Baby and Mummy Pilates

When Chiplet was about 9 weeks old, I started at Mummy and Baby Pilates… I don’t know how I managed it to be honest as I was in some sort of exhausted haze. A very good friend went with her little girl so it was a way to meet up with her and have lunch afterwards. It didn’t fit with Chiplet’s nap times at all and he started off just breastfeeding through every class, but little by little, it got easier.

Jen runs the class in Halifax, West Yorkshire and she is fantastic. She balances a fun attitude for the babies, with serious guidance for the mummies; taking into consideration your birthing situation and your recovery too.

Some weeks, it was the only real exercise that I did. I dragged myself there week after week, sometimes feeling teary, sometimes elated and always supported by a group of other ladies going through the same experiences as me.

There was a class break over the summer and sadly I am now struggling to get back to class with my return to work. They accommodate babies up to 1 year old, or until they start being too troublesome i.e. you spend more time worrying about them than actually stretching! I am not sure how many more sessions I will attend with Chiplet, but I definitely have a lot of time for Pilates and its benefits.

As you can see, I used a exercise ball in pregnancy and I found it amazing – it was my chair at work for the last trimester. I also used it in early labour it helped too. We sometime use them in class, along with an assortment of other items that we joke are torture instruments!

I need something new though… am thinking of taking up running – off road – if we get the house we are currently trying to buy which is close to some amazing countryside. I used to run but it messed up my knees a bit too much. I do love the feeling of running though, being out of breath and my heart racing and the wind on my face.

You can find out more here about the class I attended in Halifax –  http://www.physiotherapy-plus.co.uk/pilates.html