You will hear it from everyone, but becoming a mom is HARD! It has always been hard, but there has been a little bit of a change in the idea of a “village”. People are busy, time flies and families seem to have less support. My parents live out of town and my in-laws are a 45-minute drive away. We made the decision that I would stay at home with our children and while I am extremely grateful, I feel like I am on my own a lot. I can’t imagine living anywhere, but St. Louis- the resources for moms and families here are amazing! I wanted to share some of my favorite people, places and things that have made motherhood a little easier and more enjoyable for me (and Frank).
1. Xplor
CONNECTING YOU AND YOUR FAMILY TO THE BEST BUSINESSES, EXPERIENCES AND EVENTS IN YOUR COMMUNITY. Get The Hookup and benefit first-hand from deals and incentives from your favorite local STL businesses, attend exclusive events, take home swag, and be in-the-know. With Partners like PLNK, Pastaria, St. Louis Magazine, St. Louis Art Museum, TruFusion, St. Louis Cardinals and many more- your Hookup has you covered any time, any day, and at any moment’s notice. xplor is an evolution from the founder’s previous company, kidzxplor. xplor is the culmination of marrying these two together in unique and inspiring experiences that create memories and provide experiences not easily found. Parents and Businesses are looking for a way to connect- and xplor is that bridge to do so.
Check out https://xplorcity.com/!
2. Fit4Mom
Finding time to workout is nearly impossible when you have young children so Fit4Mom is an awesome option to stay active without having to use gym childcare or a babysitter. There are Stroller Strides and Stroller Barre classes daily at local parks or inside malls if the weather isn’t cooperating. The best part is that all you need is your tot in a stroller and you can get a great workout. There is a St. Louis and a West County group depending on where you live. Prices are super affordable so you don’t need an expensive gym membership!
Fit4Mom St. Louis West County Website
3. Urban Fort Play Cafe
Finally a play café that moms and kids can enjoy! Urban Fort just recently opened in McKinley Heights offering a place for kids to let loose and parents to enjoy a meal or coffee without having to chase them around. It’s $8 for a drop in visit with one child, $6.50 for the next child and larger packages are available at a discount. You can rent the space for parties or attend workshops and classes. This is the perfect place to meet a friend or just escape the house for a couple of hours.
4. Legacy Physical Therapy
This might seem like a random resource, but we don’t talk about postpartum physical issues enough and a lot of moms don’t realize that there are things we can do to help our bodies recover. Legacy Physical Therapy helps women with treatment of pelvic floor pain and dysfunction, incontinence, diastatis recti and other prenatal/postpartum conditions. I have my first appointment scheduled after suffering diastatis recti in first pregnancy. They are going to work with me during this pregnancy to start the healing process now and try to avoid additional damage in the future. Chat with your OB first, of course, and they can point in the right direction if you are needing additional physical therapy.
2961 Dougherty Ferry Rd Suite 105
St. Louis, MO 63122
(636) 225-3649
5. STL Sitter
This company has been my saving grace since becoming a mom. Like I mentioned above, I don’t have a built in family babysitter down the street, but it’s sometimes important to get out with your husband and go to appointments without a munchkin at your feet. It’s difficult to trust someone with your child and that is why I love this service so much. Most of the sitters are students at SLU or WashU and they all have background checks and experience with children. To become a member you pay a $50 fee each year and then every sit you book is $10. From there you just pay your sitter directly- $11/hour for 1 kid. The ease of hoping online, plugging in my date and time and reading a bio before choosing a sitter is the absolute best time saver.
6. Fun 4 Kids STL
This is an awesome website to keep bookmarked if you’re looking for family events, kids activities or parenting resources around town. It has a great calendar for events, camps, places where kids eat free and childcare resources. Basically, if you’re looking for something to do or somewhere to go, this site will have it for you.
7. Kangaroo Kids
If you haven’t been to Kangaroo Kids, it’s worth a visit! It would probably be easier to tell you what they don’t do! You can sell gently used maternity/baby items, buy new and gently used maternity/baby items and get all of the breastfeeding support you need. It is the only full-service breastfeeding support center in town with counseling, group classes and support groups. They are also a great babywearing resource for those looking to use slings or carriers.
10030 Manchester Rd.
St. Louis, MO 63122
314-835-9200
Mon. – Sat. 10am – 6pm
Sun. 12pm – 4pm
I’ll be back with some more awesome finds for you!
