FREQUENTLY

You can join anytime in the first 3m of your baby's life but we recommend joining in late pregnancy so that you can come and get to know us and the venue. It makes it so much easier to attend with your little one after birth when you're going somewhere familiar. It also means we can support you with any issues that may crop up as you approach birth and also support you immediately after birth - especially if there are any feeding complications early on like baby not latching or needing to find quick assessment of possible Tongue Tie. We offer a pregnancy discount. Just ask. After birth, please attend in person as soon as you feel ready. We will be supporting you in the WhatsApp group and you can zoom with us too if you don't feel up to attending in person on any given day.

This is a relaxing and ideal first class with baby. Seated comfortably on sofas with tea and toast served - it's often the first thing Mamas have eaten that day! I (Liz) am on hand to talk to you about how it's going. Feeding and sleeping are often the topics of coversation - and I can help you access further support if needed. But I can advise on postnatal recovery issues too including checking for Diastasis Recti. Depending on who is there on the day I'll sometimes offer lap based Baby Yoga or Baby Massage suitable for newborns too.

Yes, this is a rolling class which only stops for 1 week in July and 2 weeks at Christmas. Otherwise we're here all the time cos newborn Mamas need support ALL the time : ). After your trial class Newborn Mum Club is accessed via the BellyTots Membership.

This is sometimes possible and just depends on space. It would be better for the supporter to be female, as many very personal issues are discussed that women may find hard to discuss in front of a man. We are keen for you to feel as comfortable as possible. So do ask us about this.

Yes. Come and join us - Book here (Answer updated January 2022)

Fully equipped kitchen, nappy changing area, toilets, car park at all venues.

The difference is simply the focus. In Baby Yoga, there is more for babies; and in Strengthen and Stretch, there is more for Mums.

Go into your booking through any bookings confirmation email (or by logging into bookwhen). Select the class you want to change. Then click 'Ticket options', then click transfer. Check you are rebooking a class that is within the expiry date of your pass.

Please contact us immediately about this and we will resolve it for you.

Yes there is. For venues with a smaller car park, there is free parking available on the road too. Please note, our Sacred Heart venue (Pembroke Road, Ruislip Manor) has a code to access the large, free car park. This is on your confirmation email.

Yes you can. In smaller venues, the pram may need to be left in a side room on busier days if baby isn't asleep in it, but where possible I will keep your pram beside you for your convenience.

Yes, absolutely. We are always arranging online and in-person events and courses for private individuals or groups. Do email me and I'll be delighted to set something up for you and/or your group.

Congratulations on your multiples! There is no extra charge for multiples and you can bring a helper free of charge too. Sometimes it may be easier to zoom into an in-person class instead, I can usually facilitate this for you. I'm so sorry that I cannot work with one of the twins for you in a class as my insurance does not allow for that and as I focus on supporting everyone in the class I would not be able to give your baby the support, care and focus that they need and deserve.

We are keen to welcome more parents and babies with disabilities or additional needs. Please do contact us to let us know how we can support you in class. 2 of our 3 venues are wheelchair accessible and have accessible toilets. We will do everything we can to adapt classes and venues to meet your needs.

As many times as you can up to the birth of your baby for maximum benefit from the class. With our flexible Pregnancy class pass you have 5 weeks to use up your 4 classes.

Not at all. Absolute beginners welcome, the class is also suitable for intermediate level. Advanced Pilates and Yoga enthusiasts may want to continue to attend their regular class as well, to be challenged enough; but will benefit from all the pregnancy, birth and mothering preparation in this class. Experienced Yoga enthusiasts may miss a focus on yoga philosophy, as the focus of the class is very much on birth preparation.

Comfy, stretchy clothes are a must. Please bring a mat, blanket/throw and cushion/pillow. These are to keep you comfy in class. Please also bring water. I provide individually wrapped biscuits if you need a snack!

Peaceful environment with lower lighting Short 10 minutes discussion on mothering or birthing 45 minutes of strengthening, relaxing postures & exercises with gentle background music 5 minutes of practising breathing, positions & visualisations for birth (very simple, comfortable, easy to follow and no need to make any sounds) 10 - 15 minutes deep relaxation Linger for a quick chat with others if you can Once a month, we make time for a cuppa too!

Benefits for Mum: Strengthen the body and maintain or improve flexibility ready for birth and mothering Learn how to apply breathing techniques to a range of situations (sleeplessness; early, established and advanced labour; C-birth; stress; early parenting; after-pains) Become familiar and comfortable with a range of positions to ease pregnancy discomforts and speed up labour. Develop the ability to release muscle tension consciously to decrease discomfort during labour and birth Decrease stress Decrease mild to moderate anxiety and depression (studies show that this type of exercise can be as helpful as drugs in relieving symptoms of mild to moderate anxiety and depression) Bond with baby is nurtured and supported Benefits to Baby: Support optimal brain development for the baby through enabling Mum to have times of relaxation Babies are able to sense change in the mother's mood so hopefully they enjoy the class as the relaxation hormones and chemicals start to flow

Yes, absolutely. I have worked with many women having Ceasarean births. The class has many benefits in pregnancy for both mums and babies. Much of the preparation we do is applicable to all types of birth. Many women find the breathing techniques just as helpful for Ceasarean birth as for vaginal birth. Occasionally babies like to keep us on our toes and labour can start before a planned Ceasarean date. Women have needed to breathe through some contractions before their Ceasarean went ahead and were glad they had these skills. Keeping as strong as possible before a ceasarean birth will help with recovery too.

