Stay tuned for another great mom tip next week! We’d love to hear your ideas so be sure to submit your entry.

What parenting questions would you like answered from our BabySteals community of experts? Click here to ask a question.

Have a mom tip? We’d love to hear from you! Click here to enter a submission.

angie

Squeezing in fitness between naptimes and all baby’s needs can be quite the challenge for new moms. Not only is it hard to find the time, you may be reluctant to resume exercise after pregnancy since your body has gone through so many changes. This week’s Mom Tip Monday comes from Annie Goodchild, Sport and Recreation programmer and coach, who brings some advice for new moms looking to get back in the groove after baby.

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Annie in full fitness action

Whether you’re returning to physical activity after your pregnancy or getting active for the first time, a new mom can feel apprehensive about getting her body moving again. Working in the sport and recreation industry for many years for a women-only sport organization I have often been asked for advice on how to get into sport after pregnancy and I have been asked many questions that I know are in the heads of other moms.

For women who want to get back into physical activity, there are some very important things to consider before you start.

1. Time
How long will it take you to get to wherever you’re going? Can you bring baby? If so, how long will it take to prep for the trip? If someone can watch the baby for you, consider your needs to pump and make sure your activity fits in well. Individual activities like running, yoga, cycling, hiking are great for breastfeeding moms because you can easily manipulate your day to fit in an outing when your baby can be cared for and you won’t need to pump.

2. Baby-Friendly
Team sports that utilize substitutions are a great place to start. People who are on the bench can keep an eye on the baby while you play, and should baby need you, it is easy to call a substitution. Many cities offer recreational level leagues or introductory programs for those new to sport. Never be afraid to try something new because you have the best excuse for being out of shape — you’ve been growing a baby for nine months, birthed the little thing, and for some, continue to expel many calories feeding that same baby.

3. Diet and Water Consumption
Be aware of what you’re eating and drinking to ensure that your body has all it needs to keep up with your new activity. This may mean consuming even more calories (healthy ones) to fuel your body and drinking even more water to stay hydrated once you start sweating. Remember: if you get thirsty, you didn’t drink enough water that day. Bringing a big bottle to the activity won’t really help — hydrate all day!

4. Listen to Your Body
Don’t fight through pain. Injury can put off your reintegration into physical activity even longer, which will keep you from reaping the benefits even longer. Stretching is the best way to avoid soft tissue injury so stretch thoroughly after any activity.

5. Your Healthy Habits Rub Off
If your little one is introduced to physical activity by watching you participate, they are far more likely to be physically active as an adult. Bring your baby along as much as you can so that from a young age physical activity is considered the norm. This will also give your little one an opportunity to see their mother do something positive for themselves which can go a long way in molding a healthy self-acceptance later in life.

Physical activity benefits everyone in the family — even your baby! Contact local recreation departments or fitness professionals in your community to connect to what’s going on around you.

Always consult with your doctor or medical practitioner before starting any new physical activities. A thorough check-up is the first step to establishing where your body stands in preparation for physical activity.

Also, remember that you’re a new person now and your old activities may not fit as neatly in your life as they used to. Mommy-friendly groups are a great place to start and a great place for women new to physical activity to try something in a supportive, non-competitive environment.

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Thank you Annie for these tips on fitness for new moms. Stay tuned for another great mom tip next week! Be sure to share your ideas with us.

What parenting questions would you like answered from our BabySteals community of experts? Click here to ask a question.

Have a mom tip? We’d love to hear from you! Click here to enter a submission.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Steal Network or its employees.

angie

Canadian shipping has returned! You didn’t miss the fun — we held a portion of inventory from each steal for a super steal just for Canadians! Enjoy the products you missed during the lockout plus combined shipping for anything you buy including the steals of the day. Must have a Canadian shipping address to purchase.

Better steal fast! Inventory is guaranteed solely for Canadians until 9am tomorrow, June 29.

