Calling All Expecting Moms!
Are you feeling discouraged not knowing what you can or cannot do while pregnant? Overwhelmed by all the advice your friends & family are giving you, realizing that there is so much conflicting information? Hearing things like “you have to keep your heart rate below 140”, “you should never do crunches” or “just listen to your body"
Do you catch yourself skipping workouts or walks because of the new aches & pains that you didn’t even know existed until you became pregnant?
Are you excited to experience an empowering birth, but anxious about the unknowns, such as tearing during delivery? Or that labor will be too tough & painful?
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Are you finding it extremely challenging to stay motivated and hold yourself accountable because you feel so exhausted that even the thought of exercising makes you want to give up?
Are you hoping to set yourself up for a smoother recovery postpartum, but are unsure whether there is anything you can do during your pregnancy to actually help?
If you answered “YES” to any one of these, this is your opportunity to take the first step to help you prepare for the biggest marathon of your life: birth!
The Truth Is...
You have the power to set yourself up for a smoother birth & recovery by addressing breathing strategies, with targeted mobility exercises and strength training designed specifically for the pregnant body. There are going to be so many uncontrollable factors during your pregnancy, but one thing you can control is how you move your body.
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The American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists recommends that pregnant individuals should stay active throughout pregnancy & follow a supervised exercise program of 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week...
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Although well-intentioned, the current Western medical system traditionally does not provide moms with as many
proactive pillars to birth, but have rather been taught to rely on a more reactive approach with greater use of medications, assistive devices and potentially unnecessary cesarian deliveries. I’ve dedicated my career around helping moms
leverage the innate tools within their bodies in order to experience an empowering birth, with a smoother recovery.
The Steps To A Thriving Pregnancy...
STEP 1:
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BREATHE
> Learn how to breathe strategically through your diaphragm to help optimize the function of your pelvic floor & core.
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> Manage intra-abdominal pressure in order to help minimize abdominal separation, leaking and prolapse.
STEP 2:
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ALIGN
> Learn different mobility exercises to help bring your body into an optimal alignment to promote stronger function of your core & pelvic floor.
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> Practice stretches to help prepare the hips, pelvis, and lower back so that you can access a variety of positions to make labor more effective.
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> Learn how to lengthen your pelvic floor muscles and understand why it's important for birth.
STEP 3:
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LOAD
> Integrate a regular practice of strength training to specifically support the changes happening in the body each trimester, as well as preparing the body postpartum for the demands of motherhood.
> Prepare the core and build endurance of those muscles to help with effective pushing during delivery. Birth is a marathon, so your muscles need to have enough stamina in order to be able to work effectively for a prolonged period of time.
> Decrease your chances of tearing during birth by learning about perineal massage, effective breathing & pushing techniques, positions that put the least amount of stress on your pelvic floor, and much more.
STEP 4:
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DELIVERY PREP
> Discover ways to integrate a birth partner into your experience to help create a stronger bond and gain a clearer understanding on their role in the different phases and how they can best support you (both mentally & physically).
> Learn how to better manage labor sensations through practicing different relaxation techniques. Understand how your mindset can support you during labor by producing different hormones, thus decreasing your perception of pain.
> Write a birth philosophy that aligns with your values. Know how to ask the right questions, learn how to accept the birth experience, and create a plan on how you’d like to manage your pain.
With the guidance of my evidence-based training program, you will be able to:
Continue or start exercising, all while making sure you are following evidence-based workouts that match your capacity in each trimester.
Boost your mood & energy while reducing the chances of experiencing postpartum depression, which is prevalent in 50-75% new moms. With improved mental health and regular exercise, research shows that this also encourages good habits in offspring.
Increase confidence in a process that seems uncertain & confusing, and feel empowered while preparing yourself both physically & mentally for birth.
Minimize your chances of tearing by preparing your pelvic floor for birth, understanding how to push and learning what positions best support your pelvic floor. Increase your chances of having a vaginal delivery with a shorter labor time, and decrease likelihood of using medical interventions.
Improve strength, mobility & posture so that you experience less pain, and decrease the amount of leaks or sensations of pressure in the pelvis.
Set yourself up for a smoother recovery and have a body ready for action postpartum - whether that is going for a hike with your family, running along the seawall, or chasing after your kids!
Designed by a Pelvic Floor Physiotherapist & Personal Trainer, your training program will include exercises that support your body through the changes that happen during your pregnancy to help prepare you for the demands of motherhood, rather than simply incorporating modifications for each trimester.
The Decision is Yours,
How Will You Prepare?
OPTION 1
Do It Yourself
For a lot of individuals this is a great option! But for some, the unknowns of pregnancy can bring up new emotions and the thought of exercising might be a bit intimidating or anxiety-provoking. You’ll try Googling some information, but then you may realize that you are unable to find anything that helps solve your problem. Or when you do find useful content, it gets a bit confusing as you try to piece together all the right information. Maybe you’ll even ask exercise advice from your doctor, but their main area of expertise is to deliver your baby & make sure everything else is going smoothly.
OPTION 2
Use an App
You can download the pregnancy apps, but then you need to hold yourself accountable, and learn how to properly do the exercises. Because it is not what exercises you are doing, but rather how you are doing them that makes the biggest difference.
OPTION 3
Hire a Personal Trainer
Or you can take it a step further and hire a personal trainer at your local gym, but they may not have the appropriate education or experience to actually work with pregnant clients and the nuances that come along with it.
OPTION 4
Work With Me
The first 3 options simply add to the already immense mental load you are experiencing. Why make your journey towards motherhood more complicated? This is why I created the Bump To Babies Method. I’m removing all guesswork of trying to stay healthy & active throughout your pregnancy journey to get you the results that you want. During pregnancy, you want to work with an experienced coach that is well versed in both fitness and pelvic health since there are so many different systems in the body that are impacted in this phase of life.
What's Included?
This depends a lot on what you're looking for. Since my program is 100% customized, the amount of interaction we have can vary. We can meet for a quick check-in once a month or we can do more traditional personal training sessions. We’ll work through those details together after the alignment call. In general, it may include:
​> 1:1 coaching to support you every step of your journey
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> Fitness assessment
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> Collaborative goal setting and progress tracking
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> Guidance on lifestyle & habit changes
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> Integration of the main health pillars (e.g. nutritional quality, restoration & sleep, mindset, etc...)
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> Customized exercise program tailored to reflect the unique needs of each trimester of pregnancy & based on the findings of your assessment. This includes exercise modifications throughout pregnancy with guidance on how to manage pelvic floor issues.
Educational resources:
​> Learn how to protect your core & pelvic floor during pregnancy and early postpartum phases
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> Perineal massage guide to help reduce tearing
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> What to expect postpartum & guidance on rehab movements you can begin in the early phases of recovery.
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> Labour preparation: including pushing techniques, breathing strategies, pain management and positioning.
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> Learn about the changes occurring in your body throughout pregnancy and how it impacts your movements.