Feature Baby: Caleb

We at Babies On The MOVE decided that we need to showcase these beautiful babies that are attending our classes as they grow and develop into expert movers!  We are delighted to introduce you all to Caleb, our first feature baby!  Caleb and his mother, Erin, have been attending our classes since our very first class in March 2016 when he was almost 5 months old.  At that first class, Erin shared with us that she did not have any experience with babies before becoming a mom.   In our classes, we provide ideas, tips, and hands-on practice of ways to position and play with your baby to promote their motor development.  Our goal is to increase parents' confidence with handling their baby in this way.  After that first class, Erin and Caleb signed up for a 3-class series.  On his first of three classes, Caleb was already starting to roll and move around on his tummy!  At the second class, he was sitting and starting to get up on his hands and knees and pull himself up to standing!  By the third class, he was crawling over things and cruising (taking steps holding on to furniture)!  It never ceases to amaze me how fast babies grow and change!  Here is a shot of Caleb on the move at one of our classes:

Crawling baby

 I asked Erin if she would be willing to share her experience with attending the Babies On The MOVE classes, and here is what she had to say:

"I was so excited to see in my local moms group that two physical therapists were offering a ‘Babies on the Move’ class.  As a first time mom I had tons of questions about my babies mobility and fears that he wouldn’t hit milestones in development.  Like most babies, my son hated tummy time.  After going to the first class, I learned that there are different ways to incorporate tummy time besides the traditional laying your baby on a play mat and listening to them cry. I learned how important it is for a baby to build a strong core.  I returned to the next class and my son was already starting to roll over.  Rachel and Rebecca taught me how to help my son roll if he got stuck half way through.  The next class my son was already starting to sit up so I learned how to place some of the larger toys I had that made noise on the floor so I could sit him in front of them and he could lean in and reach for things.  I really think that this class changed things for my baby.  He loved sitting and playing with his activity center and 2-3 weeks after this class he was literally on the move…he started to crawl.  I feel like the 4 classes I attended put him ahead of the curve, at 9 months and 6 days he is standing and walking with very little assistance.  I am so appreciative for everything I learned and highly recommend these classes."    

Thank you so much for your kind words Erin!  We absolutely love teaching these classes, and it is because of the amazing parents and their sweet little babies that we get to work with!  Also big thanks for sharing more 'On the MOVE' pics of Caleb at home!  We are so proud of you and your little mover!!  Enjoy chasing him around ;) 

July Babies On The MOVE Baby Classes

Summer is in full swing and so are our Babies On The MOVE baby movement classes in Morrisville, North Carolina!  Families are escaping the heat to get inside and learn about ways to play with their babies to help them build strength and progress to the next motor milestone.  We love to do tummy time and teach parents ways to make it fun for everyone, but that's not the only thing you can do to help your little one build their muscles!  All of the developmental positions are important for building your baby's foundation for future movement - lying on their back, lying on their tummy, lying on their side, sitting, and standing.  Playing with your baby in all of these positions with the correct alignment will help them gain strength and master new skills.   

Babies On The MOVE at Stroller Strides

We really enjoyed heading out to the Apex Community Park last month to join with Fit4Mom at a Stroller Strides class!  We provided a free demonstration of our Babies On The MOVE baby movement classes to the class participants.  It was a beautiful day at the park.  We spread out some blankets in the shade, got the babies out of the strollers, and got down on the blankets to play!  It's a great idea for parents to bring along a blanket on outings so you can get your baby out of their car seat or stroller and get them down on the ground to play and use their muscles!  The babies were a range of ages, so participants were able to learn tricks for helping their little one progress to the next motor milestones from early tummy time experiences to standing and cruising!  Thanks Fit4Mom for having us out to provide a free demonstration to your participants! 

