Baby yoga is a great way support your baby's development; aiding their strength, co-ordination and balance. Yoga enables you to strengthen the bond between parent and baby.
Before conducting any form of baby yoga, or if you have any concerns, make sure you consult your health visitor or GP.
Studies suggest that the best age/time to start baby yoga is six weeks old and over. This allows both you and your baby to have had checks with your health visitor/GP, and your baby will have better neck control, protecting them from unnecessary injury. You will have also been a mother for 6 weeks and will have grasped some of your babies’ behaviours and be more confident in your practice.
Baby yoga is also a great way to relax, soothe and calm your baby - allowing them to discover their own abilities, feeling and emotions, resulting in the understanding how it feels to be quiet and still. Not only this, but babies crave skin to skin contact. By incorporating the physical touch with emotional contact will improve your bond and communication with each other. Babies who have practiced yoga have also been known to be more advanced with their balance when it comes to crawling and walking.
During your baby yoga practice, make sure that you and baby are enjoying yourselves. Check their reaction and facial expressions as this will allow you to pick up on gentle moves and yoga stretches that they enjoy.
Start out with 5-15 minutes at a time, gradually increasing your time with each practice as you both become comfortable with the stretches and become accustomed to the contact and movements.
As much as baby yoga focuses on your little one, post pregnancy yoga for the parent such as gentle stretches can help your body recover after birth toning and improving your pelvic floor.
There are many online and face to face local classes you can enrol on to help gain confidence. Many of these are hosted by yoga mummies and will be able to answer any questions or apprehensions you might have.
However, if you are used to practising yoga, then there is no real need to go to baby yoga classes. Baby yoga is safe and easy to do in your own home. Make your room a calm, relaxed, warm and safe environment to ensure both you and baby are at ease. Also make sure there is clear space on your floor to practice and place a yoga mat, blanket or towel on the floor for extra comfort, but be careful of slipping. We also recommend keeping baby’s comforter nearby for any tears!