Baby Yoga is a way of communicating through touch how much love you have for your baby and also creates a secure and healthy attachment. In one short session a baby experiences as much physical activity as they would receive if they were handled and carried all day which will help them sleep for longer. We also include some gentle postnatal exercises for Mum.

How to form a better bond with your baby.

Don’t worry, you won’t be expected to get your baby into strange positions! You’ll follow a series of simple stretches to begin with before giving your baby lots of skin-to-skin contact and very gentle muscle stimulation without any force. We always start off with a gentle massage for baby to warm their muscles up, just like we would warm our own muscles before any activity.

Baby Yoga can help with the following common difficulties:

Colic and crying
Teething
Constipation and digestive problems
Slow weight gain
Feeding difficulties
Sleeping patterns

Practicing Baby Yoga has many benefits for both you and your baby. Here are just a few of the visible benefits you’ll see:

Helps balance, co-ordination and motor skills
Aids respiration and digestion
Allows babies to move freely
Strengthens their bodies and develops reflexes
Aids bonding, trust and social interaction
Stimulates the brain through endorphin release
Develop physical confidence & spacial awareness
Improves muscle development
Promotes better sleep
Improves learning and social development

Baby Yoga will give you more confidence in handling your baby and once you’ve learnt the exercises you will be able to use them at home to continue the bonding and soothing. Bonding is encouraged through close skin to skin contact, praise, encouragement and mutual enjoyment.

Postnatal postures are used to help re-align and strengthen Mum’s body, tone abdominal and pelvic floor muscles and also balance the hormonal changes that occur after childbirth. It can also help with postnatal depression. Most importantly, the deep relaxation session at the end of the baby yoga session helps mum cope with the stress of parenting.

Even if Mum has never practiced yoga herself before, there are some deep breathing techniques she will learn during the classes that will help her relax, de-stress and hopefully sleep better.

If you have a group of friends or are part of an NCT Group that would like to hold a private course of Baby Yoga, please enquire below.

How old does my baby have to be to start exercising?
We recommend from about 16 weeks old. The sequences need to be appropriate for the age of the baby. We start very gently with smaller babies and as they gain strength and head control, we move to more energetic and fun routines.

Is there an upper age limit?
We recommend starting baby yoga before your baby starts crawling as once they are more mobile it is very difficult to maintain their interest with the static exercises.

What if my baby doesn’t seem to enjoy it or cries?
Babies do cry and this is perfectly normal, so don’t worry. Everyone in the class has a baby too so it is perfectly acceptable and everyone understands. Try to establish if there is a reason why your baby is unhappy – are they tired, hungry, too cold/warm or unwell? It may take a while for your baby to become familiar to the new surroundings, but try to relax as if you are tense your baby will be too!

What if my baby wants feeding during the class?
Don’t worry, you are free to breastfeed or bottlefeed at any time during the class, particularly during the relaxation session.

What if my baby is ill?
If you or your baby have any form of infectious disease (such as chicken pox) or sickness and/or diarrhoea then please do not bring them to class until it has completely cleared.

Please avoid bringing your baby to a class for 48 hours after having any immunisation.

If your baby is receiving any form of medical treatment then please seek the advice of your GP or Health Visitor before attending a class.

If you or your baby is suffering from a common ailment such as a cold or sniffles, please feel free to attend, but remember you or your baby may not feel up to it and may not enjoy the class as much as usual.