June Babies On The MOVE Baby Classes

We had a great weekend of classes at Babies On The MOVE!  The groups were smaller than usual this month, so all the babies got lots of personalized attention.  Once again we were reminded of the wide variation that exists in normal baby development.  It is so fun to see babies that are the same age choosing to move in different ways based on their personalities, exposures, and interests!  Our classes this weekend also reminded me of the differences in the way a dad interacts with baby as compared to mom.  Mom tends to be the safe spot, the home base.  Dad helps show baby the world outside of mom.  I love seeing dads interacting with their baby in a more adventurous way - upside down baby, airplane baby, and football carry are all great ways for dad to play with baby!  Looking forward to seeing new friends and old at our classes in July!

Babies On The MOVE at Grow, The Family Boutique

Babies On The MOVE classes will be offered at Grow, The Family Boutique in Raleigh, NC this Saturday, May 21st.  Join us for a MINI MOVERS class for babies age 0-6 months at 10:30 AM or a MASTER MOVERS class for babies from age 7 months up until they start taking their first steps at 11:30 AM.  

Babies begin building strength from the day that they are born.  Parents can help their babies master new skills and learn to enjoy movement from an early age.  These classes will teach you how to position, carry, and play with your baby to encourage them to move and progress to the next milestone.  The casual and comfortable environment encourages parent and child interaction while learning from expert physical therapists in a social setting.  Classes are customized to the needs of the parents and the developmental stage of the infants attending. 

Grow is located at 2885 Jones Franklin Road in Raleigh, NC.  Contact Grow directly at 919-803-3521 to register for these events.

 

 


 

May MASTER MOVERS Baby Classes

Thanks to all who came out for the MASTER MOVERS baby classes this weekend on Friday and Sunday in Morrisville, NC.  We had a great time seeing old friends and meeting new ones!  This class really highlights for me the wide range of typical development that happens from 7 months until babies start taking their first steps.  It is truly amazing to see how much and how fast babies change!  We offer the Babies On The MOVE classes monthly for this reason. The babies in the MASTER MOVERS classes this weekend were a prime example of the range of typical development.  In one class, we had an almost 7 month old moving and grooving in tummy time while an 11 month old was taking some independent steps - oh how things can change in four short months!     

May MINI MOVERS Baby Classes

Thanks to all who came out for our MINI MOVERS baby classes this weekend on Friday and Sunday in Morrisville, NC.  We loved seeing some familiar faces as well as meeting lots of new ones.  The babies in both classes were amazing this weekend!  We focused on playing on their backs, playing on their sides, and helping them roll.  Of course we also talked about the dreaded tummy time!  I am pleased to say that everyone had a chance to play on their tummy happily, even if it was just for a little bit!  It was really fun to see the new tricks that our friends who attended last month had learned.  We had such a great time teaching the class, that we completely forgot to take pictures to post.  Baby brain must be contagious!  We look forward to seeing everyone next month!    

Welcome to Babies On The MOVE

Hey there! Thanks for taking the time to check out Babies On The MOVE and our classes for babies and parents in Morrisville. Rachel and I are pediatric physical therapists and moms with a passion for helping babies develop and grow. Years ago, while we were PT students together at Duke University, we would joke that someday we would start a practice together. After school Rachel moved to Atlanta and I headed back to Chicago where we each worked in large pediatric hospitals, started our families, and continued to keep in touch. Eventually, we made our way back to the Triangle where we could be closer to family and start new chapters in our lives. These days, Rachel and I work at Duke University, chase after a total of 5 kids under 5, and teach classes at Babies On The MOVE.

 

BOTM first popped into my head as an idea after hearing parent after parent telling me in therapy that they wished they had this information sooner in order to help their baby develop. With so many websites and Facebook groups out there now, it seems like this info  might be all over your radar as a new parent.  But when I really started to think about it, the only thing on my radar at first was sleep, feed, sleep, doctor's visits, and sleep.  Even as a pediatric therapist, it was sometimes hard to think about what my baby should be doing developmentally when there were so many other things to think about each day. Rachel and I have developed BOTM to educate and empower parents to confidently help their baby develop his or her motor skills. These baby classes are built to help parents of newborns to infants taking their first steps, and everyone in between. Almost 10 years after Rachel and I threw around the idea of starting a business together, Babies On The MOVE was born. We are so excited about this new journey. We hope you will let us share our knowledge with you during your own journey with your baby...there is so much to learn along the way. 

Becca