PRENATAL YOGA + PILATES IN SYDNEY

Yes, and it is specifically recommended. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) endorses modified Pilates as safe throughout pregnancy for women without medical complications. Australia’s Women’s Health and Exercise Research group released updated guidelines in 2025 confirming that exercise is safe and beneficial from the first trimester of uncomplicated pregnancies.

The key word is modified. Pregnancy requires specific adjustments to positions, load and sequencing – particularly after 20 weeks, when lying flat on the back is not recommended. This program is designed by physiotherapist Kirby Cameron with those modifications built in from the start. You are not attending a standard Pilates class with pregnancy adaptations bolted on. This program is built for pregnancy.

From 12 weeks. This program is suitable for the second and third trimesters. Your Initial Consultation establishes where you are in your pregnancy and what your body specifically needs at that stage, so the program is appropriate from the day you begin.

If you are in your first trimester and would like to start before 12 weeks, please contact us directly and we will advise based on your individual situation.

If you already practice Pilates, you can typically continue into your first trimester with appropriate modifications.

Hot yoga is not recommended during pregnancy. The elevated temperature in a hot yoga class of 37°C is contraindicated during pregnancy, and this aligns with ACOG and Australian clinical guidelines. Hot yoga is not included in this program.

One’s full timetable includes a range of non-heated classes that are appropriate during pregnancy, including Warm Yoga, Yin Yoga and One Hot Restore and One Hot Still. Your instructor will advise which are most valuable for your stage at your Initial Consultation.

No. The Initial Consultation is designed for people who have never trained in Studio Pilates. Your instructor builds your program from scratch, around your movement patterns and pregnancy history – no prior experience is assumed or required. Many clients come having done reformer classes or yoga; many come having done nothing structured at all. Both arrive at the same place: a personal program designed for where they are right now.

This is one of the most directly evidenced outcomes of prenatal Pilates. Lower back pain and pelvic girdle pain affect up to 50% of pregnant women, and the mechanism; ligament laxity from relaxin creating instability the deep muscular system cannot yet manage; is precisely what this program trains.

A 2023 randomised controlled trial found Pilates based exercise significantly reduced pregnancy related lower back and pelvic pain. Most clients with back or pelvic pain notice meaningful improvement within the first few weeks of consistent training.

Your instructor will note your specific pain presentation in the Initial Consultation and build the program accordingly. If you are currently seeing a physiotherapist or women’s health physio for this, the two approaches work well together – please let your instructor know at your consultation.

A group prenatal class delivers a shared program to everyone in the room, regardless of stage, history or individual need. What you get is designed for the average pregnant woman, not for you.

This program starts with a private consultation that builds a program specific to your body, your stage and your history. That program is on your profile. Every instructor who teaches your sessions has reviewed it before you walk in. The class has a maximum of four clients. You move with the flexibility of a drop-in practice and the precision of a personal program – they are not in conflict here.

Labour has specific physical demands: endurance, breath control, pelvic floor coordination and release under load, awareness of position. These are trainable; and the research shows they respond to Pilates training.

A 2021 randomised controlled trial of 110 women found Pilates during pregnancy significantly reduced labour pain intensity and shortened labour phases. A systematic review of 20 RCTs found women who exercised during pregnancy had a 24% reduction in the odds of instrumental delivery. The program specifically trains breathing mechanics, pelvic floor release and positional awareness as part of the Birth Preparation work – not as an add-on, but as a thread running through the program from the start.

A private, one-on-one session with one of One’s prenatal-trained Studio Pilates instructors. Your instructor will assess your movement patterns, discuss your pregnancy history, any injuries, previous exercise experience and any concerns, and build a personal prenatal program in the session. The consultation typically runs 45 to 60 minutes. You will move in the session, so wear comfortable clothes you can exercise in.

Yes, and the two work well together. If you are seeing a women’s health physio, that relationship is the right place for pelvic floor assessment and treatment – it requires examination that is outside the scope of a Pilates program. This program builds the physical capabilities that support your whole pregnancy; strength, stability, postural adaptation and regulation; and is complementary to the work your physio is doing. Let your instructor know at your Initial Consultation, and they will work within any parameters your physio has set.

Please consult your obstetrician or midwife before starting. If you have a specific condition or restriction and are given clearance to exercise, please bring any relevant information to your Initial Consultation and your instructor will build the program accordingly. We work closely with the clinical boundaries set by your medical team.

Yes. Most clients move directly from the prenatal program into a Studio Pilates membership after birth – when their obstetrician or midwife has given clearance to return to exercise. The postnatal period has its own physical priorities (pelvic floor recovery, diastasis recti, postural restoration after feeding), and your personal program is updated accordingly. The same instructor team, the same apparatus, the same informed precision – adapted for where your body is now.

Your program is updated as you progress. Positions, loads and modifications change trimester to trimester, and your instructor team – who review your profile before every session – are trained to make those adjustments. If you have a significant change (a new diagnosis, a concern raised by your obstetrician, a change in how your body feels), flag it with your instructor and the program will be updated.

Most clients move directly into a Studio Pilates membership; up to two 1:4 small group sessions per week, plus full timetable access across all classes, all the way through pregnancy and beyond. Your personal program continues to be updated as your pregnancy progresses, and the same instructor team works from your profile at every session.

Memberships can be paused at any time (with 2 business days notice via email) which matters during pregnancy when your body and schedule don’t always cooperate with a fixed commitment.

If a standard membership doesn’t suit your schedule or preferences, we also offer custom packages – a tailored combination of private sessions and group classes built around what you actually need. Talk to your instructor at your Initial Consultation, or contact Client Care, and we’ll put something together.