Meet our Founders

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Sami & Jocie

After meeting in Lewes in 2021, Sami & Jocie quickly discovered a mutual zest for supporting women & birthing people on their parenting journeys. After many, many excited chats - along with other passionate birth professionals - over endless cake and coffee, they began to formulate the basis for what is now the Lewes Birth Collective. They are thrilled to be able share this work together through education, signposting and above all - community.

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Sami Howard

“Becoming a mother showed me just how much we need community to raise children, and that most of us aren’t getting enough support to feel strong and confident as we begin life as parents.

Although I felt ready for birth I didn’t really understand the choices I would face or what support I might need postnatally. I now realise that we have lost much of the traditional wisdom that guided and nourished us through this time.

I have worked in community projects and family support for over fifteen years, during which time we have seen significant budget cuts to family services. I personally found moving to Lewes with a toddler in 2019 really challenging and struggled to find local information and community groups.

In 2021 I started running community play sessions and infant massage classes which was so joyful and I soon began meeting other local women dedicated to working with children and parents.

I now work as a postnatal doula and facilitate a range of community groups and classes including a Mothers’ Group, Baby Massage courses, Sing & Sign classes and an holistic antenatal course with Jocie”

Jocie Cox

“As with many women, I found my first pregnancy, birth & transition to motherhood a truly revelatory rite of passage. When my son was 5 weeks old I embarked on a hugely comprehensive 18 month prenatal yoga training (not sure I would do that again so early postpartum!) and despite being a challenging time studying with a young baby, it opened the floodgates for a continued thirst for education around the pregnancy-birth-motherhood continuum.

Since then I have completed numerous qualifications including a Hypnobirthing Diploma, Pelvic Floor Physiology CPDs, Advanced Birth Biomechanics and a Birth Trauma CPD.

With a background primarily in somatics and yoga, I love to guide prenatal & postnatal classes that are both empowering and fun - focusing more on what people CAN do rather that what they can’t!

I care deeply about preparing women & families for the journey of birth & matrescence and believe that giving them the gift of remembering their own wisdom is the the greatest privilege of all”