To the Mom & Baby Yoga page.
The answer to this question is rather subjective. In many cultures, there are customs regarding the number of days a woman should stay in her home bonding with the baby. While our own culture does not have any specific customs regarding this, staying home for a minimum of two or three weeks (or even longer) is optimum to foster the mother/ baby relationship, get breastfeeding off to a good start and to allow mom's body to recover from pregnancy and birth. After giving birth, women pass lochia for anywhere from two to six weeks- this is nature's way of telling them to take it easy. As the bleeding becomes gradually lighter, a mom knows she is doing to much if it suddenly gets heavier again. Keep this in mind when returning to yoga. Mom & Baby Yoga classes take the needs of postpartum women into mind, but each individual should pay attention to her own body. On average, most moms can plan to join Mom & Baby Yoga about four to six weeks postpartum.
Newborn (see above) to crawling, which is around seven to ten months for most babies.
While the class tends to focus on the needs of postpartum mothers (especially in terms of poses and exercises), there is another large component of the class that applies to new fathers- support and discussion. "Mom" & Baby Yoga classes do not discriminate against the variety of family structures in today's culture. We welcome fathers, adoptive mothers, or anyone else who may be the primary caregiver of the baby. There will also be special opportunities for the non-participating parent to join their partners and children from time to time.
Crying is the primary way that babies communicate and we honor that in Mom & Baby Yoga. I understand how difficult and isolating it can be to have a baby that cries a lot as I parented one myself. It is especially important for parents of these spirited babies to feel supported and I encourage them to find it in Mom & Baby Yoga classes. If your baby is crying during class, you are encouraged to meet her needs- feeding, a fresh diaper, or simply holding your little one and letting him know that you are listening. Parents should not feel pressured to leave the class or even the circle when babies cry. This is a place where we honor the needs of parents and children and we work together to get through these challenging moments.
Absolutely. There are many reasons why new mothers experience post-partum depression ranging from nutrition issues to a difficult (or unexpected) birth experience to simply finding the transition to prenthood (of course) difficult. Whatever the reasons may be, connecting with other parents in similar situations can ease the emotional hardship by knowing that you are not alone. We will have time to discuss some of the challenges of parenting a baby and share our stories in class. Parents will meet other parents and have the opportunity to build supportive connections. As a doula, La Leche League Leader, and birth/ postpartum educator, I have access to many resources for new parents and I am happy to help mothers feeling postpartum depression to find the resources that can help them. Lastly, many studies have shown that exercise is instrumental in working through issues of depression. What better a place to exercise than with other new mothers!
This is another subjective answer, but for the most part, inversions should be avoided as that would work against the body in passing lochia. All of the poses and other movement in Mom & Baby Yoga is appropriate for women in the postpartum period. We can address any questions about specific poses/exercises in class.
To the recommended Parenting books page.
To the Prenatal Yoga FAQs page.
To the Shanti Yoga Center home page.
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