YogaBellies Birth Workshop for Couples

Saturday 10am - 1.30pm March 2011
A workshop for couples (or bring a friend or birth companion) to learn about 'the big day' in a fun, informal environment. This is a lovely compliment to your prenatal yoga classes or works well as stand alone session too :)

During the day we will cover:

• Birth breathing & relaxation techniques;
• Self-hypnosis for pregnancy and birth;
• Letting go: Fear Release Hypnosis;
• What happens during the birth;
• The role of the Birth Partner;
• Preparing for the Big Day including creating a Birth Plan;
• Full vegetarian lunch provided and refreshments though out the workshop

Price £75 per couple to take part in the group workshop (£45 for individuals) Price includes: YogaBellies Birth Pack, all handouts, self hypnosis and deep relaxation for birth CD and lunch and all refreshments for you and your partner.

New Classes Starting March 2011 - Learn Stretch & PlayTM

These sessions use rhyme, music, massage and movement to increase enjoyment and are suitable for babies from 6 months to 2 years. They are particularly great for babies who may like to move around and prefer a more interactive session. They will run over a 5 week block initially for one hour at a time. For more information or to book a block of classes please see the website under 'Bumps' or email Cheryl to book a place.

Certified YogaBellies(R) Teachers across the UK!

We currently have four new trainee YogaBellies Teachers starting in February this year. We're starting to build a lovely team of girls who will be teaching pre natal yoga and birth education with YogaBellies(R) throughout the UKand we're all very excited about spreading the good news :) If you'd like more information on becoming a Certified YogaBellies Teacher, please see the 'Teach' page on the website.

Train to become a Certified YogaBellies(R) Baby Massage Instructor YogaBellies are now offering the opportunity to become a YogaBellies Baby Massage Instructor Course. The course is accredited by IPTI (Independent Professional Therapists International) who will also provide insurance on completion of the course. The course will be run in Spring this year. For more information and to register interest please email Cheryl.

The unpredictable and almost always disappointing Glasgow weather, has played havoc with my summer plans for my baby son and I this year. At the first glimpse of sunshine, I spend two hours packing up the various bits and bobs that we need for a standard sunny day trip across the road to the Botanics: suntan lotion for mummy and baby; a parasol; a UV protective tent (none the less), a blanket, lunch, milk, several bottles, nappies, toys... the list goes on. Donning our best lightweight summer outfits and just about to descend two flights of stairs carrying the baby, Bugaboo and my extensive entourage of summer accessories ... the sky turns gray and the rain starts to pour. A regular west of Scotland occurrence...

Plagued by (as the majority of westenders are) the lack of a private garden area in the near vicinity, a trip to the Gardens can be an all morning preparation that can often fall foul of the gods. It can prove challenging to come up with new and exciting activities each day for mummy and baby that are often so weather dependent...

Fortunately, the west end of Glasgow is a haven for mummies and babies. Wth an extensive collection of baby friendly cafes and restaurants and activities ranging from mum and baby salsa classes to teaching your baby to communicate with you using sign language. For mum and babe, the west end far surpasses the rest of Glasgow in the number and variety of activites. As a new mummy (Squeaker is almost ten months now) and pre and post natal yoga teacher, I am in the fotunate position to hear all about these fantastic mummy led activites. It can be a lonely life without these opportunities to mingle and make new mummy chums, and there's something out there to suit everyone's budget.

Bounce and Rhyme: Hillhead Library

Bounce and Rhyme is probably every west end mum's first port of call once baby has been born. A free class is held on a Monday and Friday in Hillhead Library on Byres Road, it's a real social networking point for new mums on the block. The best bit about Bounce and Rhyme, of course, is that it's absolutley free of charge and you don't have to book a place: weather gone wrong, can't think of anything else to do; baby becoming frustrated: a trip to Bounce and Rhyme will cure all ailments!

Bounce and Rhyme basically lasts about half an hour and involves all the mummies and babies singing nursery rhymes and carrying out the respective actions to accompany the songs and having a jolly old time. It's a lovely opportunity to meet other new mums and don't worry about turning up without a friend, most mums are on their own and are keen to meet others mums too. You may also find that mums ask your baby's name but forget to ask yours. I know the names of every baby in the west end but perhaps the names of only two mummies. You find yourself walking down Byres Road saying hi to "Paul's mum" or "going to meet Jane's mum for a coffee." I actually had one friend in my mobile as 'Stephen's mum' for 3 months until I plucked up the courage to admit I didn't know her name :)

Bounce and Rhyme is perfect for meeting all of these west end babies' mummies. And most importantly, the babies absolutely adore it. The younger babies enjoy just watching everyone else, the crawlers crawl into the middle of the circle and climb over the other babies and the toddlers sing and dance along with the songs. Everyone has their favourite nursery rhymes, mine being The Wheels on the Bus, and Squeaker's being Twinkle Twinkle. One week we missed out the Wheels on the Bus and there was an actual uproar with mummies demanding it be sang at the end.

Squeaker and I love Bounce and Rhyme and look forward to it every week. I had no idea how much time I would spend in the library as a mummy! Babies can crawl around safely on the carpeted floor (he's at that stage) and obviously, there are so many books for them to admire/chew/play with. Again, it's great value for money as it's completely free of charge, I don't know where I'd be without the library - especially as the rainy days become more frequent. A great starting point for getting baby out and about and meeting new mums :)