You can {click here} to start shopping.

angie

Welcome to our very first installment of Mom Tip Monday! Moms know the place to go for parenting ideas is our Facebook wall where they can instantly connect with the experts — fellow moms with fun ideas for raising kids. So we thought we’d let you all share your best tips to other moms right here on the blog.

This week we welcome Kristen from Kristen Mintz Photography, a mom, photographer, and fellow BabySteals fan. She is here to share her top five baby and kid photography tips. Whether you are taking portraits of your newborn or just precious moments of playtime, she has the expertise on capturing the photos you want.

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Hello, brilliant moms and dads! This is Kristen, from Kristen Mintz Photography, dropping in for the very first Mom Tip Monday. I’m so excited that Angie asked me to share my top 5 tips on photographing your family.

I know that as parents, you want to have gorgeous photos of your children that will become gorgeous heirlooms in the future. As a mommy and a photographer, I know how hard that can be. So, I’m here to help. I give you my top 5 tips on getting great photos that you will cherish for a long time.

1. Capture details.

Get closer to your child. I once had a mom tell me before our session that she just loved her boys’ eyelashes and feet. Guess what I tried to focus on? Yup. Adorable feet and long eyelashes. One of my favorite things about my son is his little Buddah belly. Think about it. If you know what your favorite features are, use that to your advantage! Focus on those things and try to highlight them in your photographs.

2. Lighting is everything.


If you are fortunate enough to have a DSLR camera, the best thing you can do for yourself is learn how to use it. Turn it to the manual setting and don’t look back. I found a wonderful resource for learning how to shoot manually at digital photography school. Trust me, it will make all the difference in your photos. If you don’t have a DSLR, or you’re just too afraid to learn how to use it, at least try one thing: take your subject outside. Get some extra gorgeous light during the “magic hours” of sunset and sunrise. Turn off that flash, please.

3. Get a different angle.

Running out of ideas for poses? Walk all around your child. Take a shot, and then move and take another. Get High. Get low. Get close. Go far. Shoot from the front. Tilt your camera. Continue to move around. Shoot from a different perspective. The same poses look radically different when you and your camera are in motion.

4. Keep learning.

Keep practicing. Have a camera with you at all times. Even if it is just the camera that comes with your phone, you will still begin to learn how to best capture your child. Practice framing and looking for light. Practice looking for moments and it will translate to your “real” camera, too. As a full time teacher, I assign homework all the time. Do you know what homework really is? It’s extra practice. And guess what? The kids who practice more are the kids who make the most gains. You will get better if you keep practicing. For both of my son and my daughter, I took a photo of them every day. Now, that’s quite a commitment that I can’t expect everyone to make. But I think it would be a fantastic goal to try to take one photo each week. That’s doable right? If you’d like to join me, I’ll make a weekly challenge on my blog where I’ll share tips, and you can share your questions and photos with me.

5. Capture real moments, not just “dress-up-and-say-cheese” (my personal favorite tip).

If your family is anything at all like mine, then real moments are very different than “say-cheese” moments. If your family makes messes, runs around nekkid, jumps in puddles, or creates works of art, then capture those things. Let them play, and just keep snapping. Chase them around. It’s fantastic exercise! Do your children really stay still and “cheese” all the time? Mine don’t. You’ll get something you love. Chances are, the photos of your child making a mad face or wrestling with their brother will resonate with you more in 10 years than a photo of them standing stiffly in their itchy Christmas sweater will.

I hope these tips have been helpful, and I hope you’ve been inspired to get out and shoot! Come join the weekly adventure on my blog!

xo,
Kristen

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Thank you Kristen for these great tips on photographing children. Those precious moments are so fleeting at any age and it’s great to be able to capture these moments in time. Stay tuned for another great mom tip next week!

What parenting questions would you like answered from our BabySteals community of experts? Click here to ask a question.

Have a mom tip? We’d love to hear from you! Click here to enter a submission.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Steal Network or its employees.

angie