Pilates and the fourth trimester: Moving safely through the first moments of motherhood

The fourth trimester

Ask any new mum juggling a baby, car seat, and nappy bag, and she'll agree that mum life demands strength; both emotional and physical. After all, that cute baby quickly feels as heavy as if you’d been lifting weights at the gym!

Each postpartum journey is unique, so recovery varies. The six-week postpartum checkup, when mums often get clearance for activities, including Pilates on the Mornington Peninsula, is just the beginning.

Rushing back into movement can lead to a prolonged recovery.

Does that mean avoiding exercise for the first six weeks? No! But with a mindful approach and an eye on the longer-term prize.

Pilates, known for mindful strength-building, is perfect. Initial weeks may not involve traditional Pilates, but exercises like diaphragmatic breathing, bridge, open books, clams, and bird dog are beneficial for all new mums.

Why choose Pilates?

Pilates progressively builds strength and connects breath, fostering mobility. It allows you to focus on getting your connections stronger, and gives you time, space, and permission, to get to know your own body again after birth.

For Mornington Peninsula mums, private Pilates sessions with Joanna’s Pilates Mornington ensure tailored, safe progression. Gradually, with consistent practice, you'll comfortably resume activities.

Try these Pilates movements

With approval from your medical practitioner, these movements will help you ease back in to movement mindfully and safely, and enable you to create strong connections from your centre.

Diaphragmatic Breathing

- Lie on your back, knees bent, and feet on the floor.

- Place your hands on the sides of your ribcage.

- Inhale for two counts, expanding your ribcage.

- Exhale for a count of four, visualizing an opening umbrella.

- Keep it relaxed, repeat five times.

- Once familiar, engage the pelvic floor on the exhale and relax on the inhale.

Pelvic curl to Bridge

- Start lying on your back, knees bent, and feet on the floor.

- Inhale, expanding the ribcage.

- Exhale, tilt the pelvis, and sequentially lift the body: tailbone, lower back, mid-back, and upper back.

- Maintain a straight line from shoulders to knees at the top.

- Inhale, holding the position.

- Exhale slowly to roll down, returning to the starting position. Repeat 6-8 times.

Open Book stretches/ chalk circles

- Lie on your side with bent knees at a 90-degree angle.

- Inhale, reach the top arm forward and up.

- Exhale, continue reaching the arm back, aiming to touch the hand to the floor.

- Hold the position for an inhale; exhale, reaching the arm back up.

- Repeat six to eight times; you could add six slow circles in each direction as a variation.

Clams and Side Leg Lift Variations

- Start lying on your side with bent knees.

- Keep hips stacked, lifting the top knee towards the ceiling.

- Lower the top leg, imagining resistance between the knees.

- Repeat eight to ten times; extend the top leg for variation.

- Repeat the sequence on the other side; balance with a figure-four stretch.

Four-point kneeling abdominal activation

- Begin on all fours with hands beneath the shoulders and knees under the hips.

- Inhale, allowing the belly to relax without arching.

- Exhale, draw abdominals in, lifting the pelvic floor; make a "shhh" sound.

- Repeat six times; add variations like "bird dog" or "knee stretch" when ready to progress.

**Avoid abdominal doming placing downward pressure (bearing down) on the pelvic floor.