New Pilates class stresses mother-child togetherness

Breastfeeding, diaper changing and baby kissing are regular activities at Signal Mountain Pilates’ new Baby and Me class.

“Truly, the babies rule,” said owner Sydney Craig, who is also an instructor.

The class is for new moms and babies 6 weeks old to walking, said Ms. Craig, herself the mother of an infant.

“We focus on helping new mothers restore and strengthen their core, posture and pelvic floor,” Ms. Craig said. “It’s also a place for new mothers to get some exercise.”

Pilates is an abdominal and back strengthening method that balances the structural systems of the body while lengthening rather than contracting muscle tissues.

It was invented by German-born boxer Joseph Pilates during World War I and adopted by dancers and performers in New York City through the 1960s. Fitness centers and personal trainers spread the techniques widely beginning in the 1980s. Today, the techniques are widely used.

In Chattanooga, bringing babies to a Pilates workout is a new twist. Ms. Craig said she started the class about 6 months ago, after her son, Emerson, now 9 months old, was born.

Pilates is ideal for restoring healthy posture during childbirth and childcare, she said.

“It’s so easy to curl in,” she said, demonstrating the typical posture of a pregnant or infant-carrying mom — hunched shoulders, rounded back.

After going through childbirth, particularly a C-section, the core area benefits from being gently and carefully worked, she added.

Babies begin the class by “hanging out” on a blanket or mat next to their mom. They may also fill in for a medicine ball or weight bag, or receive kisses each time their mom descends in a pushup.

If they’re feeling fussy they might sit in an electric swing to relax. If they’re especially hungry, Mom takes a breastfeeding break.

“I look at it as Jenna’s class, too,” said class member Tiffany Quarfordt, a Signal Mountain resident. Last month, Ms. Quarfordt took her infant daughter, now 3 months old, to her first Pilates class.

“With a two-year-old at home, I don’t have a lot of one-on-one time with my newborn. I look forward to going because it’s time with Jenna, and there’s the ‘tummy time’ that baby’s are supposed to be getting,” Mrs. Quarfordt said.

Recently, pediatricians began recommending that babies sleep on their backs rather than their bellies, Mrs. Quarfordt said. Doing so sliced the rate of sudden infant death syndrome in half.

Yet babies need to do pushups, learn to sit up and prepare to crawl. These activities requires moms to supervise their babies while they’re on their bellies.

For moms, too, the class is good exercise, said Lucy Franklin, another Signal Mountain homemaker.

“It helps you straighten your spine and stand a little taller,” she said. “Plus, it’s just nice to come here to have some time and connect with other moms.”

For More Information

Signal Mountain Pilates, (423) 298-7133