Pilates is one of the safest most effective ways to exercise during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. Strengthening the pelvic floor prepares the body for a smooth prenatal phase and birth. I am trained to work with pre and postnatal clients, offering individualised sessions for pre and postnatal requirements, to help make this special time an empowering journey in mind and body. 

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How can Pilates help me in pregnancy?

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Pilates strengthens your tummy, back and pelvic floor muscles, which are the areas that can cause problems during pregnancy and after the birth. So it's a great exercise to do when you're pregnant, although some of the exercises will need to be modified as you get nearer your due date.

Doing regular Pilates will help to:
 

• Strengthen your tummy muscles, which equips your body better to cope with the strains caused by the weight of your growing baby. Hormones make the tissues (ligaments) that connect your bones more pliable in pregnancy, making you more prone to injury.

• Reduce back pain, by exercising the tummy muscles that stabilise your back and pelvis. Strengthening these muscles can help to reduce back or pelvic pain.

• Strengthen your pelvic floor, which will help to support your bowel, bladder and womb as your baby grows and moves down. This may prevent you from leaking small amounts of wee when you cough or sneeze. It will also help you to push your baby out when you give birth.

• Improve balance, as you may feel a little more clumsy, or that your balance isn’t as good as usual, in pregnancy. Pilates exercises strengthen your core and may make you more stable when you walk as your bump grows.

• Take the strain off your back and pelvis, by using positions such as going on your hands and knees, which is a great position for easing pregnancy back pain. Some experts say it may also help to get your baby into the right position for birth, although there’s not a lot of evidence to support this.

• Relax and control your breathing, which is important for pregnancy and labour.

Exercise is good for you during pregnancy. You should aim to do a combination of aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking or swimming, and muscle-strengthening exercise, such as Pilates or yoga.