Postpartum Pilates with child care in Hwaseong: Good Mother

I’m Ttoye-mom, raising a 9-month-old baby, haha. This time, I took a Pilates class at Good Mother Pilates & Barre Dongtan Station Branch (굿마더 필라테스&바레 동탄역점)! It’s well known in Dongtan for prenatal and postpartum exercise. Lots of pregnant people come here, as do people looking to correct their postpartum shape or manage their fitness. I did postpartum Pilates and barre, and wow... I really felt like I got a proper workout in—so satisfying!

The atmosphere at this Dongtan Station prenatal and postpartum fitness studio

Good Mother Pilates & Barre is located super close to Dongtan Station!! Since it focuses on prenatal and postpartum exercise, it’s just right for pregnant people or anyone looking to exercise after giving birth, haha.

When you enter the studio, everything feels so clean and neatly organized~ (And there’s the lovely director too, haha.) It has received several certifications, which made me feel even more reassured and supported.

The Pilates and barre spaces were separate. There were also facilities that make things easy for moms, including a changing room and a nursing space. For a mom who takes her baby everywhere, these details are so important, right? No need to worry about bringing your baby along.

Can you work out while bringing your baby?

What made Good Mother feel truly wonderful was that it seemed to understand postpartum moms’ real-life circumstances, not just offer exercise classes...ㅠㅠ So touching. The guidance was written out carefully, and disinfectant was provided for cleanliness too!! Honestly, after giving birth, even taking care of your own body isn’t easy. You have to look after the baby, nurse, do housework...

Even if you want to work out, it often isn’t easy in reality—but you can use the child-care service, so how nice is it to exercise comfortably~ The child-care service costs ₩6,000 per 50 minutes! The caregivers have completed their pertussis vaccinations, so I think you could feel at ease leaving your child with them.

And the care space was so cozy... it was nicer than our home, haha.

There were also mom-friendly facilities such as a diaper-changing table and nursing space. For a mom who takes her baby everywhere, these details are so important, right? No need to worry about bringing your baby along, haha.

And the thoughtfulness—things only moms would know to appreciate, like a formula kettle, Magic Can diaper bin, shaker, and more ㅠㅠ I love it so much ㅠㅠㅠ

Small-group Pilates and my first barre class

Before working out, you can store your belongings in a locker and pick up a towel too, haha. Pilates is held in small groups of up to about five people, so I loved that the instructor checked each person’s form! (Speaking as someone who got corrected a lot...) After childbirth, things like your pelvis, shoulders, and posture become concerns, and having my form checked according to my condition while exercising was much more helpful than working out alone~

And because postpartum moms exercise together, there was this feeling that we all kind of got each other(?) haha. It was like we were bringing our bodies, stiff from parenting, and cheering each other on through the workout together?!

The equipment was in great condition too, so my mood stayed up the whole time!! Barre is so popular these days, right? The class began with aromatherapy!! Apparently Thursday classes start with aroma. The fresh scent made me feel relaxed even before the workout began :) But... once the workout started, my thoughts changed completely, hahaha.

Maybe because barre was new to me, the movements themselves didn’t look all that difficult. But when I actually did them, it was completely different, haha. Repeating the same movements kept my muscles working, and gradually it became tough. They adjusted the exercise pace along the way too, and when it sped up, I could definitely feel the intensity rise!

Pilates felt like carefully working on body alignment and posture, while the barre I tried felt closer to moving my body more and working up a real sweat. So if you enjoy sweating while you work out, I think you should try barre too :)

They use nice products in barre too. It made me want to work even harder...!

Thoughtful care from people who understand moms

Beyond the workout itself, I could really feel the director’s consideration for moms throughout the studio... They said they share members’ information every week to check each person’s condition too!

They even prepare snacks to eat after working out... And they said they want to give pregnant people special treatment that can only be received during that time ㅠㅠ

One-on-one private sessions were available too, and they said they assess your physical condition and plan that day’s workout accordingly.

I wanted one of those customized one-on-one workouts too...!

There are seriously so many little things around the studio that hit moms right in the sweet spot, hahaha. I can’t explain them all ㅠㅠ Even the Aromatica hand wash—love, love!

Good Mother Pilates really removes every reason not to work out, and I was so, so satisfied. It was my first time feeling like I was being treated to a workout.

When you spend all day looking after a baby, it’s easy for time for your own body to get pushed aside. So even after working out just briefly like this, my body felt refreshed and my mood definitely changed. If you’re looking for prenatal or postpartum exercise in Dongtan and have been hesitating because you need someone to care for your baby, I really think you should give it a try!!