Classes

You need help, like, now. Maybe you’re pregnant and have no idea what stroller to buy. Perhaps you’re returning to work and overwhelming with finding a nanny.

Stork, a custom baby planning service, is giving the inside scoop in a series of free seminars. Get the 411 on baby gear must-haves, how to hire a nany and the basics of going green. Instead of trial and error or taking advice from friends (who don’t even have kids!) let the experts do the talking.

The first session is tonight: Talk about immediate gratification.

When: Mon. 8/25, 7:30pm; Tues. 8/26, 1pm; Mon. 9/22, 7:30pm. Free; RSVP at 212-353-1947 or info@maternalfitness.com.
Where: Spabebe, 108 East 16th St., 4th floor, storkplan.com.

After 17 hours (that’s consecutive time) on the UB message boards, you’ve finally got a handle on the city’s preschool situation. Sort of.

Find out the ABCs and the inside scoop. At the end of the month, MoonSoup hosts a workshop on everything from applications to choosing the right school for your child. Patti Wollman, founding director of the Nursery at the JCC Manhattan will share her insights and expertise on the process, as well as preschool alternatives.

And then it’s back to the boards.

When: Thurs. 7/31, 6:30-7:30pm; $30 (RSVP required).
Where: MoonSoup, 1059 Second Ave. (bet. 55th & 56th), 212-319-3222.

Personal trainer? Too pricey. Class at the gym? Too crowded.

Find the perfect balance at the Center for Movement. This UES Pilates studio offers small, drop-in group classes (using the mat, tower, reformer and other equipment) that give personal attention in the company of others striving for that long, lean bod. Whether you’re taking a break from the treadmill during pregnancy or trying to get your pre-baby abs back, the expert instructors will make sure your core is conditioned.

And if you’re not into the group thing, the Lexington Avenue and Scarsdale locations offer private sessions. But exercise loves company.

1460 Second Ave. (bet. 76th & 77th St.), 212-734-2277, centerformovement.com.

The discomforts of pregnancy — swollen feet, heartburn, annoying aches — mean your Jimmy Choos go into hibernation and you’re never without a bottle of Tums. But it pays to be well-rounded.

The WellRounded NYC program was designed to give women a more positive and comfortable pregnancy experience. The instructors, trained physical therapists, teach women how to relieve and even prevent typical pregnancy back pain caused by a shift in gravity, and changes in spinal curves…and cup size. In prenatal sessions, clients work on strengthening not only the upper back and abdominal muscles but also the pelvic and gluteus muscles. Outside of class, regularly stretching lower back, buttocks and hamstring muscles is the key to alleviating soreness.

And you thought pregnancy was just a pain in the neck.

For more information, visit wellroundednyc.com.

The crazy competition for spots in Spain’s top schools has couples getting divorced in order to take advantage of an admissions system that favors single parents’ tots. And you thought New Yorkers had it bad.

Well, it’s still not ideal in the Big Apple. But local school consultants like Robin Aronow, Ph.D., help guide parents through the anxiety-riddled process. A social worker by training, she informs clients about important application and testing deadlines (no coaching!), helps them come up with a realistic school list (both private and public), and teaches them how to best advocate for their children.

This month, Aronow will host two workshops called “Life After Nursery School” ($65 each, $100 for both) on the ins and outs of applications and admissions. Hey, anything to get an edge.

Private School Workshop
When: Wed. 5/21, 6:30-8:30pm.
Where: Ansche Chesed, 251 West 100th St. at West End Ave.

Public School Workshop
When: Wed. 5/28, 6:30-8:30pm.
Where: Ansche Chesed, 251 West 100th St. at West End Ave.

For more information, visit schoolsearchnyc.com.

Still looking for something to do? If you’ve got a little chef on your hands, you may want to spend tomorrow rolling and wrapping veggie sushi with PBS Vegan Chef Christina Pirello. CMOM’s healthy cooking series invites kids and parents to help prep — and of course, taste — healthy creations.

When: Sat. 5/10, 2pm; Ages 5+; Free with museum admission.
Where: Children’s Museum of Manhattan, 212 West 83rd St., cmom.org.

As fabulous a city as New York is, it’s also plenty stressful. And that’s without construction sites and Wall Street heavyweights collapsing right and left, plus a former governor who…well, you know.

What better way to relax than to find inner peace with your baby through yoga (this time it’s the baby who’s doing yoga, not just you). Yogi Beans’ Lauren Rosenfeld teaches mothers how to place their mini yogis (or yoginis) in various positions which can aid in body awareness, sleep, digestion and relief of gas pains – kids’ classes are also available.

They say a happy mom makes for a happy baby, and vice versa.

For more information, visit yogibeans.com