Classes from pregnancy to the menopause for Munich's English & Italian Speakers
Our Team
The permanent team behind Pippagina
LYNN DARBYSHIRE
Contact: info@pippagina.com
Pippagina is run by Lynn Darbyshire Msc. RM. RGN. a German Registered Hebamme and a British Registered Midwife. Lynn originally trained as a nurse in the UK and after qualifying worked in general medicine and gynaecology. In 1990 she qualified as a midwife. She worked in all areas of Midwifery both in the hospital and in the community, and also spent a number of years specialising in prenatal screening and genetics.
In 2003 she moved to the USA where she worked teaching and facilitating prenatal and postnatal classes as well as working as a ski patroller in the winter.
In 2011 she moved back to Europe and returned to clinical practice, as well as completing a Masters degree in Womens Health and Midwifery. Her dissertation examined the risk of postnatal depression in the immigrant population, this topic remains an integral part of Lynn’s work at Pippagina.
Lynns passion for women's health continues into the perimenopausal and menopausal years. Registered with the British Menopause Society Lynn works independently from Pippagina as a Menopause Expert and in addition helps facilitates with some of the menopausal workshops offered at Pippagina.
SOFIA ARENA
Sofia is a British-Italian midwife and a registered Hebamme in Germany.
Sofia grew up in a bilingual family in Milan, where she worked at one of the city's leading hospitals, gaining experience in a variety of settings, from the delivery room to the maternity–neonatal ward.
She is passionate about the key role that movement can play during pregnancy and labour in promoting baby’s optimal positioning for birth.
At Pippagina, Sofia leads Childbirth Preparation Classes for couples in English and Italian. She follows the Pippagina one-day class program, which covers everything parents-to-be need to know from the third trimester of pregnancy through labour and birth, combining evidence-based theory with practical exercises, videos, and interactive discussions.
Sofia also leads Breastfeeding & Newborn Care Classes and Daddy & Baby Massage.
Contact: sofia.midwife@hotmail.com
LIZ NAYLOR
Liz is a mother of three girls (and one dog), and has been living in Munich with her husband since 2019. She comes from America and has been working with children for over a decade. Working originally as a nanny for five years and a substitute teacher before starting her career in education.
Liz has a undergraduate and masters degree in elementary education. She has taught elementary school for seven years, during which time she has led professional development trainings for teachers regarding early literacy and student engagement.
Liz is passionate about early child development and is a great asset to our Pippagina team where she facilitates the Little Movers and Explorers groups.
GEORGINA DARBYSHIRE JENKINS
Georgina graduated from the LISSA Art School, in Paris; with a degree in Graphic Design. She has worked with Pippagina for the past 5 years, working on their brand development.
As well as working for Pippagina she also works as a freelance Graphic Designer in Munich and in Paris. Her area of expertise is in branding.
Wonderful specialists we collaborate with
Elody Bettamio
Pre & Postnatal Yoga
Elody is an Italian - French Yoga teacher and Doula and mom to a wonderful girl.
Elody is a certified Hatha Yoga Teacher, specialized in Prenatal, Postnatal yoga, as well as in Family Yoga.
Her teaching blends gentle, pregnancy safe movement, conscious breathing and guided relaxation, creating a holistic and mindful experience for women and a safe and fun environment for families to move all together.
Jo Fiddy
Menopausal Journey
Jo is originally from the UK and has been living in Munich with her partner and two children for the last 7 years.
A Certified Body Confidence and wellbeing coach with the Institute for Body Confidence coaching.
A certified Menopause Coaching Specialist with the GGS, as well as an Accredited EFT Practitioner with the EFTi, Jo helps women in their 40's get their confidence back and start thriving.
In collaboration with Lynn , (who as well as a midwife is a Registered Nurse and menopause expert). They will be offering courses and workshops for the perimenopause and menopause.
Amanda Dropping
Sing & Sign
Amanda is a Sing & Sign teacher & has been teaching in Munich for the last three years. She is also certified to teach English as a second language.
Sing & Sign's unique approach combines action songs, props, pictures & toys in musical activities designed to stimulate speech & language development. Babies use all kinds of signs & gestures as a natural part of learning to talk & encouraging your baby with signs will help your baby communicate.
The course is run in English, however the signs can be used at home in any language & actually provides a bridge between languages if more than one language is spoken at home. Amanda provide 3 levels of classes, Babies, Stage 1 and Stage 2.
Janko Von Ribbeck
First Aid for parents
is a paramedic with over 25 years of experience. He is father to 4 children & author of "Schnelle Hilfe Für Kinder", one of Germany's best selling books on First Aid for children.
In this 3-hour workshop Janko will teach you how to keep cool in emergencies.
The topics covered in this course are:
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Choking on food, swallowing foreign objects
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Lacerations and Bleedings
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Head injuries
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Poisoning
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Scalds and burns
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Croup attacks
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Fever seizures
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CPR for Babies
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Bee and Wasp stings
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Allergies
… more topics as per request
Lauren Winkler
Sleep Training
Lauren, a mum of 3, is a certified paediatric sleep specialist dedicated to helping families understand the unique sleep needs of their children. She is also a primary school teacher (teaching first grade), and has a passion for child development & well-being. Lauren completed her sleep consultant training with Sweet Sleep Academy which equipped her with the knowledge & tools needed to address a wide range of sleep challenges, from newborn sleep patterns to toddler sleep regressions.
