Pregnancy and Exercise

I am so thrilled (and honestly relieved) to have announced that I'm pregnant!

As a pelvic health physical therapist I've been working with people who are/have been pregnant for almost 2 years now. I've been very surprised at how passionate I've become about working with pregnant people. I've always felt like there was a missing piece though, as I didn't have the personal experience to grant me the empathy and further understanding of what my patients were experiencing. SO, I'm so honored and grateful at this opportunity to experience pregnancy and become a parent with my favorite person in the world, Will (my husband).

All that to say, I realize infertility is rampant throughout our nation today and I don't take my situation lightly. I am so incredibly thankful I was able to conceive. For those that are going through infertility I just want to emphasize how it's not your fault-the United States has created an environment that doesn't support fertility with:

-unregulated toxins in our personal care products that are known to impair fertility

-a society that fosters unreal and unmanageable stress levels

-and so much more

This process has given me the opportunity to create a prenatal exercise and pelvic floor program that progresses week by week as I do. With that, it has me thinking about all the things I wish EVERYONE knew while they are pregnant.

#1 Pain is not normal in pregnancy. The pregnancy apps, online forums, google, you name it might make it seem like it is something everyone will experience but it doesn't have to be. There are SO many things that are changing in your body during pregnancy and the main change that causes pain is a hormone called relaxin. Relaxin is produced in menstruating person right before ovulation-in pregnancy it's produced all the time and significantly higher levels. It's job is to loosen/relax the ligaments and connective tissue that keep your hips stable and your abs connected together. (It also affects every other connective tissue in your body) This creates room for the baby as it grows and allows for expansion during the delivery process. Therefore it is absolutely necessary to occur. What it also does it reduces your stability while you're continually adjusting to an increase in body weight and changes in your overall posture and center of gravity. THIS is what leads to pain.

How do counteract this? Just like with any other times we experience ligamentous laxity or instability we rely on dynamic stability of surrounding musculature. This is why it's crucial to be strong and active during pregnancy-you're experiencing ligamentous laxity throughout your ENTIRE body, not just an ankle or knee after an injury.

Having an established (well rounded) exercise program that you can participate in during pregnancy is CRUCIAL to prevent pain. Studio Stream + our new Prenatal and Birth Prep program is exactly that. Designed by myself with your pelvic health in mind.