After our midwives gave me the all-clear to exercise last week, I decided to check out the mom-and-baby yoga class taught by my prenatal yoga teacher (and birth class teacher). I’d heard it was pandemonium, and also that it was very straightforward yoga with less of the feel-good stuff from the prenatal class. I had my doubts that we’d get through it with Laurel staying calm (or independent), but I wanted to try anyway. Today we did.
(The morning was already challenging enough — she was miserable during her mid-morning feed, having tummy trouble. Which, when I helped her work it out, turned into an epic poop that looked as though someone had frosted her entire diaper area like a cake. She finally fell asleep around 11, so I packed her into the Moby and headed off to the yoga studio.)
My suspicions were correct. Laurel was calm for about 5 minutes at the beginning, when I gathered my yoga props and did the opening sutra. Then she wanted to eat. Then she wanted a diaper change. Finally the teacher picked her up and carted her around the room for about 15 minutes, so I got some sun salutations in. When she brought her back, she said, “I’m sorry to tell you this, but I think she wants to be a yoga teacher. Look at how happy she is!” And she’s right, she was.
Then Laurel wanted to nurse. And be held some more. Laying in shavasana at the end of class I was finally able to get her to calm down and nearly fall asleep — and then only because she was laying on me with my thumb in her mouth.
Many of the other babies fussed at some point during the class, or needed nursing, etc. Some occasionally shrieked their brains out. A few were in car seats, so they could be rocked by a stray hand or foot, which was a good idea. I noticed that the babies older than 3 months were more independent, though, so maybe we’ll do better by then.
Until Laurel is more indepedent, I’m not sure I’ll go back, although I miss yoga terribly. On the one hand, I paid money to mostly sit and tend to Laurel, but on the other hand, I feel really calm and centered now. Despite the pandemonium.
There’s another class closer to home with fewer moms/babies that I might also check out — I hear the teacher likes to hold fussy babies too. :)
– Beth
mooseloon said,
April 29, 2009 at 8:45 pm
Good luck – it sounds really challenging!
I wonder if she will also slowly adapt to the different environment/situation and handle it better as well.
I think there are worse things to be than a yoga teacher :-p