Pilates in Pregnancy

[AHLH]

I'm 18+2. Spent weeks 9-15 in bed/hospital with hypermemis and when I started getting up I was so weak I couldn't even walk up the stairs (we only have 12!). Before pg I used to run 10K three times a week, but that's not going to happen again for a while. Would also spend at least a day of the weekend on my bike.

I've been walking every day, and have started swimming and Aquarobics and have got back on my bike a few times (I am a big cyclist).

I'm thinking of going to Pilates, but I am finding very contradictory advice on the www about whether this is a good idea in pregancy. The class I have found is not a specifically antenanal Pilates class.

I am just concerned that in five months time I have got a big endurance event that I can't get out of!

I did it through my entire pregnancy. I think if you're already excercising then it's not a problem, it's when you've never excercised before. Mention it to the instructor though as there are some moves you shouldn't do.

Hi - I think that the advice is that if you've never done it before, don't start pilates whilst pregnant. Pilates is basically about stretching and strengthening core muscles - half of the exercises you can't do because lots are aimed at low stomach muscles and you'll open yours if you try to 'tone' them. Secondly, you're super stretchy and if you've nevr done it before, you don't know what is usual for you in terms of flexibility and hence you may overdo it. I am a runner too (who stopped when pg due to feeling like poo warmed up!) and I started pilates after my ds (and a consequent slipped disc - fun, fun!) I've done pilates through 2 succesive ps's and have loved it but even I give up at about 32 weeks as there are so few things you can do without killing your back, stomach muscles, squashing the baby or needing a week badly!!! Leave it til after baby, have your 6/8 week check and then do to a good beginners class.

...unless of course you've done it before - in which case go for it but listen to your body very carefully and DON@T overdo it.

I have the Pilates in Pregnancy DVD by Lindsey Jackson which is very very gentle and entirely appropriate. But I have to admit I did do a bit of Pilates before getting pregnant. I would be wary about going to a class which wasn't specifically ante-natal as you'd probably have to miss out or alter quite a few of the exercises. Also you might try to do too much as the other participants would be doing so much more than you.

Regular swimming and aquarobics sound very good anyway.

With both ds1 and ds2, my nausea and fatigue in the first trimester was enough to stop me from doing any real exercise for several months. But just like you I started to feel well enough to do some gentle swimming, and I did ante-natal yoga too, and both labours went pretty well. It sounds like you were fit beforehand so that will probably help.

I did pilates for over 3 years (we won't go into how lazy I've become... ) and saw many pregnant women in the class, including a good friend of mine and a lady who had twins. But, I would strongly support the idea that if you haven't done it before, then wait until after the baby (It's excellent for toning up and helped me loads). As Clucky says, it's designed to work your core, and as you don't use some of these muscles very much, unless you're properly instructed you can injure yourself quite badly.

If you do go ahead, our instructor moderated abdominal floor exercises from very early in pregnancy as you can damage the muscles in the abdomen whilst they're changing to accommodate your baby. The other thing was that pregnant ladies had to keep their heads elevated with a cushion - never laying flat on the floor.

I would advise caution with a dvd. It's best to go to a class so you know that you're positioning yourself correctly for the moves, for example finding your neutral position - the starting point for many of these exercises - so you don't hurt your back. You need someone else to check you to make sure you're holding yourself right.

It sounds a lot, but I suppose it's all the niggly things that make it such an effective form of exercise.

I'm planning to walk and swim through my pregnancy, and return to pilates asap afterwards to try to improve whatever figure I've been left with!

Why don't you look for pregancy yoga instead? It tones in the same way but is more common so it'll be easier to find a class specifically for pregnant women that you can do even if you've never done yoga before.

I've been doing both pilates and yoga for a few years. Now I'm 21 weeks PG I have joined a special antenatal yoga class and am enjoying it much more than my normal classes. The exercises are more useful than general yoga as we're doing lots of birth prep and work on parts of the body that typically suffer during pregnancy.

Look for one at a yoga centre rather than just your local church hall if you'd like it to be proper exercise.

Good luck!

Thanks for all the advice ladies. It's pretty rural where I live, so I don't have a lot of choice of classes etc.

I went to the class last night, but the instructor was so nervouse about me being there, and made me nervous about being there too, that I hardley did a thing. Will stick to swimming and walking and try and get a bit more cycling in before my centre of gravity goes out the window.

That's such a shame as you'll miss out on the relaxation/birth prep side of yoga and pilates. Maybe you should try a DVD like mummypig?

I'm going to try DVDs for after the birth, as i'm thinking I wont be able to get out as much to go swimming or to classes. Can anybody recommend a good postnatal one?