As a mother of two little boys I know how precious and intense the first months of your new life together as a family can be. When I had my first child, I had just moved to a new city, no family or friends around. I really longed for a place where I could spend quality time with my baby and connect with other moms in the same situation. And this need is why I decided to offer Mindful with your Baby Trainings - so, that other mothers like you do have the space and place not only to connect with other parents but also - on a deeper level maybe - with your baby while learning a new set of skills. Skills that will help you being aware of and living in the moment. Skills that will help you keep your calm when things start getting hard and rough in the long run: When sleep deprivation is not new anymore and the 'zombie mode' is the standard way of being... This training will also help you realize how important it is to take really good care of yourself in order to take care of your baby. And that 'me-time' is no selfish luxury but a must in order to stay happy and sane ;-)

I'm looking forward to welcoming you and your baby in the next Mindful with your Baby Training! Don't hesitate to contact me if times and dates do not suit you. We are organizing this training regularly and times and location might vary.

Yes, it is!

Parents attend the training together with their babies. You don’t have to behave differently with your baby compared to being at home or somewhere else. Your baby can play, sleep, cuddle, be changed… basically, whatever is needed.  As there are usually two trainers in a face-to-face offline training, one trainer can be there for the babies while the parents are sometimes invited to close their eyes during meditative exercises.

This Mindfulness Training consists of eight weekly group sessions. It involves a mixture of meditation practices and daily mindfulness exercises. Just like in a Mindfulness Training without babies, you will be asked to apply mindfulness techniques in your daily activities and practise mindfulness meditations between sessions.

 The Mindful with your Baby Training is well researched by the University of Amsterdam.

Mothers (only mothers participated in the research) feel a stronger bond with their baby after having participated in the training. Babies are like sponges feeling what their moms feel. When the mothers meditate and feel more relaxed, the babies respond in a very positive way. Just to give you an example, babies who have never slept anywhere but in their cot, started sleeping during the training session. As the babies join the training session, mothers learn to apply mindfulness directly in real life situations, like when the baby is crying, for example.

The Mindful with your Baby Training can help to relieve parental stress and improve mother–child interactions.

More info on the next training in English: click here.

More info on the next training in Dutch: click here.

Smiling Minds Club offers Mindful with your Baby Training in English and in Dutch in collaboration with UvA Minds (University of Amsterdam). The trainings take place in Haarlem or online. Mothers (or fathers) who join this Mindful with your Baby Training have the opportunity to participate in an online research conducted by UvA Minds. Participation is voluntary, meaning that you can also join this training without participating in the study. The costs of the training for parents who do participate in the study will be partially (or fully, depending on income) paid by UvA Minds. If you are interested in this training, you are welcome to contact me.