Pilates is one of the best exercises to do, both during and after pregnancy. Participants need to make sure your doctor is aware of your intention to continue to exercise. Remember it is perfectly safe and recommended by American College Obstetricians and Gynecologists!

One the top reasons Pilates and pregnancy go together so well is that Pilates is a proven way to build core strength. If your abdominals, back, and pelvic floor/Kegel muscles are toned, they will support a more comfortable pregnancy and delivery. Pilates is also famous for helping new moms get their figures back after baby is born!

Do not forget the last reason to do Pilates in pregnancy is that Pilates is very adaptable. Most Pilates exercises can be modified as your body and abilities change. The modifications help you keep the intent of the exercise, but adjust the form to work for your body.

During Pilates sessions you need to pay attention to your body(and baby)and pace yourself. Your energy levels will be changing and you don’t want to over do it. You need to take a break if you are dizzy, feeling faint, nausea, racing heart, shortness of breath, uterine contractions, bleeding or leaking fluid, and headache.

Hormonal changes during pregnancy promote flexibility in the joints and muscles. Your body releases a hormone called elastin. Women do experience more strains to their muscles and ligaments during this time because their bodies are wisely making them more “stretchy”. You will want to be sure not to overstretch.  You will want to have a pre-pregnancy base of how flexible you are. Nonetheless working in a smaller range of motion is often a good way to tune into the subtleties of an exercise. This would be a good time to work with connecting to the inner core muscles, breathing well, and gently working with oppositional stretch.

At a certain point, not too far along, your scoop just isn’t going work or look like it used to. The point will be to keep a definite sense of the engagement of the abdominals and pelvic floor, and do what you can without working too hard, after all there’s somebody in there!

There is a condition that sometimes occurs later in a pregnancy and sticks around post pregnancy called, “diastasis.” This is where there is a separation of the abdominal muscles. If you do have a diastasis you will want to modify carefully with your instructor, until after the baby is born and until you have healed.
Here are instructions for testing whether you have a diastasis:
“To check for ab. separation, lie on your back with knees bent and place your fingertips about 1 or 2 inches below your belly button, fingers pointing toward your feet. Lift your head as high as you can and, if you feel a ridge protruding from the middle of your belly, that's a diastasis. Pay attention to how you feel, and if you experience any discomfort in your abdominals or back, stop!”

Once you are into your second trimester it will be time to stop doing exercises while lying flat on your back for anything over a minute or two. This is recommended because of the possibility of obstructing blood supply to the baby. It is also recommended that you not put your feet over your head. That’s not to say that you can’t prop them up. What it means is that your hips stay down. You will want to eliminate any sharp percussive movements from your routine.