After the birth of my first son via C section I developed a low-grade hernia, my body was weak and to be honest I felt a bit broken both physically and mentally. My physio sent me to Pilates and I’m so grateful that she did! This sent me on the journey to become an instructor and to be able to help new mums myself.
Once you’ve been cleared to exercise after your 6 week doctors check-up, Postnatal Pilates is an effective and obtainable way of restrengthening your body from the rigours of not only giving birth, but also the months of carrying your child and the physical changes that caused. The 2 main areas that Pilates can work on for the new mum are the stomach muscles and the pelvic floor. Postnatal Pilates really homes in on these with a gentle build-up of exercises specifically designed to gradually reknit and strengthen your muscles.
Benefits of Postnatal Pilates
The Pelvic floor is a sling of muscles that attaches to the walls of the pelvis from the pubis at the front and the coccyx at the back. Now whether you have a vaginal birth or a caesarean section these muscles are put under a lot of strain and inevitably weakened. Postnatal Pilates helps you to re-engage the pelvic floor and to restore its correct function of maintaining intra-abdominal pressure. Since having your baby if you cough, sneeze or laugh you may find that leaking occurs. Please don’t worry about this but you do need to address it! Its important to understand that the pelvic floor muscle will not regain correct function on its own, it will take work from you via things like Pilates.
During your pregnancy your abdomen will have expanded to accommodate your growing uterus. This may cause your rectus muscles to separate called Diastasis Recti. For most women its necessary to work your deep core muscles to improve this separation and to encourage the stomach muscles to come back together. Postnatal Pilates is excellent for this, working through a range of moves designed to draw them together and encourage the reknitting of the abdominal wall. Even if you don’t suffer from separation issues many women are often shocked by the look and feel of their stomach and how you may have a more rounded and softer tummy for quite some time, often with stretch marks. The practice of regular Pilates will help you to zone in on these areas.
The body does needs time to settle down from pregnancy and sometimes it can be daunting to find help for new mums, you may not feel like leaving the house much, routines can be upside down and plans easily disrupted from a sleepless night. Having access to Postnatal Pilates online can be vital to maintain consistency in your recovery!
Benefits of Postnatal Pilates Online
Ok, so let’s face it, smooth running days, routines and selfcare have probably gone out of the window somewhat! It’s often hard to make plans due to sleepless nights, sudden nappy disasters, not to mention the settling of your hormones, breastfeeding or endless bottle prep, increased washing and care of the other dependents in your life from children, pets and partners. Help for new mums is not always readily available and it’s so important for you to find some time for selfcare! To help your postpartum body to restrengthen and to allow you some ‘me time’ Postnatal Pilates online allows you to watch pre-recorded sessions at a time to suit you. It’s a great way for you to look after yourself without the pressure of making a live class. Being online allows you to do your sessions at a time to suit both mum and babies, you can pause, restart, take a break and revisit your sessions as much as you wish and for mums with new-borns this can be a valuable way of caring for your own body.
Mums and Babies
Alongside the Physical benefits of Postnatal Pilates for new mums it can also be great for mental wellness and self-care. Simply by taking some time out either daily or several times a week to focus on yourself can be hugely beneficial. It can be a significant life shock to have a baby, suddenly most of your day revolves around your child and you may feel that you are neglecting your body and It’s perfectly normal to not feel yourself. If its your first baby it can be a daunting how much your life has changed, even if you have the experience of several kids you may still be exhausted from lack of sleep and the extra demand of your time. It can also be hard to come to terms with the changes in your body from your shape to how you feel. Hormones will be coursing through you and this can be very unsettling to your mood. Self-care is something I encourage every new mum to include into their week. Both mums and babies need time to sleep, relax and feel safe. Taking some time each day to sit and centre can be very valuable, simply taking stock of what’s going on and how you feel and taking some time to breathe.
The last 9 months have been focussed on growing your amazing baby. Now you need to not only care for your child but also to repair and restrengthen your body. Using an online Postnatal Pilates course can help to give you some structure and guidance for this and help you to feel in control.
If you would like to learn more about the benefits of Postnatal Pilates, Postnatal Pilates online and also help for new mums and babies, please explore our new course which can be accessed via our website and app in full synchronisation.
Extended reading:- Prenatal Yoga Online
