NeoNurture Physiotherapy

Last week, on Wednesday 4th March, I had the pleasure of running our Mum and Baby event alongside Jenny, a specialist pelvic health physiotherapist. We hosted the morning at FIT Partnership in Esher, who very kindly offered us their space so local mums and babies could come together in a comfortable and welcoming environment – complete with coffee and a few treats!

We were delighted with the turnout. Eleven local mums and their babies joined us on the morning (with 13 originally signed up). With free events you often expect quite a few last-minute drop outs – especially when babies are involved – so we were really pleased so many were able to make it.

We wanted the event to feel relaxed and supportive, and it truly was. Mums could feed, settle or comfort their babies exactly as they normally would, while sitting back with a coffee and enjoying the session. The group size worked perfectly, allowing us to share some group education at the start before spending the second half offering more personal advice and support.

Supporting postnatal recovery

Jenny spoke first about postnatal recovery, explaining what many mums can expect after having a baby. One of the key messages she shared was that recovery looks different for everyone. Your pace, your body, your birth experience and your lifestyle can all influence the journey. She also provided guidance on returning to activity and exercise, alongside some important signs to look out for if additional support from a specialist might be helpful.

Nurturing your baby’s development

I then spoke about baby brain development, and why the first 1001 days of a child’s life are so incredibly important. During these early years, a baby’s brain is developing at an astonishing rate – in fact, more than one million neural connections (synapses) are formed every second.

What many people don’t realise is that brain development isn’t shaped by genetics alone. A baby’s environment, the love and nurture they receive, and the everyday interactions they have with their caregivers play a huge role. Through responsive parenting, “serve and return” interactions, and opportunities for play, parents are doing powerful things every day that support their baby’s development and help them reach their potential.

We also talked through some common developmental milestones. While babies all develop at their own pace and there is a very wide range of what we consider “typical”, there are certain signs that might indicate when a little extra support could be helpful.

A lovely chance to connect

One of my favourite parts of the morning was the time we had at the end to chat with everyone individually. It was so lovely to meet the mums properly, spend time with their adorable babies, and offer some more personalised advice and reassurance. It was also wonderful meeting other local mums who I may well bump into around the area in the future.

I truly loved running this event and feel incredibly fortunate to do a job that I’m so passionate about. Supporting parents, sharing knowledge about early development, and helping families feel more confident is something that means a lot to me.

I would love to run more events like this in the future so we can continue raising awareness about how we can support our babies’ development, while helping parents feel informed, confident and empowered.

A big thank you to Jenny for collaborating with me, and to FIT Partnership for so generously providing the space 💛