Pilates first trimester?

[Nelbert19]

Hello all,

I’ve recently started Pilates classes and have found it really helpful for my hyper mobility. This week, I have discovered that I am pregnant for the first time (5 weeks).

I feel like increasing core strength can only help pregnancy and child birth, but there’s a lot of lying on my belly and my core strength is currently rubbish!

Prenatal yoga and Pilates is not available until second trimester. Am I able to continue normal Pilates until then?

Yes. That should be fine, but please make your instructor aware that you are pregnant

I told my instructor when I got pregnant and she said I’d have to stop till I was 14 weeks. Very annoying as I had loads of aches and stiffness etc in the first trimester. I carried on gently at home.

Thank you both. I guess I’ll have a chat with my instructor and see if she’s happy for me to continue

I’ll probably carry on at home too @AnneLovesGilbert - my hips will be terrible if I wait 9 weeks!

I'm afraid the reason prenatal yoga & pilates doesn't start until 12 weeks is because you're not meant to do it (or many forms of exercise) until then. If you can't do that, definitely don't do normal pilates at home, lying on stomach etc. Please, if your instructor advises you to wait, don't do it at home. It's just not worth it. Once you pass the 12 weeks and all is good, by all means pick it up again, with specific advice from instructor

Ah thank you @ohhellooooo

I assumed it was because before 12 weeks is higher risk for MC so they’re saving spaces for viable pregnancies or something. I will follow my midwife and instructor’s advice

I thought the opposite of the previous poster -- the reason that the pregnancy classes don't start until second trimester is because you can exercise as normal in first trimester (provided you feel well enough).

By all means talk to your instructor, but I was advised it was fine and to manage myself (ie don't do anything I'm not comfortable with), as is the same for all exercise classes

Here is the NHS guidance about exercise in pregnancy -- nothing about needing to abstain from exercise in first trimester. www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/pregnancy-exercise/

Well now I’m confused!

I’ll talk to instructor and midwife and report back!

Ah thanks @vivapuff

I’ve carried on doing it. (Am currently 14wks) Some things have to be slightly adapted.

I’m a qualified gym instructor by the way. There is no reason to stop laying on your front in such early pregnancy. I just had a scan and the baby is still well behind the pubic bone at 14 weeks!! So it’s very protected.

Just always let the instructor know. And listen to your body. Be aware if you put your head down you can feel dizzy (blood pressure) get out of breath quicker etc. Check nhs website for info.

I did Pilates and yoga up to about six months pregnant, first trimester didn’t need to adapt anything, second trimester my instructor gave alternative exercises when class were doing things laying on front/twisting etc..

The general rule is don't start doing something in the first trimester that you've not done previously. So maybe give it a break until you're feeling strong?

The reason a lot of places won’t take people in first tri is that they don’t want people blaming them for miscarriages (not that Pilates causes miscarriages but people make causal links ie “I did a class and 5 hours later I miscarried”) and then Male trouble for the studio.

I always felt far too sick to do any exercise in those early days so paused for a few weeks but I did do Pilates right up to my births in both my pregnancies (also hypermobile) and it’s a great thing to keep up throughout pregnancy.

There is an Australia physio & Pilates teacher that runs a service called herasphere - you pay £20 a month (from memory) and get access to online Pilates workouts tailored for each week of pregnancy. Could be a good option if you can’t find a studio.

I told my pilates teacher as soon as I found out and we just said I had a bad back and adapted a few bits (mainly the abdominal stuff). Started pregnancy yoga at 20 weeks too and they go so well together!

Ah ok, well I just followed my doctor's advice. But maybe he was being over-cautious as I'd previously miscarried. Still wouldn't risk it, but that's just me by the sounds of it

Just a quick update : I spoke to my Pilates instructor who said it’s fine with a few adjustments. It’s more difficult when there is a bump, but for the first trimester can continue as usual, just don’t push myself too much

There is some mixed advice on here, and some of it is just wrong. There is no issue with Pilates right up until delivery, in fact it’s one of the best prenatal exercises you can do. The PP whose instructor made her stop until 14 weeks might have been an issue with whether they have a pregnancy qualification. As a general rule you’re not meant to start new exercise in the first trimester but you can continue to do anything you were doing before as long as you feel well enough. Most dedicated pregnancy classes wait until 12+ weeks just because before then there isn’t really a need for a dedicated prenatal class. I’d highly recommend finding a proper pregnancy Pilates class though for second trimester onwards.

Source: I am a Pilates teacher. I keep people in my standard classes up until somewhere between 12 and 18 weeks depending on the individual and the type of class.

I told my yoga teacher as soon as I found out and other than say I might want to hang out in down dog or plank rather than flow (lie on my tummy) she didn't see any issues. I don't see how strengthening your core could be a bad thing in early pregnancy