Written by LINDY IRWIN
I have had the honor to teach many prenatal lovelies throughout the course of my twenty plus years of teaching Pilates, and it has become one of my specialty client demographics that I absolutely love! Coaching prenatal Pilates is a honed art form. It is a blended balance between understanding anatomical and physiological science, as well as, an intuitive understanding and awareness of the mental and emotional state of that time in a woman’s life.
There is not a standard protocol for teaching Pilates to prenatal mothers, which is why it remains to be an ambiguous topic in the Pilates instructor training and continuing education industry. There is very little published in the way of education for Pilates instructors on the topic, and even less for those of us that teach and honor the integrity of the classical approach to Pilates (meaning as Joseph Pilates created it and his successor, Romana Kryzanowska, and other lineage teachers carried it on) versus contemporary Pilates. I remember specifically reading one small excerpt many years ago written by Roman Kryzanwoska in her book Body Conditioning where she expressed contraindication of the Standing Pumping Exercises on the High and Wunda for Prenatal clients due to the nature of the lumbopelvic rhythm (oppositional movement splitting of the pelvic halves) being too disruptive for the prenatal pelvis.
Working with prenatal clients definitely requires critical thinking , which is why working with a seasoned professional comprehensively trained in the Pilates Method who knows how it break down and modify the Method inside and out AND is educated in the the physiological safety precautions of working with this specific demographic is crucial. Instructors that do not have at least five consecutive years of teaching experience under their belt, should not even consider taking on a prenatal Pilates client. One simply does not have enough experience yet in teaching the complexity of the Pilates method to the average non prenatal consumer to be considered safe taking on what is considered a more high risk client demographic. There is also debate on whether an instructor should take on a prenatal client that was not previously taking Pilates before pregnancy. Once again, this circles back to how experienced the instructor is and what kind of additional medical/clinical education the instructor has regarding the prenatal population.
In addition, no two prenatal mothers-to-be are the same. For example, some might experience a lot of laxity in structure due to pregnancy hormones while others may experience oppositional muscular tightness in response to the relaxing of the ligaments. Understanding pregnancy posture and its implications also plays a vital role in selecting and tailoring Pilates exercises that will best serve the prenatal body.
I draw upon the following aspects in my approach:
1) Drawing upon my Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing, I consider the varying anatomical and physiological changes through the three trimesters of pregnancy and modify all Pilates exercises accordingly for each trimester to ensure absolute safety as the number one priority.
2) My outcome goal: Always to build strength and comfort (in the way of decompression that is positionally safe) into the pelvis and spine for smooth and optimal carry to full term, delivery, and recovery while understanding the prenatal hormonal implications on the muscles, tendons, and ligaments, as well as, considerations for Diastasis Recti prevention.
3) My personal sensory experience of doing Pilates throughout my own pregnancy from preconception to full term and how I adapted along the progression of pregnancy given growing bump size, pregnancy posture ( spinal lordosis) increase, energy level, and any changes in pubic symphysis comfort and tolerability for spring tension.
4) Assessing and intuitively reading each woman and tailoring the session to meet her where she is; empowering and promoting feelings of control and ownership of the transitions that are taking place in her body for a harmonious sense of wellbeing.
I remember each one of my Prenatal clients so vividly and her individual story when she came to see me. Each one has in turn taught added more skills for my prenatal teaching toolbox. I just love a good dose of full-circle anything in life! It really is equally inspiring and empowering to be a pillar of support during such a special time in a woman’s life.