She believes that every family is unique & so are their sleep needs. Her approach is holistic & tailored to each child & family she works withs. She provides evidence-based strategies & compassionate guidance to help families create healthy sleep habits that work for them. Whether it's establishing a bedtime routine, understanding sleep cues, or managing nighttime awakenings, she’s here to support you every step of the way.
Harriet Mills
Toddler Dance
Introduce your little one to the joy of movement with my Dance Classes for Toddlers! Designed for children aged 3-5, these classes combine fun, imaginative play with age-appropriate dance exercises, helping your child develop coordination, rhythm, and social skills.
A nurturing environment for little dancers to express themselves and build confidence
Carefully constructed course combining fun and imaginative play with age-appropriate dance exercises
Opportunities for toddlers to make friends and develop social skills
English and German-speaking classes
Trial classes available
Julia Chalfin
Mini Music
We will explore music through singing, rhyming, playing instruments and dancing with your baby.
Music and singing lay the foundation for language development and social connection. Creating music together strengthens the baby/parent bond even more deeply and forges exciting paths for communication and play.
The class is taught in English and offers a mix of songs in English, German and other languages that are easy to learn.
Rebecca Rönty
German for Parents
Learning German as an expat is one thing; learning German as a new parent is a whole other ball game. No matter where you were with your language learning pre-baby, Rebecca will guide you through new-parent vocab and family-focused scenarios, at your level.
Over a six-week period, Sprachraum Deutsch uses fun and engaging methods to get you speaking with confidence in this new phase of life.
Each week focuses on a different topic, from how to communicate at the kinderarzt, your first Krippe appointment, and lots more.
Meg Höchsmann
Newborn and Family Photography
Meg is a professional Newborn and Family Lifestyle Photographer, and a mom who knows just how quickly childhood passes.
Passionate about supporting other moms, Meg creates a stress-free photography experience, allowing families to be fully present while she captures their most meaningful moments. Through Hoechsmann Photography, she specializes in relaxed, in-home newborn sessions and natural family photography, working with both English- and German-speaking families.
Andrea Wuensch
Bringing up a Bi/Trilingual Child Workshops
In this workshop we will talk about language development from birth and discuss benefits of growing up bi- or multilingually. Particular light will be shed on challenges parents face and how to overcome obstacles or difficult phases. You are invited to share your questions and concerns in a safe and caring environment. Andrea will provide some scientific background as well as talk about her own experiences in raising three bilingual children herself.
Jeanette Zhang
Pre & Postnatal Pilates
Jeanette is a professional dancer with the Bayerisches Staatsballett.
Jeanette is completing her required teaching hours for her BASI Mat Pilates certification, and is dedicated specifically to working with pre & postnatal women following the birth of her own daughter. With over a decade of Pilates experience and an elite ballet background, Jeanette brings a unique blend of gentle strength-building, mindful mobility, and body-positive support to her teaching.
For questions email jeanettezhangpilates@yahoo.com
Nella Guminska
Full Spectrum Doula
Nella is a certified DTI Doula supporting families throughout pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period. She also offers practical birth preparation workshops for couples and runs a Polish birth preparation course at Pippagina.
Born and raised in Poland, Nella has spent many years living abroad in different countries. Her own experience of building a life and raising a family away from home has shaped the way she works today.
She is passionate about offering emotional and practical support to expat families and about creating a sense of community in Munich. Because she knows firsthand how different parenthood can feel when your own village is far away, bringing people together and helping families build their own village has become an important part of her work.
My website: madoula.de
Emma O'Kane
Lactation Consultant
Milk Café & Starting Solids
Hollie Croft
Perinatal Nutritionist
Emma is a UK-born, Munich-based BFB bindungsorientierte
Familienbegleiterin providing strictly evidence-based, attachment-led lactation
support for the international community.
She offers 1-on-1 consultations, workshops, and leads The Milk Café at Pippagina, helping
expats navigate the German system with confidence. Her goal is to provide a judgment-free space to support you on your breastfeeding journey.
Whether your looking for support in the early days, troubleshooting a challenge or need help
with transitions like returning to work, weaning and stopping breastfeeding, get in touch!
Emma’s expertise also covers the essential interplay between breastfeeding, infant sleep and the transition to solids.
Nutrition for pregnancy and family life with Hollie
Hollie Croft is a nutrition specialist, mum and founder of These Three Spoons, supporting families through pregnancy, starting solids and early childhood.
Having experienced pregnancy sickness and feeding challenges herself, she’s passionate about helping parents feel supported, make sense of conflicting advice and connect with others navigating similar challenges.
Her pregnancy workshops explore nutrients, food safety, supplements and postpartum food prep. In English, with time for questions and meal plans to take home.