After nine months of pregnancy, many women wonder when they can return to their fitness regime. Baby and mom yoga classes can be an ideal way to get your pre-baby body back and enjoy some bonding time with your infant. However, it's important to ensure that it's safe to take a postnatal yoga class.
“Usually you’d want to start a mom and baby yoga class once you’ve been okayed by your doctor to start a physical regime,” says Nicole Murcutt, a yoga teacher and HealthChoicesFirst.com partner. “This is often four weeks if you’ve had a vaginal birth, and six weeks if you've had a Caesarean.”
Watch our Benefits of Baby and Mom Yoga video.
The Baby and Mom Yoga Class Experience
If you're considering a postnatal yoga class, keep in mind that it won't be quite like a quiet, all-adult yoga class! It's entirely normal for babies to squirm, fuss, or even cry during the class; other babies are quite calm for the entire experience. One benefit of baby and mom yoga classes is that mothers are welcome to feed, change and soothe their babies as needed.
“You can usually take babies until they are pre-crawlers,” says Murcutt. “Usually once the babies start crawling, they’re a bit too hard to contain.”
If you'd like to begin baby and mom yoga classes, speak to your doctor first, and then find a yoga instructor that specializes in postnatal yoga.
Watch our video on the baby and mom yoga class experience.