I’ve been pregnant 4 times, and I just attended my very first prenatal yoga class this week as part of this sponsored campaign for Texas Health Resources. Kinda kicking myself for waiting so long! As you’ll read, it wasn’t just a great workout. It’s a place to find a village.
I got close to going to one during my 1st pregnancy, but I arrived to the studio late, and it was hard to find parking, and then I saw this group of moms chatting it up outside the doors. They looked like really good friends, all of them. I felt like I’d be uncomfortable, unwelcome, I guess? It was an assumption based on nothing but my own insecurities.
My first pregnancy was pretty isolating. I lived in a part of the country with few friends to begin with, and none of them were pregnant. In a way, it brought me to this- to blogging. It brought me to my online tribe, which is a tremendous part of my life to this day.
Still, it would have been wonderful to have what those women outside the yoga studio had- other pregnant women in my life to bounce my questions off of face to face, instead of relying on Alarmist Google. Looking back, I know I should have just parked, gone in, pushed myself to say hi, make connections, and keep going. I’m certain I wouldn’t have felt left out for long.
I got a bit of a do-over this week, though, when I went to an Oh Baby Fitness prenatal yoga class at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Plano. I expected to show up and just get a good workout – which I did. I’m still sore. Yoga is hard, y’all.
But, this class was about so much more than warrior pose and downward dog. This was a community, a place where everyone was encouraged to voice those concerns that many of us find ourselves Googling at 2 in the morning while we can’t sleep. The instructor, Jessica, has a background as a doula and nanny, and was a wealth of information and support. She listened to each mother’s questions, and had thoughtful responses to all while simultaneously guiding us through class.
I spoke with Jessica after class, and she emphasized that what they really want moms to take away from an Oh Baby Fitness class at Texas Health is a support system, and many of the moms do. They end up forming playgroups, attending birthday parties in the years to come, and they will often see each other and mommy & me classes after their babies are born.
I was especially heartened to hear that postpartum depression and mood disorders are a topic of conversation, and something that Oh Baby Fitness & Texas Health Resources focuses on when it comes to education and support.
YES. This is needed. This is important. This is more than yoga.
“We talk a lot about taking care of mom throughout the entire pregnancy, and really focusing on preparing her for the delivery and creating a community that can support moms after the baby is born. Texas Health and Oh Baby Fitness have made it a priority to make these classes available and are rolling them out in more markets across DFW – Allen, Alliance, Dallas, Fort Worth, Plano and Willow Park. We are starting classes in Arlington and HEB next month.
And we want moms to find the classes that are right for them (I’d fall on my face in a yoga class), so several markets have prenatal cardio classes, water aerobics, and then there are classes for mom and baby, yoga, stroller boot camps, mom/baby water. Being a new mom can be so overwhelming, and it’s important to take care of yourself and make sure you feel good during your pregnancy.” – Tracey Klinge for Texas Health Resources
I can’t emphasize the importance of a village and support system enough, whether you’re a first-time or fourth-time mom. If you’re in the DFW area and find yourself longing for something like this with the added benefit of getting your heart rate up every week, you should look into an Oh Baby Fitness class at a Texas Health Resources location near you. I might see you there.
Thanks to Texas Health Resources for sponsoring this post. All opinions are my own.