Every woman knows how important it is to do her pelvic floor exercises after having a baby, which is why Sacha Newall is in such good shape.
The 27-year-old, who has a four-month-old son, Harry, is married to an Army captain and is spending her maternity leave with her parents in Harcourt Hill, Botley, while her husband is away on duty.
Sacha is putting her leave to good use, spending time with Harry and organising special classes for other mums with young babies who want to get back into shape.
Sacha, who works as a promotions director for a national magazine group, is keen on exercise but knows the problems of getting to an exercise class when your young baby can't come along.
When she took a year out between A-levels and university, Sacha went to France and studied for a diploma in gym work.
She said: "Frenchwomen tend to only work out after having babies but they take it very seriously.
"There are special pelvic floor nurses who check you thoroughly to make sure the muscles are working properly.
"They're a nation obsessed with that kind of exercise." Although the gym where Sacha works out in London has classes for women and their young babies, Sacha couldn't find anything like it in Oxford.
She said: "Even though these classes have around 20 breastfeeding mums and their young babies, the babies never cry. They listen to the music, watch their mums from their carriers and, if they do cry, mum can lift the baby up and down, or count to the baby to calm it down."
So she put her business acumen, her sports training and her experience as a new mum together and decided to set up similar classes in Oxford. And then she saw pictures of starving women in Sudan, desperately trying to breastfeed their painfully-thin babies. She said: "The pictures brought a lump to my throat. I immediately contacted Medecins Sana Frontieres and offered my help. I've signed a contract with them to send all profits from the classes to the charity. If 20 mums and their babies came along for the two-hour sessions, I'd be able to send £40 a week to the charity.
"The first hour will be exercise, then the second hour is for coffee and chatting, so the mums can get to know each other."
"Having a young baby can be quite isolating. If you don't have older children, it can be hard to meet other new mums."
Sacha has estimated the cost of running each class will be £20, which pays for the hire of the hall and the coffees.
"I contacted The Sound Exchange, in Banbury, which is a nightclub, and asked them for some upbeat music. They were great because they not only supplied me with the music, they've bought the exercise mats as well," said Sacha."
The classes take place every Tuesday, from 9.30am to 11.30am, in the Old School Hall, Cumnor.
Sacha said: "I'm calling them Sanity Sessions because they're more than just exercise classes. I hope the music will stimulate everyone."
To find out more about the classes, ring Sacha on 01865 793267.
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