Mom Confessions – Diary Entry #1

03/17/2015

This past week our Spring Mommy Connections group took a field trip to Barre Body Studio on 106 st. to participate in one of their Baby Barre classes. This class is designed for new moms to wear their babies as they get a chance to get a quality workout in while soaking up some bonding time with baby. What a great workout that was! You know it’s a great class when you look at the clock and realize 45 minutes have gone by and it feels like it’s only been 15! Our group of mammas and little ones arrived armed with carriers of all sorts. Some brought extras for those who didn’t have one, and others brought carriers they had never used before. It was a team effort to strap everyone in and get the babes comfortable (How many people does it take to assemble a Bjorn?? Three to be exact, but hey we did it!). Lead by an amazing instructor, we worked our buns off, literally! I certainly felt it for three days after! We challenged our bodies, our coordination skills (who knew marching could be so complicated?), and had a ton of fun at the same time. What is unique about this class is that you get to interact with your baby and the babies get a chance to checkout themselves/other babies in the mirror beside you, versus keeping them in a car seat or on a blanket on the floor for the entire time (unless of course you would like to, and if your baby is sleeping in a car seat when you arrive, we all know don’t wake a sleeping baby!). For some of us with “busy” little ones, this is a golden opportunity! If you are lucky, they may even catch some precious zzz’s while lulled to sleep as you get your groove on. If your baby happens to fall asleep before the floor routine, the instructor offers options for those in standing as well. So no matter what you get an amazing workout. Another thing I absolutely love about this class is that it is low impact, and can be as challenging as you want it to be. I know for myself, my recovery from birth has not been the easiest or smoothest, and there are many things I am still unable to do in terms of physical activity as I continue to heal. There was nothing in this class I couldn’t participate in- amazing! It’s truly designed for postpartum mammas at all stages of recovery. So if you are struggling to find a workout that you don’t have to constantly modify, or take unwanted breaks in, this one might be the perfect fit for you. What used to be a pre-registered class is now drop-in on Tuesday mornings, 10:45am. Drop-in is also a huge bonus, because hey, you can never anticipate a blowout diaper at the last minute or a napping baby on your lap when you need to leave. We have all been there…if you haven’t yet-you will! You’ll catch me there when the mommy connections sessions wrap up! Well assuming no last minute blowouts or naps etc. etc.

As a group we made our way over to Red Robin next door for some snacks and a chance to chat. Ten mammas and their little ones took over the restaurant, and they were very accommodating with all of our gear in tow. It was actually my first time meeting the group. I had missed our first session as I was on holiday, so I was really anticipating meeting everyone. I learned the session I missed was on sleep with Sleephaven…SLEEP…NOT a session to miss!! Considering last week my husband tried to put a bib on ME instead of baby…and I didn’t even notice- Ya, I think we could both use some sleep and sleep tips!  That’s okay though, I got some tips from the ladies over lunch, which has helped us out already.

What a wonderful group of ladies to be apart of. Everyone is so friendly and genuinely there to support one another. Before joining my first Mommy Connections group (this is my second), I had worries about whether it would be an atmosphere of support/acceptance or judgment, since as a new mother I have found myself in many situations (often unexpected) where I have felt judged for my choices or parenting style. In both Mommy Connections groups, I can honestly say it has been the most welcoming atmosphere- where anything and everything goes. The facilitators and the structure of the program create a positive space. You can feel the bonding has already started in this group, I mean on session two we were already sharing the highs and lows of our birth stories! We are all in the trenches together; there is something to be said about that kind of camaraderie 😉 I am looking forward to meeting again this coming week, and getting to know everyone. These kinds of connections are so important as we take this journey into motherhood. It takes a village!

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