NeoNurture Physiotherapy

Baby Massage & Physiotherapy in Claygate, Surrey

Blog

Some recent news & updates from me!

  • Behind the scenes: Getting professional photos for NeoNurture

    Nearly a year into running NeoNurture Physiotherapy, and with the business growing and branching out into more local events and workshops for parents, I decided it was probably time to get some professional photos done.

    Including headshots… Eeeek! 😬

    Standing in front of a camera and smiling on demand isn’t exactly my favourite thing to do! But I do enjoy more “behind-the-scenes” and action shots, and I knew that having some good quality, professional photos would be really useful as the business continues to grow.

    Finding a local photographer

    I really wanted to use someone local, both because I love supporting other small businesses and because it felt important to me that the person taking the photos understood the kind of work I do.

    So, naturally, I turned to my local Mums’ WhatsApp group for recommendations! A lovely guy called Michael was recommended to me. He does videography for a local gym, and it turns out he lives literally around the corner from my house — so it couldn’t have been more local!

    Once we’d had a chat about what I was looking for, we decided to do something a little different from just a traditional headshot session.

    It’s about the babies and families…

    Although I knew I needed some headshots, I didn’t want my photos to just be lots of pictures of me standing awkwardly in front of a camera!

    More importantly, that’s not really what my work is about.

    I work with babies and families. I run baby massage classes, Baby MOTs, physiotherapy sessions and workshops for parents. So I wanted my photos to show what that actually looks like.

    I wanted parents who come across my website or Instagram to be able to see me interacting with babies, demonstrating activities, talking to parents and doing the things they might experience if they came to see me. And luckily, I had the perfect little model…

    Meet my gorgeous assistant!

    A close friend of mine very kindly offered to come and be part of the photos with her little girl.

    She’s actually attended one of my baby massage courses herself, so she’s seen first-hand what I do and knew exactly what to expect. And her little one is one of the smiliest, happiest babies I know — so she was pretty much perfect for the camera! 🤍

    Michael started by taking my headshots (cue awkward smiles at the camera…)

    I won’t lie, I definitely felt a little uncomfortable at first! There’s something very strange about trying to look natural when someone is deliberately taking your photograph. But then we moved on to the action shots, which we did at my house so we could recreate some of the things I actually do in my work.

    We took photos of me helping teach some baby massage, interacting with my gorgeous assistant during play, and carrying out a Baby MOT. And this was where I suddenly felt much more at ease.Instead of thinking about where I was standing or what I was doing with my face, I was just doing what I normally do — talking to a baby, playing, demonstrating activities and chatting with a parent. And I think you can see that in the photos, as they feel much more natural!

    I absolutely love having photos that show the reality of my work rather than simply showing what I look like 😊

    Why professional photos matter

    When you work with babies and young families, I think there’s something particularly important about being able to see the person you’re inviting into your home.

    A photo can’t tell you everything, of course, but I hope these images give you a little glimpse into how I work — gently, playfully and with lots of interaction with both baby and parent. Hopefully they also help you picture what a Baby MOT, baby massage class or physiotherapy session might actually feel like.

    Now that I’ve got a lovely collection of photos to work with, you’ll be seeing them popping up all over the place! They’ll be making their way onto my website, Instagram, workshop information, posters and other NeoNurture bits and pieces over the coming months.

    So if you’ve spotted a few new photos appearing recently… now you know the story behind them!

    And a huge thank you to Michael for making the whole process so easy, and to my lovely friend and her gorgeous little girl for being such brilliant models. 🤍

    I’m so pleased with how they’ve turned out — I hope you enjoy them!

Some more recent posts…

Behind the scenes: Getting professional photos for NeoNurture

Nearly a year into running NeoNurture Physiotherapy, and with the business growing and branching out into more local events and workshops for parents, I decided it was probably time to get some professional photos done. Including headshots… Eeeek! 😬 Standing in front of a camera and smiling on demand isn’t exactly my favourite thing to…

Baby MOTs – What are they, and why might your baby benefit from one?

I’ve recently done an instagram post about this, but I thought I would expand further in my blog because one of the questions I’m asked most often is: “What exactly is a Baby MOT?” Many parents hear the name and assume it’s something that’s only needed if their baby has a developmental concern. While Baby…

Nursery visits – why they can be helpful 🧸

I recently did a nursery visit for one of my long-term patients, as he’s just started nursery. I’ve been seeing him regularly to support his development and some of the difficulties he’s been having, and I’ve been working closely with his parents—sharing ideas, exercises, and ways to build these into everyday life at home. So…

The benefits of baby massage — why it’s about so much more than relaxation

I’ve just had some time off over Easter with my toddler, but now I’m back to work and have a new group of Mums and babies starting my baby massage course today — I’m really excited to meet them all. It felt like the perfect time to write about something I’m really passionate about: the…

Offering free developmental support 💛

Since starting NeoNurture, I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on what families really need in those early days with a new baby. As a paediatric physiotherapist, my role is of course to support babies’ development — but just as importantly, it’s about supporting the parents behind them. This is something I’ve always believed, particularly…

Stepping into the Role of Chair for the APCP Neonatal Committee

I’m really pleased to share that I’ve recently taken on the role of Chair of the Association of Paediatric Chartered Physiotherapists (APCP) Neonatal Committee, alongside my lovely co-chair, Gail. Having been part of the committee for seven years—including two as Vice Chair—it feels incredibly special to step into this role with such a fantastic team.…

Our Mum & Baby Event – A Lovely Morning in Esher 💛

Last week, on Wednesday 4th March, I had the pleasure of running our Mum and Baby event alongside Jenny, a specialist pelvic health physiotherapist. We hosted the morning at FIT Partnership in Esher, who very kindly offered us their space so local mums and babies could come together in a comfortable and welcoming environment –…

Why might I need to see a physio for my baby?

This is a question I get asked all the time — especially when I meet new people and tell them I’m a physio for babies (or a neonatal physiotherapist if I’m being professional!). Usually the response is something like:“Oh… so you do baby massage?”“Why on earth would a baby need physiotherapy?!” And while yes —…

Mum & Baby Event with Jenny Fielding – Specialist Pelvic Health Physio

I’m so excited to finally share more about a new in-person event I’m hosting alongside the wonderful Jenny Fielding from Mint Wellbeing. Jenny is a local specialist pelvic health physiotherapist, and someone who actually supported me personally after I had my baby. Even though I’m a physiotherapist myself, I specialised into paediatrics a long time…

Welcome to NeoNurture Physiotherapy 👋

Hi everyone, and welcome! I’m so excited to finally be launching this blog for NeoNurture Physiotherapy, where I’ll be sharing news, updates, and hopefully lots of useful support for parents and their babies along the way. For those of you who don’t know me yet, my name is Anna Lukens. I’m a specialist paediatric physiotherapist,…