Welcome back to our Pilates and Pregnancy blog. This week the baby is the length of an eggplant. He weighs 1 pound, 10 ounces according to an ultrasound that I had to make sure that baby’s heart was looking good (which it was). During the ultrasound the technician noted that baby is measuring a little bit ahead – in the 62nd percentile – and has a long femur bone. He might be a tall one!

The biggest change I’ve noticed lately is that baby is a lot more active. I used to only feel kicks low in my abdomen, but lately have felt them as high as my belly button. As my body grows to make room for the little soccer player, I have noticed that certain areas – including my side waist and hips – are really tight.

To work on creating more space in my midsection, Carey and I spent a lot of time doing different side bending exercises. One that was really tough for me was to try and move my ribcage side to side as I was kneeling without simply jutting my hip to one side. Although the movement itself was small, I could tell right away that those muscles needed and loved to be stretched.

We also did a lot of rounding and extension of my low back. Most women in their second and third trimester feel a variety of sensations in their low backs, ranging from pain to joint movement to tightness. So far I’ve avoided the pain and tightness, but have noticed some joint movement that causes me to feel that I am out of alignment at times. As a Pilates instructor, it’s hard for me to be okay with my joints not lining up! Thankfully, the rounding and extension exercises not only stretch out the low spine, but also are a safe way to strengthen my abdominal muscles, which in turn help support the position of my sacrum, pelvis, and hips.

I didn’t get a good exercise picture this week, but I did get to celebrate my sweet nephew’s first birthday. Here’s a picture of me and my baby’s soon-to-be cousin!

See you next week,

-Cassie

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