Poised and Powerful Parenthood - New Mother / New Baby Care

Is this you? 

“I’d like to take care of myself and have more energy, but I don’t have time for the exercise classes I used to go to or the little things that helped my body feel good.”

“Between the carrying, the feeding, bending over the crib, and carrying the car seat, I feel like a wreck. Is there something I can do to prevent pain before it happens?”

“I feel like I am always ‘on.’ On the rare times I get a break, I can’t even decide what to do – I can try to rest, but I don’t feel very refreshed.”

“My toddler is going through a lot of ‘big feelings’ and I’m exhausted. I’m realizing how tense I get when he starts to tantrum. How do I stay calm in the moment?”

Find your reset.

There is no vacation from being a parent. Learn to incorporate caring for yourself as part of your everyday life.

Learning AT with me will not just help you feel better in the moment – since it is a skill-based system of learning, once you learn the principles, you can apply them for yourself in your daily life. You don’t need to set aside special time to practice, or learn an elaborate system of exercises, because you can continue to improve through daily activity. This is why it provides great self-care tools for parents with limited spare time. 

You will learn:

• Alignment for everyday life: easy standing and walking.
• How to carry that kid! Let’s talk about putting that kid into their carseat, crib, swing, or baby carrier.
• Better bending. If your back twinges after picking up toys or changing diapers, we can work on this!
• How to unwind the shoulders during/ after: breastfeeding or pumping.
• Your body at work: positive habits for the desk/ the office/ working on your feet, so you have more energy for play when you come home.
• Recognizing your own responses to stress, so you can move out of fight-or-flight responses and into more mindful response patterns.
• That you don’t just have to push through. Your child matters. But you matter too. And modeling healthy responses to stress will teach them confident habits, too.

Most of us “know” there’s a mind-body connection, that the way we respond physically, mentally, and emotionally to a situation are inseparable. AT is a method of learning to consciously release tension and bring your body back into alignment – empowering you with knowledge of your own body. Alexander Technique teaches us that how we respond to life’s challenge is a whole self experience.

The method I teach, Alexander Technique, is not a substitute for medical treatment. What it offers as an educational method is a sense of agency – as students become more knowledgeable about their own body and able to attend to and coordinate the whole – not just one “affected” part. Having more positive experiences of your own body helps you move with more ease, and less fear.

AT is taught with verbal instruction and gentle hands-on guidance. There is no need to be “fit”or wear special clothes. It is suitable for people with injuries and chronic conditions. I have taught many students who are also in PT and I have a special interest in pelvic health – I would work with you to support any exercise you are doing for PT, and make it as effective as possible, to help you feel increased confidence and agency in your recovery. 

I teach in my office in Wicker Park/ Bucktown – these lessons can be 1:1 or with your partner. I also offer online lessons and teach on-location for an additional fee. Payment plans available for ongoing weekly lessons.

I also work with small groups, and would be happy to share some supportive skills and restful practices with your support group, new moms group, doula group, or lactation group.