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“We just sit around and the moms talk, asking through every step of their journey is deeply an
questions — breastfeeding advice, sleep advice, it was important part of our mission.”
wonderful,” she said. “It’s good interacting time… and Postnatal yoga is becoming so popular in Brandon, that
nice to get out of the house.” Baby Bump has expanded their classes with another
Jaclyn Van Dasselaar said the class was a good stress yoga instructor and more time slots.
release, and a change of pace for her eight-month-old “Like everything we do at Baby Bump, we want to mold
son Jack. our business around what our community is asking for,”
“He gets to do the yoga part but then he gets to play McNish said. “Baby Bump will always be a reflection of
with other babies.” the community we are so proud to live in.”
As a beginner yogi, Van Dasselaar said she appreciated
the easy-going nature of the class. It’s not uncommon
to be interrupted by a crying or giggling baby.
“If you get left behind because you’re dealing with your
baby, it’s easy to catch on and catch up,” she said.
Stokes said a typical class begins with a focus on the
parent followed by a series of stretches, and then she
moves onto some exercise with the baby.
“Sometimes we add in little sing-along songs, the
babies seem to really like that,” she said. “We cool down
with a bit of bonding, a little snuggling with mom and
baby to kind of finish the class.”
The owners of Baby Bump, Adrienne McNish and
Stacy Nevill, said it is important to offer these types of
classes because pregnancy, childbirth and parenting
bring a whole series of new challenges. Pictured Above: Valerie Frape and her seven-month-old daughter
“Yoga helps build a connection with the new you, gives Faith enjoying their time at Me and Mini Me yoga class.
you time for yourself and your little one and allows you
to connect with other parents. Yoga classes create a Title Image: Braden Whiting and his ten-month-old daughter Kynlee
sense of community,” Nevill said. “Supporting families enjoy a little yoga together.

PRENATAL YOGA
From easing hip and back pain to reducing feelings before getting pregnant, and it is important to have
of anxiety, prenatal yoga classes can offer many some level of activity.
benefits to expectant mothers. “Yoga is more of a passive, relaxation type, with
Adrienne McNish of Baby Bump said the exercises breathing exercises,” Stokes said. “A lot of that can
help to ease the process of supporting a growing benefit with your labour process, getting through the
baby. It also helps tone the body, especially the pain.”
pelvic floor, hip, and abdominal core muscles, in Prenatal yoga is similar to a regular yoga class, but
preparation for the birthing process. with certain modifications. Pregnant women should
“Yoga helps you to learn how to breathe deeply and avoid inversions and deep twisting.
consciously relax, which is very helpful as you face “A lot of the positions you normally do in yoga are
the physical demands of labor, birth and new on your back… we have to modify by doing a lot of
motherhood,” McNish said. them on your side,” Stokes said.
Classes also provide a sense of community Prenatal yoga can be done at any point during the
throughout pregnancy. pregnancy. For Stokes, she personally found the
“It helps with depression, helps with socialization— breathing and relaxation techniques beneficial.
feeling like you have a support group with other “I also suffered from back pain, so it just helped with
women,” said Tara Stokes, yoga instructor. keeping my muscles nice and loose and avoiding
Experts now often recommend women continue some of those extra pains that are associated with
with whatever their fitness and health regime was pregnancy.”

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