So here you are, home with your beautiful bundle of joy, exhausted but living on cloud nine.  You have made it through the pregnancy, the birth, the first feed, the first nappy change and everything else in between! You’ve been to see you doctor, who has given the all clear for getting back into exercise… great, but what does that even look like in this postnatal body?  You feel like you have lost every gain you made before pregnancy and even while doing your pre-natal classes.  You feel weak and frankly a little torn apart – so what to do now?  Yep, you guessed it – Pilates!  ☺

But before you jump onto the reformer, there are a few things to remember… You have pretty much just had major surgery (whether it was a vaginal birth or c-section), and your body has gone through so much to bring this beautiful little person into the world.  It is not a time to be putting pressure on yourself to ‘bounce back’.  Be gentle, be kind and go slow.  Come in for your first session ready to move again, ready to focus on yourself again (even if just for an hour) and understanding that it may take time, but we will get you there (wherever ‘there’ is for you).  

Treat your 4th trimester as a time for your body to recover, rest and reset.  Some mums will return to their pre pregnancy exercise routine sooner than others, some may feel their body wants to move differently to before, some may be happy to just have a quiet hour to themselves to reset – there is no right or wrong, everything is normal and welcome here.   

At Evolved we will help you get back your strength as well as your mobility.  After you have a baby, there is a lot of lifting, but there is also a lot of sitting for long periods, often in awkward positions (hello breastfeeding).  Our sessions will be tailored to you and how your body is feeling.  Yes, we will add strength, but sometimes there is nothing better than a good stretch and release.   

One thing we will always focus on throughout your first few classes, is how to slowly and gently activate your pelvic floor.  No matter how you gave birth, this is one muscle that has had constant strain put on it throughout pregnancy and will need a little help to find strength and endurance again. Other areas of focus will be your deep abdominal muscles (helping that separation most women have after pregnancy in varying degrees), your upper back (strength for carrying that beautiful bubba, and mobility to help release tension) and glutes and legs (there is a lot of pram pushing!).  

So come in and see us at Evolved so we can work together to get you feeling strong, relaxed and happy in your 4th trimester and beyond.   

Jane xx

* Jane will be holding mums and bubs classes once the studio reopens hopefully early November – please contact us with any enquiries.