On the Doorstep Magazine – July-August 2019

Preparing

yourself for birth

and postnatal

recovery

Written by Gemma Dawson,

The Pilates Studio Whitstable

So you have bought the pram, you have prepared

the nursery and you may even have picked out a

name but have you considered how you intend to

look after yourself and baby through the

antenatal and postnatal period?

We all know that the miracle of life happens in 9

months but we often don’t fully appreciate the

epic changes that the body goes through. I

consider myself a feminist although I would still

like to give credit where it’s due, to all the mums

out there. 

Physically during the antenatal period, the

stomach swells and the organs move, alongside

this the musculoskeletal system has to adapt to

accommodate such changes by softening

ligaments. If you look at the spine of a pregnant

woman you will see the curves deepen to give

extra space for baby to grow.

With all of the above changes you can see the

need to assist the body by keeping mobile. This is

also essential to help maintain fitness in

preparation for birth and postnatal recovery. This

is not always possible for everyone but where

able, self-care should take priority. Pilates makes

a great addition to a self-care regime.

Antenatal Pilates can be of significant benefit by

teaching women how to gently move their bodies

helping to remain relatively comfortable and

functional through pregnancy. Emphasis is

placed on the importance of breathing and

getting a better breathing pattern allowing

mummy-to-be achieve relaxation through

pregnancy and birth. 

The next thing to mention is the pelvic floor

musculature. For most first time mums they have

no idea what or where the pelvic floor muscles

are let alone how to contract them! Pelvic floor

muscles attach to the boney pelvis and run in a

horseshoe shape from front to back. They act like

a hammock to support the pelvic organs above.

Pelvic floor muscles are a crucial part of antenatal

Pilates classes. Having good pelvic floor control

assists with carrying baby through the 9 months

of pregnancy and for the miracle portion of birth.

http://www.onthedoorstep.org

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