Pregnancy Health

The foundation of Pilates teaches core control, breath and alignment. Understanding body awareness and form are an essential part of strengthening a Diastasis Recti, tending to pelvic floor health and improving posture. The props in a mat class or springs on the pilates equipment give both assistance and resistance to challenge muscles at their full length. Each exercise brings focus and intention to how you move your body. An integrated workout will leave you feeling elongated and connected. Physical Therapy and Pilates for prenatal and postpartum care helps with pregnancy comfort, ease of delivery and a resilient postpartum experience. As the baby and belly grow, it becomes important to strengthen while maintaining length. The instinct to tighten more can create tension in muscles that need to be flexible for labor and delivery. Pilates teaches strategies of movement to create strength and mobility to help through all the stages of pregnancy and parenthood.

When it comes to the “to-do” list for pregnancy, few things can be prioritized higher than preparing your body for childbirth!
At the top of the list, we recommend learning when and how to use your pelvic floor muscles. The pelvic floor muscles create a layered hammock of support beneath your bladder, rectum and uterus. As part of our “core”, they help stabilize your pelvis and assist in bladder and bowel control. During childbirth, the pelvic floor should relax and stretch in the “pushing” phase of labor.

While many people are familiar with the concept of doing a “kegel” or pelvic floor muscle contraction, few have given thought to the sensation of actually relaxing the pelvic floor. It is common to hold tension in your pelvic floor without even realizing it! Learning where these muscles live, how to contract them, and most importantly how to relax them should be the first step in your preparation. Pilates props (like birthing balls) can be helpful feedback in “getting to know” this muscle group (see photo 1.)
Once you’ve located your pelvic floor, the next step is to develop a routine to keep your body limber and mobile for the different phases of birth. This routine should include stretches for your hip rotators, hip flexors, inner thighs, and spine (see photos.)
In each position, continue to practice the sensation of releasing tension in the muscles of the pelvic floor.