About Claire

Photo of Claire

CLAIRE IS THE CREATOR OF THE FRIENDLY, INCLUSIVE AND WONDERFULLY ZANY ‘BABY LOVE GROUPS’. THE ETHOS OF BABY LOVE GROUPS IS TO SUPPORT FAMILIES, PARTICULARLY MUMS AND BABIES, ON THE MAGICAL DEVELOPMENTAL JOURNEY ON WHICH THEY ARE ABOUT TO EMBARK TOGETHER. AFTER ALL, WHEN A BABY IS BORN, A MOTHER IS TOO.

BABYLOVE groups is founded by Claire Walby-Kettle, an early years developmental expert (BA hons, PGCE, PgDip Early Years, CACHE level 3). Claire has worked successfully with over 10,000 families since her career began. The Babylove purpose? To support entire families, especially Mums with tiny people from bump, through birth, babyhood and to pre-school.

The BABYLOVE concept was initially a response to Claire’s experiences as an early years educator; the lack of communication skills in young children particularly concerned her and it became a burning desire to create a program which supported communication skills from from bump – nursery. This has over time evolved into a program which holistically develops the cognition, physical skills, social interaction, imagination, creativity, communication, autonomy, musicality, confidence and love of learning in little ones.

Over the 10 years Babylove has been running Claire has identified a real need to offer mums more support.  To do this skillfully she has teamed up with LushTums founder Clare Maddalen, an inspiration in the ante natal, birth and post natal world. Currently Claire is completing Ante Natal training with Clare through her amazing Lush Tums Program.  Claire is now adding new content to the Babylove program to fully empower, support and enrich Mums and their partners experiences as they move through pregnancy, birth, life AS a newborn Mummy AND life WITH a newborn baby!

Babylove consists of age appropriate groups over-flowing with;

  • BABYLOVE infant signing program
  • Mummy/daddy meditation
  • Baby massage
  • Creativity and imagination
  • Music and movement
  • Dancing and marching
  • Sensory wonder
  • Puppets and props
  • Baby and toddler Socialisation
  • Our infamous BABYLOVE chill out
  • Bubbles, parachutes, love and laughter
  • Outdoor exploration
  • Creative, messy and arty play
  • Ante natal education-preparing for birth and for baby
  • Post natal support – finding your own way in this new word

Our age appropriate classes include;

  • BABYLOVE simply massage
  • BABYLOVE Tinies
  • BABYLOVE Tweenies
  • BABYLOVE Toddlers
  • BABYLOVE combo for siblings
  • Beach Babies
  • Mamalove ante natal
  • Mamalove newbies

For our amazing Mamas and Papas we of course have our BABYLOVE social evenings and days; helping to build the Mama Tribe and Papa Posse along with our new Mamalove program.

Mamalove

Mamalove afternoon tea – a social event for expectant Mums from 16 weeks upwards to meet up with new mum-to-be friends, receive your ‘Bumphlet’, an information filled leaflet signposting you to everything ante natal; pregnancy yoga through to Doula’s, ante natal swimming through to advice on maternity rights…….

Mamlove ante natal education classes – preparing you and your partner for birth and baby.  This course is designed to empower both you and your birth partner, helping you to understand all about your body, your baby, your birth; essentially everything you need to know to prepare fully for labour and birth and for the first 3 months of life with your newborn.

Through Mamalove we fully support mums as they reach Matrescence.

“MATRESCENCE (n.) /mæˈtres.ənts/)
The process of becoming a mother, coined by Dana Raphael, Ph.D. (1973), is a developmental passage where a woman transitions through pre-conception, pregnancy and birth, surrogacy or adoption, to the postnatal period and beyond. The exact length of matrescence is individual, recurs with each child, and may arguably last a lifetime! The scope of the changes encompass multiple domains –bio-psycho-social-political-spiritual– and can be likened to the developmental push of adolescence.”

– Aurélie Athan, Ph.D.

Aside from having lots of professional experience and knowledge, Claire is also a mother to two gorgeous girls and lots of her own personal experiences have helped to shape Babylove Groups into what it is today; a safe space and friendly community where mums are supported, friendships built and little ones holistically developed.  There is just 2 years between Claire’s daughters who are now both in the midst of their teenage years and claire can vividly remember the struggles of moving back to Swansea with a baby and a toddler and the loneliness that evoked.  Claire is constantly evaluating and reviewing Babylove with the support of her many Mummy supporters, ensuring it is meeting the needs of all new Mums, little ones and their families.