1) Offer Your Class As A Series If Possible
It's much more beneficial for the mom's and babies if they can commit the same time, every week to a 5-6 week series. They will all get to know eachother, the smells of teh studio, the drill. It's easier for women to connect with eachother if the group is familiar and you can offer a more effective class if you have time to get to yknow your students Also, you can move the women forward as a group, moving past fundamentals.
2) No Judgement
Hospital birth, water birth 10 kids or 1, it is not your place to judge. If a mom has decided to bottle feed or breastfeed, uses a pacifier or not your job is to encourage them and support them. I always encourage my mamas to come late or leave early if necessary- any movement is better than none!
3) Have a Variety of Props
For the mamalates mom + baby exercise class we use balls, resistance bands and foam rollers. I also sometimes use 3 lb. weights. Its nice to have a swiss ball, blankets and variety of foam rollers to better meet everyones alignment needs.
4) Be A Baby Whisperer
The babies need a lot of loving! It's beneficial to know a little about baby developement, different holding positions and swaddling techniques. The babies also love a good ceiling fan, wall mirror or basket of toys depending on their age.
5) Have Mom's Submit Their Reciept to Insurance
Many insurances are now reimbursing for birth recovery private sessions, classes or products. Incourage your moms to forward receipts on to their insurace companies for atleast partial reimbursement.
Taking a specialized pre/post Pilates workshop or training can be extremely helpful to ensure that any mom + baby class you teach will not just be a cookie cutter apilates. There are many Pilates exercises that are contraindicated for those with diastasis recti or recovery from a cesarean. It's important to know which ones.
Wendy Foster is the developer of the mamalates method. She has been teaching Pilates since 1999, is a pre/post specilaist and birth recovery expert. Visit the website for upcoming instructor trainings. www.mamalates.com