I remember, when my oldest was around 6 months old, the Stroller Strides classes in Charleston were at 10am every morning and I remember thinking, that was the WORST possible time for a class. My son always needed a nap and I didn’t want him to wake up as soon as we got there. What if I needed to nurse during class? What if he skipped a nap, or cried the entire time?
I missed quite a few classes as I felt like it would have been worse for me to go and skip a nap at home. Looking back, I wish I would have gone more often. Every time I went, it was so good for my mental health, my body felt amazing and it was the much needed socialization I craved as a new mom with very few mom friends.
What I know now and didn’t realize back then is every mom at those classes was concerned with their own children making noise, their own toddlers trying to climb out of their strollers or asking for snacks, pausing to nurse their own babies. I also know now, your own child’s crying always sounds louder to you than to those around you.
I wish I would’ve known how okay it was to wear my baby while I worked out. Or to pause and feed him, I wish I would have tried to learn how to nurse him while I was doing a squat haha. I realize now every mom there had been where I was, they all understood and had compassion and empathy for me as a new mom of an infant. I had to eventually weigh my priorities: was it worse for my baby to get a car nap a few times a week, or for me to miss an opportunity to take care of myself, in order to be a better mother?
Know that when you come to one of our classes, we understand. We understand the nap dilemma. We understand needing to stop to feed a baby. We understand when you need to run to your car to get a different toy for your toddler. Never be afraid to ask to borrow a change of clothes, toy, diaper or take one of our snacks, or to show up a little late or leave a little early because it’s just a hard day. We are a community of mothers who have been there and want to be there for you too. And we also want to encourage you to show up for yourself, to roll out of bed when you’ve had little sleep and take care of your body, so your day can end better than it started. This is a place where you are seen and known and there is no room for judgment here.
But if your baby is in a phase where they need to nap during class, here are a few tips:
Arrive early to feed your baby and take them for a walk around the park to help them go to sleep before class starts.
Bring a mobile sound machine like Hushh.
Bring a carrier to wear your baby.
Ask moms in class with babies what they do or reach out to a mom with older kids to hear what worked for her when she was in that stage.
What works/worked for you to come to class during nap time? We’d love to hear your best on the go nap tips!