An AIBU re childcare for fitness time

[FitnessMamaz]

Currently pregnant with my first. I know I have no idea what about to hit me or how I will feel, but I am hoping that I will be able to get back into a fitness regime at some stage, perhaps after a few months. I don't have any family close by and husband works long hours.

Are there any fitness keen Mums who have found a solution here? I know some gyms offer crèches but I don't know how I would feel leaving a young baby there? Are they ok? I know I can do home workout and also walks with buggy, but I also would like to have 45 mins or so a couple of times a week to focus on my fitness if possible. It's also really good for my mental health which will be good for baby.

Is this unreasonable of me to even contemplate?! Has anyone done this successfully? How did you organise childcare?

I took up running, because I could go out 5 mins after DH got home. Trying to commit to a fixed class failed, but running (and to some extent swimming) was much more flexible.

In the very early months I went to mum and baby fitness classes (baby in sling), not super effective but good way to get back into it and home workouts with an online personal trainer. But getting a babysitter even in the early months I think it’s a good idea so you can focus on your workout and also for your baby to get used to a babysitter . Looking back I wish I’d done that.

I do Les Mills on demand. They have all the classes on the app and I can do them when my toddler naps or once he’s in bed. I’ve stopped cause I’m currently pregnant and I’ve had horrendous sickness but I plan on starting again once the doctor signs me off at my post-baby check.

I got a running buggy...

I go to a mum-run fitness class designed so that you can bring your baby/toddler. If they start crying you can stop and tend to them, or the trainer goes and pushes the pram until you've finished whilst encouraging the rest of the class. The exercises aim to strengthen your core and pelvic floor and the trainers take into consideration pregnancy related issues like diastatis recti, c-section scars and back pain.

That's a private class, but our local leisure centre also runs classes where you can bring your young children.

My gym has a crèche and it's an amazing place for families. You can visit before you make any decisions.
If you want to work out at home I too recommend les Mills.

The gym I belonged to when my children were babies and toddlers had a very good creche and would take them as young as 6 weeks. I was comfortable with this as they were also a certified nursery and if there were any problems, the mum/dad could be called over the gym tanoy to come to the creche.

This is brilliant, thank you! It's so reassuring to know that it could be possible!

In our local area there are some Mum & baby classes where you can take your baby with you, also some buggy running groups - where are you, there might be something near you?

I belong to a gym with a crèche so I can go to some classes. I also book childcare to go running and cycling.

Tried to do the home work outs but they just weren’t for me.

I’ve used gym crèche for both of mine. It’s great. You’re in the building so it’s not like you’re leaving them: when they were very little I’d often pop in between sets to breastfeed. With two LO the crèche is the only way I get to shower these days!!!

I also found that when I did return to work I didn’t feel quite so anxious about them starting childcare as I know they’d been ok in the crèche.

Also, in my experience it’s best to start them quite young in crèche. When they’re little (under 6 months) they’re happy to go to any one and the crèche becomes part of their routine very easily. When they get older they get clingy and you have to spend lots of time settling them if it hasn’t already been established in their routine. DC1 had a gap of 6 months without going to crèche at 10month old and was awful going back: I rarely got more that 15mins in gym without them calling for me. DC2 will not be having any breaks in his routine! It’s a good incentive to keep me going to the gym regularly!

My gym had a Creche that took children from 6 weeks. It was amazing. Also I used to leave DS (and then DD) with DH and go running.

I only half jokingly refer to my year of maternity leave as 6 months mat leave, 6 months training sabbatical!

In my area there are excellent "exercise with baby" classes designed to get you back into it during the first year. I also did "Buggy bootcamp" held in local parks. When DS was 6 months we bought a running buggy and I used to do long runs (up to 9 miles by the end of the year) on a day when I had no other classes or groups and then DH would use the buggy for parkrun so I could do it "fast". I would also run once DH got in from work.

Our local sports centre does a spin class that you can take babies to, not sure how common these are.

Have a browse on the Hoop app to see if there's anything fitness related you can do near you.

I lost my pregnancy weight and then some just talking my DC out for walks in the buggy. We also attended a couple of buggy bootcamp classes.

(Put a stone back on going back to work and eating the office chocolate biscuits!)

If you felt so inclined you could head out to the gym once baby is in bed and your OH is home.

Do you have a partner? I do things whilst he watches our son. If not, then I would recommend getting a buggy fit for jogging!

Gym crèche and running buggy here!

My gym has a crèche and it’s really affordable! DD has been going twice a week since she was 6 months but they take them from 3 months. I also have a running buggy.