It would be odd but I think pilates is causing spotting - insight?

[truelife]

I hope it's okay for me to come to this group for some advice. I'm nearly 8 weeks into my third pregnancy, and have had spotting last Wed/Thur and now this Thurs. The only thing that I have done the same each week is taking an advanced pilates class on Tuesday afternoons.

Everything I have read says that a woman can do pilates until 16 weeks, but has anyone ever had a client not be able to do pilates b/c of spotting? Is this a far reach to explain the spotting?

[olive&pimiento]

I believe that the 16 week mark for pilates is based on the type of ab workout it is, and that at 16 weeks the recti muscles can begin to separate (a normal function of pregnancy), and that strenuous ab work can cause damage in this area.

I would listen to my body. If this exercise is causing spotting, you could switch to an easier program, like prenatal yoga.

[meganne79]

I would say definitely. I was fit going in to my pregnancy but for some reason yoga caused me to spot - a little later though. I finally decided my body was telling me to stop. It was just walking after that for me!

[runes]

is it a pilates mat class or a reformer class?

[truelife]

Thank you everyone for your insight. My m/w thinks that the two could be related as well. I'm just really surprised...

Kidspiration - It's a mat class, but we do a lot of stuff with the ball, standing up, etc.

[runes]

i am not a big fan of pilates mat classes for women. a lot of the exercises place our bodies in vulnerable positions, especially around the perinatal time when our pelvic floor and abdominal muscles are in relatively stretched positions.

speaking as a physical therapist and as a mom who had some significant post partum physical issues, the reformer is great, but pilates mat classes are not very good for us mamas.

sorry, probably not what you wanted to hear...

[truelife]

Originally Posted by kidspiration

i am not a big fan of pilates mat classes for women. a lot of the exercises place our bodies in vulnerable positions, especially around the perinatal time when our pelvic floor and abdominal muscles are in relatively stretched positions.

speaking as a physical therapist and as a mom who had some significant post partum physical issues, the reformer is great, but pilates mat classes are not very good for us mamas.

sorry, probably not what you wanted to hear...

Thank you. This is exactly what I was hoping to read. I have been hoping and praying that the spotting was b/c of pilates. I don't want to get an ultrasound so I have been carefully evaluating my actions. The idea that the strain of pilates could have caused it seemed far fetched, but based on your post I guess not.

[Jane]

I've done some mat pilates - I'm totally not an expert in pilates, but I suspect it could cause movement of the cervix - a lot of the motions are similar to some kegal stuff.
Do you typically have a "friable" cervix - one that bleeds easily during pregnancy?
Sometimes there is a little spotting after intercourse.

I'm not against ultrasounds, but it sounds like you don't want any uneccesary ones. Ask yourself - will my actions change from information gained from the ultrasound? I am not able to theorize what you'd do different after various findings, but perhaps you've got something in mind.