.

November 11th and 12th – Sacred Birth Centre conference, Glastonbury, UK.

Spiritual dimensions of pregnancy workshop with Jady Mountjoy.

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Publications

ARM Midwifery Matters – breech birth

ARM Midwifery Matters 2021

AIMS Journal 2022 – Thoughts on induction

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Interviews and podcasts

Interview with Nadia Raafat discussing why I decided to de-register as a midwife, and other juicy snippets

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Previous Workshops

Teaching 2022

10th and 11th December – Homebirth Emergency Skills

Avalon Constitutional club, Glastonbury. £250 for 2 days of workshops covering practical information about helping a baby to breathe, Post Partum Haemorrhage, Shoulder Dystocia and unplanned breech birth. Refreshments and lunch included. 

November – Birth from the baby’s perspective, Online course for parents and birthworkers

Our experiences in the womb, in birth, and shortly after birth can shape our sense of who we are, and our perceptions of the world. Our conventional cultural understanding of babies and prenates can limit how we welcome them into the world.

Integrative baby therapy draws from a number of sources including Pre and Perinatal Psychology, Body Psychotherapy and Craniosacral Therapy. It is also informed by recent research in areas such as self-regulation, neurobiology, epigenetics, biodynamic embryology, attachment theory, traumatology and cross-cultural studies. I will describe the four stages of birth from a baby’s perspective (as opposed to the three stages of birth from the obstetrical perspective), and how each of these stages may impact babies. This may manifest as an unsettled baby who is hard to settle or cries a lot. You will learn how to listen to babies, and to help them integrate these early experiences.
We will also explore attachment and how unresolved prenatal and birth trauma can impact this.

November 27th – Nadia Raafat, yoga for pregnancy teacher training

Teaching about the birth process, birth hormones, and birth rights. Find out more about Nadia’s yoga for pregnancy teacher training courses here

October 10th and 11th -Da a Luz, Spain 

welcoming the new 2022 midwifery cohort

September 4th – Simply Rawgeous festival

Birth from the baby’s perspective 2 hour workshop. Starts 4pm

July – Da a Luz oasis Wales – freebirth, Breech birth etc To find out more about the course. Email Debs at daaluzoasis@yahoo.com to book a place or to find out more.

24th/25th/26thJune – Birth Gathering

In Cornwall, sharing my teachings on the shamanic and spiritual dimensions of pregnancy, birth and parenting, and what I’ve learnt from my midwifery mentor Mrs Mary Cronk MBE

Ist March Birth from the baby’s perspective 

 

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2020 and 2021 classes were mostly online due to the global pandemic.

live Oxytocin workshop recording February 2021 – watch again here for just £10

Active birth workshop 2021 recording – watch again here 

Midwifery Today and Da a Luz Spain were cancelled due to travel restrictions

In 2021 I taught on a revolutionary type of birth-Keeper training in the UK.

The Da-a-Luz Team are delighted to announce the start of our UK course in 2021 We are hosting a Zoom workshop 9th January & will introduce you to the core team, their roles & teaching subjects on the course Gain a magical insight to how you could become a holistic birth keeper serving families with full honour & respect Our course offers 31 modules over 9 months with a live in option, to equip you with knowledge, skills & passion to create a birth culture that embraces the old traditions, new evidence & nurtures our birthing rites You will go on a personal journey of discovery, learning skills to self care & diving deep into knowing if this calling is for you Flyer coming very soon but if you’d like to add your email to our list to be the first to know tell me here or Debs at: daaluzoasis@yahoo.com The Da-a-Luz Team

To find out more about the course. Email Debs at daaluzoasis@yahoo.com to book a place or to find out more.

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2019 Classes

My  Joy-full pregnancy drop-in group has a new home in my garden studio in Glastonbury every Wednesday 10am-12 midday.

Our popular Positive birth group runs every Wednesday 12-2pm in my garden studio in Glastonbury.

Birth Joy Active Birth class

A one day birth preparation class focused on having a Joy-full active birth.
Open and inclusive to all pregnant people and their birth partners. Whether this is your first time or if you have given birth before, you’ll learn practical skills and tips to optimise your chances of having a straightforward birth.

I am increasingly hearing from people who have had poor birth experiences, which can have far reaching consequences. I believe that knowledge is power. If you know your rights and choices you can make the best decisions about your care.

I’ve specially designed this class to help you have the best birth possible by combining my 19 years midwifery knowledge, my training with the National Childbirth Trust, direct learning from Ina May Gaskin (Spiritual Midwifery author), Gail Tully (Spinning Babies), Jane Hardwicke Collings (Ten Moons author) and others, blended with my own gentle mothering and life experience. You will leave this class feeling nourished, nurtured and Empowered.

Just £50 for the class or £90 for 2 people.

50% discount if you are a member of my Joyfull weekly pregnancy group 

Concessions available if unwaged. Contact me for details.

Set in the beautiful town of Glastonbury. This is a small class so book soon to avoid disappointment.

Birth Partners class

Join Joy Horner and Jady Mountjoy for this much requested Birth Partner’s Class.
This one day intensive is aimed at those who are pregnant and their birth partners.
The content will focus on how birth partners can support and play an active part in labour and birth, whilst getting the most out of this important event.

Joy and Jady have attended hundreds of births as a Doula and a Midwife respectively. Their combined experience including a diploma in childbirth education, working and learning from international childbirth experts, combined with 25 years of parenting, have been distilled into this unique class.

