One for mummy and one for baby

In the last couple of weeks, I have tried a couple of new mummy and baby friendly activities and groups. They have both been great!

FAMILY FIT

https://www.facebook.com/Family-FIT-1467867216836780/?fref=ts

This is an exercise class that you can bring your baby along to -great fun and relaxed. After the first session, I felt like a human being again; I felt motivated to lose the last 12lbs of baby weight that I have enjoyed feeding with chocolate and cake over the last five months. I feel like if it hasn’t shifted in that time, I can no longer call that mid-afternoon chocolate snack ‘breastfeeding calories’ and instead must get off my over-sized bottom and work it off. Despite aching for a full 48 hours after the first session and remembering that there are muscles in my bottom underneath all the wobbly stuff, I felt so good afterwards. I even managed to skip the unhealthy snacks for a day or two (don’t worry – it didn’t last) because I felt so positive and virtuous!

The second session was much easier – I loved the fact that even though my little one was a little more cranky this week, no one minded. It was totally fine to sit out for a few minutes to feed him and comfort him. This is a great class for me to feel good and still be a safe place to bring baba.

*no photographs for this one – would be highly unattractive sweaty mummy pics*

CREATION STATION: BABY EXPLORERS

https://www.facebook.com/The-Creation-Station-Kent-Faversham-859104677488650/?fref=ts

We attended the first session of the term on Friday and had so much fun. I had read and seen good reviews about this group online and thought I would give it a try. I find it difficult to embrace mess and I hate the feeling of being dirty, so I really had to be brave when letting our little one loose in this class.

We started by suiting them up – to protect their clothes. As baba LOVES putting everything in his mouth, I started to worry that he would soon be poisoning himself. I was reassured that it was perfectly harmless for the babies to eat the paint – which they frequently did! Bizarrely, this did actually reassure me. We then got to explore some different textures and objects in the ‘discovery bag’ which was fun – a new way to encourage tummy time. As everyone then moved on to the painting section of the session, we hung back for a few minutes. This was mostly due to my reservations: I needed to see how the other babies responded to this first. After watching the others gleefully crawling and laying in paint, rolling balls around in it and happily licking it off their hands, I grew brave enough to allow baba to sit in the paint, lay in the paint and to encourage him to play.

Not only was I rewarded by his fascination and excitement, big smiles and giggles, but he also sat unsupported for the first time for any significant period of time. He impressed all of us with his strength and balance.

I would definitely recommend this one!

Some pics from our class and that all-important sitting milestone captured on camera for Daddy…