Meet the Houston Moms: Hallie and Ingrid with Back After Baby | West University Moms

Back After Baby Co-Founders

Hallie Ager, PT, DPT | Ingrid Hanna, MSPT, CSCS, OCS 

Where are you from originally and how long have you lived in Houston?

Ingrid: I am originally from Michigan, went to college in South Carolina, and was drawn to Texas after meeting my husband. I’ve lived in the Houston area for the last 16 years.

Hallie: I am originally from Harrison, AR.  I played college basketball and received my undergraduate degree at Arkansas Tech University. I received my Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Southwest Baptist  University in Missouri.  My husband is from the Houston area, which brought me here, and now its home!

Child(ren) and Age(s)?

Ingrid: Connor/8 and Hudson/6

Hallie: I have a 5-year-old son, Augustus & a 3-year-old daughter,
Emmerson.

One thing people would be surprised to know about you…

Ingrid: I grew up in a geodesic dome!

Hallie: I grew up on a cattle ranch and was a tomboy growing up.

Funniest shortcut/routine for helping you through parenthood?

Ingrid: My kids’ bedtime has been 7:00 pm since they were infants! They have no idea most kids get to go to bed later! This has definitely helped me keep my sanity and gives my husband and I more time together in the evenings.

Hallie: Hmmm this is a tough one.  Is drinking wine an answer, because that has definitely helped!  ☺ Other than that, we definitely had the kids on a strict sleeping schedule when they were infants however my oldest is the only one that seems to have stuck with it.  You know the oldest always follows the rules.  So I would say right now since my 3-year-old decides every night she needs to come sleep with us, I have moved a toddler mattress into our room on the floor and she is not allowed to get in our bed, only sleep on the mattress.  Luckily she has followed the rules, and I hardly ever know when she comes into our room! (Thank you eye mask and earplugs I wear to bed every night!)

Are you involved in a business venture, a local organization, a creative endeavor, or in the corporate world? Please share!

Ingrid: I am a physical therapist and the co-founder of Back After Baby, a multi-faceted approach to postpartum care offering an online rehab-based workout program, workshops, classes, education, and one on one physical therapy visits. Our goal is to improve the current standard of postpartum care by providing women with the guidance and resources they need to recover from pregnancy and childbirth and tackle the physical demands of motherhood! After years of providing physical therapy to moms dealing with joint or muscle pain after having children, Hallie and I were determined to fill this void that existed in postpartum care. We wanted every mom to have the opportunity to reconnect with her body, retrain her core, and regain strength in a way that was safe, effective, and fun. After years of design and development, Back After Baby was born! We are so excited to share this new way of approaching postpartum care with all moms at every stage of motherhood!

How has this community been instrumental in getting you to where you are now? 

Ingrid: This amazing community has inspired, encouraged, and supported us throughout our journey. We have met so many moms who have benefited from the program- validating our mission, other entrepreneurs who have collaborated with us and provided opportunities for us to share our program with others, and women in the community that believe in this cause and have helped spread the word! We are so grateful and humbled by the support we have received!

Hallie: I have been completely amazed and inspired by the people we have met since starting Back After Baby.  They mostly have been women and moms, who want to help other women, which is truly encouraging and impactful to our mission.  The support has been incredible; moms, doctors, friends, and family learning and sharing about what we do have been the gas in our tank for growing and changing women’s lives!

What is the best advice for juggling mommyhood and running a business (or volunteering, working, etc)?

Ingrid: Juggling mommyhood and running a business means multitasking to the extreme! I have found that I am a better parent and more productive at running my business when I can devote quality time to both endeavors, independent of one another. Setting aside time for my children without work interruptions and setting aside time for my business without interruptions from my children helps me find balance.

Hallie: Take time to reflect, breath, and set a schedule!  It really helps me to write it down and check it off the list.  I even write down, ‘time with family’ its just a good reminder to set the phones down and spend quality time with your kids and husband.  With social media and phones basically controlling everything we do, it’s nice to detach from it; sometimes we lay in the grass and just talk.  AND find a group of friends that you have fun with and laugh with!  Without my girlfriends/mom friends I would probably be in a padded room somewhere!

What would you tell the old “You” before you had kids?

Ingrid: TRAVEL MORE!!!
Hallie: WHO CARES ABOUT WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK!

What is your proudest mommy moment?

Ingrid: Those precious moments when I catch my children being sweet to one another or caring for others.
Hallie: Just one?? Ha.  Watching my kids learn to ride their bikes without training wheels, my son learning how to tie his shoes because he was so proud of his accomplishment, and my daughter, her fearless attitude inspires me every day!

What is your favorite thing to do in the Houston area?

Ingrid: My family loves going out to Mercer Botanical Gardens. I love exploring the gardens and the kids enjoy the playground. We also love the zoo and all the great restaurants the Houston area has to offer.
Hallie: To be quite honest with you we are pretty much homebodies and stay in our little bubble.  Most weekends you can find us outside hanging with neighbors or friends, and when we do venture out it’s typically to the beach or the deer woods ☺

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