MANLIUS – A local speech-language pathologist has been partnering with the Manlius YMCA for a series of support group sessions tailored to caregivers of young children.
The six-week program started by Lauren Ruffrage takes place over hour-and-a-half installments in the fully reserved Prime Time Child Watch room of the fitness center at 140 W. Seneca Street.
Maintaining a focus on infants ages one and younger, the group has been meeting on Wednesdays from 9:30 to 11 a.m. since Nov. 17.
For each gathering, a professional is scheduled to speak on a specific topic for 20 to 30 minutes. The next hour is spent discussing the highs and lows of each parent or caregiver’s week as well as updates on how their baby’s development is progressing.
At the end of every session there are opportunities to ask questions pertinent to child care.
On Dec. 1, licensed social worker Stephanie Straub from CNY Therapy Solutions will touch on postpartum mental health issues.
The following week, on Dec. 8, Dr. Kristin Kukenberger from Kukenberger Chiropractic will be talking about her services for women from the pregnancy to postnatal stages along with her work in pediatrics.
The final session of the year, to be held on Dec. 15, will feature as its guest speaker Dr. Julie Berube from LiveWell CNY Physical Therapy. She will be delving into postpartum pelvic floor health for moms.
The first week’s support group confab brought in a Manlius Police Department officer who spoke about car seat safety.
Rina Brulé, a certified postpartum doula, stopped in on Nov. 17 to talk about the guidance and favors that can be provided by someone with her level of training.
Ruffrage stepped to the front on Nov. 24 to give lessons on feeding practices and the transition to solid foods.
People can enroll in the program on an ongoing basis, and the program is free for YMCA members. Non-members pay a grouped-together price of $5 for all remaining sessions.
The post about the support group on the YMCA of Central New York website also mentions that older siblings can be brought along and directed toward a safe space in the gym where they can play during that hour and a half.
Years before the YMCA’s school age and family coordinator agreed to accommodate the program, Ruffrage said she took to the idea to start holding these sessions while residing in Hoboken, New Jersey as a first-time mother, back when she was part of a similar support group that met in a local hospital.
“When I attended one, I found it to be super valuable,” Ruffrage said. “I really wanted to bring that to this area because I got a lot of feedback from local moms who said they wished they had had that when their children were younger, so I figured I would give it a try.”
She said such support groups can help new parents find people in the community to relate to as they gather insight on what to expect from childrearing.
Since its opening this most recent spring, Ruffrage’s therapy company Thrive SPOT caters to the greater Syracuse area by offering in-home, daycare-based and at-school evaluations centered on children from birth up to around the age of 12. With a concentration on empowerment and education, it is the work of Thrive SPOT to address oral habits or dysfunctions like tongue thrusting and swallowing impediments while finding the root causes of delays in reaching developmental milestones.
For more information on Ruffrage’s business, visit thethrivespot.com. To learn more about the programs provided by the area’s YMCA, visit ymcacny.org.
