When co-founder and qualified physiotherapist Ailish Cleary saw a need for dynamic and challenging exercise in pregnancy, she decided to exercise classes that would merge her physiotherapy training with exercise and movement in 2008.
Just a year later, Ms Clear experienced Pelvic Girdle Pain (PGP) first hand during her own pregnancy, which inspired her to work on developing and modifying the class content to support women with PGP to keep moving.
As demand for classes grew, Ailish was joined by fellow qualified physiotherapist Caitriona Quinn, which led to the birth of the Bump Room brand in 2013.
Today, the business is run by three qualified physiotherapists Ms Cleary, Ms Quinn and Fiona Healy, along with their team of expert physiotherapists nationwide.
The World Health Organisation estimates that one in five women worldwide will experience a mental health condition during pregnancy or within the first year after birth.
The Bump Room attempts to tackle this by not only offering classes that motivate people with wombs through movement and exercise but also empower them to connect and to create a system of peer support.
“Social support plays such an important part for peri-natal mental health. The Bump Room offers women the opportunity to attend an exercise class among a group of peers with an opportunity for connection, which is sometimes the only connection a new mum might experience outside her own home in the initial months following the birth of her baby or during her pregnancy,” said Ms Cleary.
“At the end of each class is an education topic discussion, offering information, advice and support on a range of subjects. We also have a WhatsApp group in the classes for informal communication, sharing of advice and sharing of baby news
“This connection is especially important for new women to the area or new moms-to-be who don’t have pregnant friends going through the same thing as themselves, reducing isolation,” she added.
The team of expert physiotherapists offer education on peri-natal health and managing pelvic pain, in addition to topics such as returning to running.
The Bump Room classes meet once a week, both online and in-person, across Ireland. As its instructors are CORU registered, the classes are redeemable against health insurance.
- Proactive steps for your baby’s health
- Host a coffee morning, attend a coffee morning or donate to the cause to raise vital funds
- Ryanair claim winter flights reduction from Dublin Airport is due to daa’s “mismanagement” and lack of forward planning
- Ladies full boxy, mind and soul workout
- Fingal prioritise ‘Make Way Day’ with new Access Officer appointed
