Post Natal Gymnastics - Rückbildungsgymnastik

After having a baby your body is not what it once was with nine months of gestation and then labor having morphed different areas and scared others.  There is good news (and your insurance might pay for it)....the post-natal gymnastics course for mothers and babies (Rückbildungsgymnastik) is a must take course.  From my experience most women take a course and highly recommend it and now I can see why.  Once I had the 6 week check-up OK to go back to normal activity I was eager to try this gymnastic class.  Luckily, the prenatal instructor informed us of her upcoming course in English, which she told us about at our "class reunion" in April.  So I enrolled and now Hannah and I are enjoying our weekly class and lunch with other moms and babies.

Hannah playing footsie with her new buddies
(center of photo in the red &  white stripes)

The class is great for several reasons...We meet once a week for two hours.  The first hour is dedicated to exercises for the moms while the babies play barefoot in the center of the room in a circle.  The last few exercises (baby kiss push ups, the diaper sniff, and a modified airplane) are with baby, which Hannah loves - especially the airplane in which she lays on my shins as I circle her around quietly asking her to not spit up on me. It is great to hear all these babies giggling as I struggle to do push-ups. 

Hour two of the class is devoted to discussion.  Each week has a topic based on the mom's input.  This week we discussed weaning and transitioning to solid foods, granted Hannah is one of the youngest (oldest being six months) but this reinforced how fast she is growing and time is going!  Of course there are always added questions that are brought up the end.   

The class is a great resource not just for learning the best exercises to get your mid section back into shape, but also for these weekly discussion.  Plus, the connection made with other young mothers is priceless.  Usually after class a group of us go to lunch at a nearby restaurant, which really lends to the camaraderie and our very hungry bellies.  

As far as I know, the post-natal gymnastics class and the prenatal class in English are only offered by the Familien GesundheitsZentrum in Frankfurt.  Both are very helpful and I highly recommend taking them (this is not an advertisement!)

Hannah enjoying class and watching her buddies!