Prenatal & Postnatal

Written by Amy Garner, Pilates Haven co-owner, Romana’s Pilates Certified Instructor, and Pre & Post Natal Pilates Specialist certified through The Center for Women’s Fitness.

Helping people take care of their bodies through exercise is what first drew me towards a career in Pilates, and I especially love working with expecting mothers and new moms.

Pregnancy affects the entire body; a mother’s body changes not only with each trimester, but week to week. Everything, from posture to the laxity in the joints, is different during pregnancy. Correctly done, Pilates safely works with these changes to keep the mother strong, aligned, and balanced. In addition to preparing her pelvic floor and abdomen to give birth, what the expecting mother learns through movement and breath can greatly help in her delivery.

Pilates is also very beneficial for postpartum women needing to safely rebuild strength and realign their pelvis and spine. Specific Pilates exercises can be used to help heal diastasis recti, pubic symphysis derangement, and side effects from C-sections.

I use my knowledge of the pre and postnatal body (what positions should be avoided at different stages as well as what beneficial exercises should be included) to make safe and effective choices within the classical Pilates method. The six principles of Pilates– concentration, control, centering, precision, flow, and breath– all play a vital role in helping prepare a woman for birth and repair postnatally.

Please send any questions about pre and postnatal Pilates to amy@pilateshvn.com. I’d love to hear from you!