Pilates and Pregnancy Week 23- No more Lying on my Belly and Other Fun Changes!

Welcome back to our Pilates and Pregnancy blog. After a brief hiatus for the holidays (and lots of cookies) I am ready to be back moving again! This week the baby is the length of an ear of corn (8.5 inches) and weighs around 1.5 pounds. I’ve definitely noticed the growth in my stomach and my clients have too!

The biggest changes in the last two weeks are that I no longer feel comfortable lying on my stomach and it’s a challenge to pull my boots on! My feet aren’t swelling yet, but bending over and trying to pull my boots on takes some maneuvering around my belly.

This week Carey and I worked on the Reformer. Early in the workout I could tell that certain exercises were more challenging than they were pre-pregnancy. In particular, Short Spine (where your feet come back over your head) was difficult. Hundreds were also a lot of work. I can still come up into the upper ab curl, but it’s becoming more difficult to engage my abdominal muscles as they stretch to make room for baby.

Other than those few exercises, the rest of the work felt great. In particular, we worked on hip opening, side bending, and upper body strength. Some of my favorite exercises at this point in my pregnancy are Knee Stretches, Mermaid, and the Side Arm Series on the Reformer.

The picture this week is of me with two other studio clients, Abby and Jon. We each received studio awards for our dedication to Pilates over the past year. It’s harder to see the bump head on, but I promise you, it’s there!

See you next week,

-Cassie