Let’s just call it: motherhood reshapes you. Not in the poetic, tiger-stripe, glowing skin kind of way, but more in the “my upper back feels like concrete and I’m pretty sure I’ve shrunk an inch” sort of way.
It doesn’t really matter how you gave birth — caesarean, forceps, epidural, no epidural, or something that felt more like an out-of-body experience. Whatever your story, your body remembers. And let’s be honest, you probably haven’t had a chance to properly deal with any of it yet.
First, let’s rewind
Before you’re even chasing toddlers or strapping in car capsules, your body’s already adapting. During pregnancy, your posture changes dramatically. Your ribs flare, hips clamp down, and your centre of gravity takes a holiday. You walk differently, sit differently, even breathe differently. And this whole time, your fascia — that spider web-like tissue wrapped around everything inside you — is quietly building new movement habits. Some are useful. Most not.
Fascia is highly sensitive to both physical load and emotional stress, and it doesn’t just reset when you’ve had the baby. It holds on. So if you’ve felt tense since your first ultrasound, chances are your fascia’s still hanging onto that story.
Now fast forward: Welcome to the slouch
The baby’s here, and so is the baby gear. There’s feeding (breast or bottle, it’s all forward-flexion), pram pushing, awkward hip-carrying, standing half sideways while settling a meltdown in public… not to mention trying to do everything one-handed while making toast. Then there’s screen time (yes, you included), exhaustion, and the sheer volume of time spent curled forward. It’s no surprise your spine feels like it’s forgotten how to stand up straight.
This isn’t laziness — it’s repetition.
Bodies adapt to what they do most. And right now, yours might be doing a lot of folding, hunching, bending, and bracing. That doesn’t mean it’s broken. It just means it’s doing exactly what it was asked to — over and over and over.
The hidden layer: C-sections, trauma, and core confusion
If you had a caesarean, there’s a whole layer of tension and scarring under the surface. Scar tissue (and the fascia around it) doesn’t just “go back to normal.” It bunches, pulls, compensates. That weird tight pull across your tummy when you stretch, or that disconnect between your abs and your breath? Yep — fascia again.
And then there’s stress. Because parenting in the modern world isn’t exactly meditative. Cortisol (your stress hormone) tightens fascia even more and makes inflammation worse — which is especially annoying when you’re trying to chop vegetables with a baby on your hip and a toddler screaming about yoghurt.
Pilates isn’t just for Instagram
Pilates is often misunderstood. It’s not about cute outfits and influencer lighting. Real Pilates, the kind we teach, is about slow, smart movement. Breathing. Reconnecting. Unravelling all those old holding patterns and rebuilding from the deep core outwards.
We meet you exactly where you are. Postnatal. Worn out. A bit over it. Possibly unsure if your pelvic floor is still part of your anatomy. It’s all welcome.
We start simple. Breath work. Deep stabilisers. Glutes, not just abs. Little, intelligent movements that help you feel again — and over time, stand a bit taller.
You’re not broken, just rewired
Your body is brilliant. It adapts, adjusts, and protects you every day. But it needs guidance to shift out of survival mode and into restoration.
Movement won’t erase the sleepless nights or mental load, but it will help you feel more like yourself. It’ll get your breath back. It’ll loosen the grip of stress. It’ll remind you that you live in this body, not just use it to get through the day.
You don’t need a six-pack or a fancy Reformer routine to get started. You just need to move. With awareness. With compassion. And with the knowledge that you’ve already done the hardest bit — growing a human.
Now it’s time to grow you again.
And we’re right here when you’re ready.
Can’t get to class? (We see you)
Pilates you can do at home
Here are three fascia-friendly moves you can do at home, preferably in pyjamas, ideally before someone asks you for a snack.
1. Wall Roll Down with Breath
Releases tension through your whole back chain
Stand against the wall, feet a step forward. Inhale. Then slowly exhale and roll down, letting your arms hang. Stay there and breathe. Then roll up even slower.
Ask: Am I moving segment by segment, or stiff as a board?
2. Pelvic Clock (Lying Down)
Reconnects your core and pelvic floor
Lie on your back, knees bent. Imagine your pelvis is a clock. Rock front to back (12 to 6) then side to side (3 to 9).
Ask: Am I moving with ease or holding tension? Where do you feel stuck?
3. Cat-Cow with Breath Pauses
Mobilises your spine and reconnects ribs to breath
On hands and knees, inhale to arch, exhale to round. But pause after each phase and actually feel.
Ask: Is this coming from my ribs? Am I just going through the motions?
By Nichola Stevenson, Mum, Pilates Instructor, Studio Owner and Speaker / www.clubpilates.com.au / 07 5445 6963
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