Yoga

Week two of prenatal yoga and it gets even better. Our class is up to seven and I don’t know any of the women. So I hope over the eight weeks that I’ll form several new mom-of-young-children contacts.

My pre-natal yoga mates from my first pregnancy were a great source of company and companionship in the early months of motherhood. But now that they have moved ahead with second children and/or jobs, it’s tough to get together and I regularly see only one of them (the mother of River’s best friend). I’m ready to meet some more women who will likely have leaves around the same time as me.

The majority of my current classmates are pregnant with their second, which surprises me, since the class I took when pregnant with River was almost all first-time moms. I expected that many women would have trouble getting out to a yoga class when they already have a small child. But evidently, these women have husbands who share the work and allow them time for themselves, which is also great. And finally, one woman was further along than me (33 weeks). So I’m no longer the largest, nor the first to have to cross over to the other side.

It’s an hour and 15 minutes of slow, relaxing movement. The teacher, a mother of a 3.5-year old, wears her long hair in two braids and is the calmest, most zen mother one could imagine. I am not a very zen-like person, so I can only admire her. But she provides great inspiration.

Even better, in those 75 minutes, she succeeds in making me feel calmed, stretched and at peace. Even if it only lasts for the evening, it is a feeling to savor, especially in the later stages of pregnancy. I’m grateful I found this class.

Did you do anything to help meet other expectant parents when you were pregnant or after delivery? What worked well for you?

Things to be grateful for

River’s birthday seems like a big marker to me and is leading me to take a look back at this life-changing year. More than anything, I feel a great deal of gratitude.

I’m grateful for River’s presence in our lives.

I’m grateful for his health and sweet, easy demeanor

I’m grateful for how he has taken me out of the rut of adulthood and helped me to look at the world in a new, refreshed way

I’m grateful we’ve had to the resources so that I haven’t been forced back to a job before I was ready

I’m grateful that relations in our family of three are good. We are all happy. We all love each other.

I’m grateful that I made it breastfeeding to 12 months. I now feel free to let it drop off and enjoy the new freedom

I’m grateful for the excellent help I’ve had, both from Mark and from our babysitters as well as friends and family

I’m grateful for the library, which offers wonderful programming for children from birth

I’m grateful for my pre-natal yoga classes, which put me in touch with like-minded moms expecting around the same time as me

I’m grateful that I’m recovering myself, physically and professionally

I’m grateful that we are living centrally and River and I can use a bicycle or stroller for most of our activities.

I’m grateful for the love I’ve received, from River, Mark, friends and family.

I’m grateful that I think I’ve done a better job at being a mother to River than I expected.

I’m grateful for the basis of a loving relationship that we’ve set.