This class is suitable from 8 weeks post birth.

I am very used to unsettled babies and am very happy to have them in the class; it can be stressful for Mum though. All my venues have side rooms you could escape too if you need a break from the class. I try to keep the class very flexible so that there are options to move around, sing a song, do some Baby Massage or Baby Yoga, or stand up and swing/rock if I feel that will help a baby to enjoy the class.

We begin with a very short names and ages intro round and a chance to share your thoughts on a Mum challenge like: How are you supposed to get out of the house on time?! Then we do some de-stressing, simple relaxation for Mums to release tight shoulders from all that feeding and cuddling, and stop and take a breath. We then move into our gentle core strengthening exercises and Yoga-based stretches. I weave in some brain boosting Baby Massage and Baby Yoga for the babies through the session and use bubbles, scarves and rattles to keep them engaged. And we finish with the all important Mum-chat over a cuppa to make friends and know for sure you are not alone with the joys and challenges of new motherhood!

Yes and we include the babies throughout the class to help them stay engaged.

Your nappy bag and anything else you and baby need. An exercise mat.

You can attend either the 3m+ or 9m+ class. Baby Yoga is safe from 2m+ but is often a bit too tiring for them before 3m. However, all age restrictions are a guide only. Do chat with me if you feel your baby is ready for a class before the stated age.

Please just bring an exercise mat and whatever you would normally bring for your baby (ie: nappy bag, milk/snacks and so on). I do provide a scarf and a rattle for them to use in class but you may like to bring a favourite toy or two.

This class focuses on stretches and songs for babies. It's a lot of fun! And is definitely the class that gets the most giggles out of the babies 😀. We use scarves, rattles, mirrors and balls. There are stretches woven through the class for parents too - to ease those achey backs and shoulders! The class finishes with the parachute and then there's time to chat over a cuppa.

I love to support women on an individual basis to accelerate their recovery from birth. I can offer a visit (or more than one visit) to your home for posture, core strength and tummy gap assessment, plus I will make a personalised exercise video for you to use. There are 3 packages. Have a look at them here.

We hold these at various times through the year at weekends. Keep an eye on this page.

Yes, you are, absolutely. You can attend alone and choose where you would be most comfortable - whether that's the main hall where the Baby Yoga & Massage takes place (this is almost always men with their babies). Or in the adjacent room to enjoy drinks, cakes and a mini massage (this is almost always women without their babies). Single parents may like to bring a supporter with them who can stay with them or care for their baby in the main hall while they relax next door.

Yes, absolutely. You can decide whether you would both like to stay together in the main hall to do Baby Yoga & Massage with your baby (this is nearly always where men with their babies will be); or whether one of you would like a break in the next door room (this is almost always women without their babies). Or you could both stay in the next door room to relax and chat with others and keep your baby with you. You could also swap half way if you both wanted an opportunity to be in both areas.

The term weaning is a little ambiguous. We have chosen to use it as parents speaking with us, use this term most frequently when they are asking about introducing solid food. We always make it very clear that milk, whether breast or formula, is a baby's main source of nutrition up to 1 year of age and in our workshops help parents to effectively balance both milk and solid food feeds.

At present we are setting these up when there is demand. Please contact us.

Many parents wonder if they are making a fuss, or if what they experienced is genuine trauma. Thankfully this isn't actually important. If it felt traumatic to a parent, then it was traumatic. Please contact me for a free, no obligation chat.

It's ok not to know. Do contact me for a chat and we can work out what services might be best for you. A trauma service can be helpful where you are experiencing unpleasant dreams about what happened; find yourself 'stuck' in memories of what happened and don't notice that some time has passed; experience sudden, strong, unwanted memories of what happened; avoid reminders of what happened; experience unpleasant bodily sensations when reminded of what happened. If none of this really applies to you, it may be that a reflection visit, sharing experiences with other parents or therapy with Kathryn, could be just what you need. Just contact me.

It is extremely important that you don't talk about what happened whilst you are experiencing such a strong reaction to the memories. Forcing yourself to talk about it can deepen the traumatic reaction. The services that I and my colleague, Kathryn offer (and NHS treatment for trauma) do not require you to talk about what happened. Many parents find that once we have worked with them to decrease the traumatic reaction, they feel much calmer and may decide to move on to do some counselling where they do want to talk about what happened, or to a reflection service with their maternity unit to give feedback (or sometimes proceed to a formal complaint). We can support you with next steps.