Meet The FLY Mama Team

Michelle Norton-Hughes

Michelle is a Chartered Physiotherapist specialising in Women's Pelvic and Hormonal Health. She supports women through their childbearing years, and beyond, to optimise their musculoskeletal and hormonal health. She is particularly passionate about self empowerment through education and wants to help more women gain a better understanding of their bodies to heal from and prevent pelvic floor dysfunction.

Michelle is also a certified Mummy MOT™ practitioner and trauma informed physiotherapist with experience in providing care following perinatal trauma and loss. She combines this with her clinical pilates and lifestyle medicine training throughout her practice. 

"I live an active life with my toddler and dogs! I am a former Ironman™ triathlete which, along side motherhood has shown me how extreme stress and demands placed on our bodies can effect our pelvic and hormone health. This led me to specialise in helping others with pelvic pain and dysfunction.

When I returned to work following maternity leave everything felt so different, and I felt lost!  Learning about Matrescence helped me to make sense of how I was feeling. I specialise in how our bodies heal and I believe everything is connected. So for true healing to take place we should be treated as a whole, being mindful of all the roles we play, the physical, mental and emotional stress or trauma that we maybe holding. 

Our bodies hold the score and when we become a mother it's not just our bodies that change... our whole world does."

Kelly Thistlethwaite

Kelly is a specialist Trauma Informed Yoga and Breath Work instructor,  Matrescence Coach and Mama Rising™ facilitator experienced in supporting women and birthing people following birth trauma and perinatal trauma and loss. 

Her passion comes from her own and her clients pain and has led her to become dedicated to supporting women whilst they heal from their perinatal experiences.

"Since becoming a mother I have experienced birth trauma, a missed miscarriage and an ectopic pregnancy first hand and felt the effects physically, emotionally and mentally.

I was never officially diagnosed with anxiety, post natal depression or post traumatic stress but I can identify with experiencing them.

For me, my healing began when my little girl started nursery during the pandemic at 16 months old and I had the regular time, rest and space to identify just how much I had struggled.

At the time of writing this I am 32 weeks pregnant in my forth pregnancy. Pregnancy after these experiences has been extremely challenging. 

We need holding through these experiences. We need to know that we are not alone, and we need tools and guidance to support us every step of the way.

I am honoured to be doing this work and it is my hope that it will support the thousands of women and birthing people who need and deserve it".