"What magic has snared the world's treasure in these slender arms of mine?"     

Rabindranath Tagore

"Don't kid yourself.  Those women (in the celebrity press) have never had babies.  Their children were all born by professional stunt women." 

Dave Barry

A couple of months after your baby is born, you will be wanting to gently start getting back in shape.  Julie Tortora runs Mother & Baby Stretch Classes where you can exercise and play with your baby at the same time,  in comfortable and  friendly  surroundings, in Crouch End, North London.

In the months following birth the mother's spine takes time to readjust to its non-pregnant alignment  Ligaments are still lax and the abdomen and pelvic floor have lost their tone. In addition looking after a new baby demands a great deal of bending, carrying and lifting.  During this time it is important to build up strength and look after the health of the back.  The class focuses on toning exercises and teaches the most efficient way of using the body so as to avoid strain.

All the exercises are devised so that the babies can join in.  Sometimes they ride around on their mother's legs.  Sometimes they lie looking up at her while she kneels on all fours.  Older babies love to pull their mother's hair during this exercise! At the end of the class the babies have their own play-stretch with songs and bells which they really enjoy.