In this masterclass you will learn:

* How to create a safe space for labour and birth.
* Practical skills – how to help your partner relax and cope with labour sensations.
* How to communicate effectively with your partner and health professionals during labour.
* How to get the most from your role as birth supporter.
* The importance of Self care when caring for someone in labour.
* Practical ways to help after birth.
* The rights and choices available in labour and birth.

*Early bird offer £80 per couple * up to and including 9th June.
From 10th June full price £90 per couple.
Concessions available.
Joyful pregnancy group attendees get discount.

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Previous study days:

October 2017 – Midwifery Today Finland – Keynote speaker

1st  February 2014 Love, Birth Sex and Chocolate weekend with the wonderful Lara Fairy Love. Barracks Lane Community Garden, Oxford. Email Lara on saarrukaa@yahoo.co.uk or join the event on facebook https://www.facebook.com/events/226180474225543/?ref_dashboard_filter=calendar

15th March and 26th April 2014- Empowering Midwifery workshops in Dorset with Chrissy Hustler “Spiritual midwifery in practice”. More details to follow.

August 2014 The Norfolk Birth Gathering

March 2015 Midwives Rock 

Teaching workshops at various festivals with “The wise woman collective” 

Teaching Schedule 2013

22nd November Doula UK study day with Shawn Walker in London.

11th November Brighton breech study day – a brief appearance to share photos of some of the more unusual breech births I have attended.

12th October- The Singing Midwife Tour  with Julie Dawid raising funds for IM UK. The fight for professional indemnity insurance for independent midwives.

18th September- Mother and Baby lunch club live web chat – ask the midwife session.

 6th September -MSLC meeting. “Supporting women’s choice in breech birth”.

30th August to 1st September 2013. Da A Luz Midwifery Rocks course in Dorset- “Optimising straightforward vaginal birth”. Featuring my famous pelvic anatomy pants .

21st to 23rd June 2013. Birth Gathering, Norfolk – “Art as therapy for birth workers and their clients”.

30th May – 2nd June 2013. Doula Gathering Wales. “Working with the malpositioned or mal presenting baby”.

18th-21st April 2013 Da A Luz Midwifery Rocks course in Spain. teaching “A Global perspective on politics and midwifery.”

December 2012  “Once More Unto The Breech” study day in London, with Mary Cronk and Joy Horner 

November 2012 Heads Up International Breech Birth Conference in Washington DC. “Arse Backwards, Birth Stories”. What I have learnt about breech birth from Mary Cronk and the women I’ve cared for.

November 2012 Portsmouth hospital, Bournemouth university second year midwifery students. “The End Of Independent Midwifery?”

September 2012 Bournemouth University theme day . “Independent midwifery, the final chapter”.

July 2012 Bereavement study day in Woking– with Mel Scott of Finley’s footprints.

June 2012 Da a Luz birth festival Brighton with Vanessa Brooks. workshops include breech, twins and holding your own in the rocky sea of midwifery.

26th and 27th May 2012 Breech birth – a homage to Mary Cronk at the MAMA conference in Troon, Scotland.

19th May 2012 Once more unto the breech with Joy Horner and Mary Cronk at the Anglia Ruskin University. A study day for midwives and student midwives.

18th May 2012 Breech Birth  Bournemouth University study day for student midwives.

Saturday 3rd December 2011 in Glastonbury – Spiritual world of pregnancy conference  – see homepage for details

14th November 2011 Bournemouth University 2nd year student midwives The Role and Future of Authentic Midwifery with Joy Horner

22nd October 2011 Da a Luz, Spain – study day for birthworkers Breech birth skills with Joy Horner

15th October 2011 St Hellier Hospital, Carshalton – Study day for Midwives Once More Unto the Breech with Mary Cronk and Joy Horner.

13th October 2011 Taunton Birth Forum Breech Birth with Joy Horner including encouraging breech babies to turn and options for breech birth.

1st October 2011 Becoming a Midwife workshop with Joy Horner and Tara Windmill-Robson.

24th September 2011 Totnes -Study Day for doulas and midwives Once More Unto the Breech with Mary Cronk and Joy Horner.

6th August 2011 Aberystwyth Hospital -Study day for midwives Once More Unto the Breech with Mary Cronk and Joy Horner.

25th July 2011 London- Doula workshop Supporting Breech Birth Choices with Shawn Walker and Joy Horner.

15th-17th July 2011 Buddafields festival Pregnancy and Birth Workshops facilitated by the brilliant Vanessa Brooks. Ably assisted by Roma Norriss, Raminda speedwell-Walters, Julie Dawid , and Joy Horner

18th/19th June 2011 Westbury Birth Festival Professional Indemnity Insurance and The future of Independent Midwifery with Sadie and Joy Horner.

5th June 2011 Sunrise festival Your Perfect Pelvis with Joy Horner. Featuring the anatomy of the pelvis and pelvic floor muscles, pelvic floor exercises and perineal massage. and positions to facilitate baby’s passage through the pelvis.

20th May 2011 Bournemouth University, 1st year student midwives The Mother -Midwife Relationship with Joy Horner and a very important Dad.

10th February 2011 Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital- study day for midwives and Obstetricians An Introduction to Breech Birth Skills with Mary Cronk, Joy Horner and Shawn Walker.