3 Surprising Reasons Every Baby Mama Needs a Yoga Mat (or 3!)

There are many reasons a new mom needs a good yoga mat--the most obvious (and most important!) one being that when that little cherub of yours is sleeping soundly, you're going to need something you can do in the house to maintain your sanity (and laundry isn't going to be much help, trust me!). It's also a great idea to let your little one see that you take care of yourself. In the almost two years my daughter has been in this world, I've found there a few other practical uses for yoga mats than actually practicing yoga when you have a baby. I'll share them below.

1. Extra padding for tummy time or learning to crawl.  

I refused to buy those ugly, squishy foam puzzle pieces and padded my floor with three yoga mats lined up in a row instead. I didn't move them for several months. It worked beautifully, and it was awesome to practice on, too. (See below.)

2. Photo backdrop. (Capture all of your little one's immobile moments without fussing with a wrinkly blanket!)

3. Giant diaper changing pad. Now that my daughter is almost two, she's almost too long for a normal changing pad on the floor. She also screams "NOOOOO, Mommy!" and runs the other direction when I mention the D word. For some reason, she will actually lay relatively still on one of my yoga mats for long enough to make the change. Right now, anyway. (I should knock on wood.) 

Bonus: A rolled up mat makes an excellent (though heavy) telescope.