We made it to post-natal yoga!

So yesterday we made it to post-natal yoga, and it was great. Not like the pre-natal classes - which were all about the breath, connecting with the child within, and relaxation. This class, while about relaxation and connecting to the child, felt a bit more like management than the former. Babies crying. Babies eating. Babies sleeping. Felt like my life but just in a yoga studio, which I guess, it was. But it was cool to go, be with a couple of new moms, people I recognized from my pre-natal classes, and now you can put the child with the belly. And in their cases, Lilly met Lulu and Jerome. We did some exercises to get them warmed up, taking their arm and opposite leg and having them meet, and us, lean down and say "you're so big Lilly (but insert name of your baby here). And we did that a few times and then switched arms and legs. We also did a bit of baby massage. Starting with their feet, massaging in a circular motion, then moving to their ankles and then up their legs. There's actually a free class at a local baby store on massaging your little one, it's Saturday morning, so I might try to go. But anyway, they just lie atop a couple blankets, looking as cute as can be. Jerome was in the middle with his mom, and he had a bunch of curly black hair and a great grin, and just seemed to enjoy everything!

Lilly didn't get to it as much as Jerome, but he's 15 weeks and a bit more with it than her. But she did enjoy lying on the blankets, and then looking to her right, and finding the ceiling fan. I guess its the shadows the fan creates, but she enjoys looking at fans! Anyway we were told that crying babies, feeding babies, they are all the norm, even coming to the class late is ok. So good to know for the future.

After focusing on the babies, we turned to ourselves. In theory the babies would lie there, and let us do our poses. Well thats all good for a bit, maybe one or two poses, but didn't stay true for the whole time. It was a new environment for her, so I think she got a little nervous. She was real quiet once the class started, taking it all in, but then she got both a)hungry and b)tired. And wanted her comfortable environment, not two purple yoga blankets as her cushion. Plus she does not like sleeping on her back, so no chance of getting her to nap like that. So for all the standing poses, the lunges, side angle, downward dog, she's crying, she wants to eat, and most of all she wants to sleep.

So for the first time, I breastfed in public. It was a safe environment, as another mom fed earlier, but it was still a bit weird and liberating at the same time. Lilly ate and was fine and then wanted to sleep and I tried to get her to sleep on the blankets but she wanted my arms and wouldn't think of anything else (which is fine, I enjoy cuddling) but it did make doing yoga, until we got to the poses and ab work on our back, where she could just be in my arms and I could be on my back, move my legs and not have to do anything with my arms. And before I knew it we had a final relaxation pose, which we could have done legs up the wall or have two bolsters at an angle and relax on those, with Lilly still sleeping, I opted for the bolsters.

But all in all, a good class. Nice to see the other new moms and babies. And best of all, a nice way to connect with Lilly and get back to some relaxation with myself.