Aerial Training Through Pregnancy
Having trained and taught right up to 35 weeks, ALT co-owner and instructor Caitlin shares her experience of navigating the changes in her life and body while still training and teaching Aerial.
“As we walked back towards the studio from one of our regular strolls to Costa I told Amy I had some news… “I’m pregnant!” I blurted out nervously. She was the first person I had been able to tell and it's a moment I’ll never forget. She immediately hugged me and I started crying in the middle of the street (so unlike me!) I was both overwhelmed and overjoyed!
Caitlin on the Hoop in her First Trimester, when it was all a secret!
I have always known that I wanted to have children, but due to the physical nature of my career as an aerial instructor I couldn’t imagine what being pregnant at work might look like. When I started my teaching career as a freelancer I assumed that pregnancy would mean the loss of work contracts and that I’d have to spend years squirrelling away savings to be able to afford to have a baby. When I joined ALT as a director, wanting to be a mum was something that Amy and I discussed, and agreed that for us, being business owners meant that we support each other in fulfilling our life ambitions, rather than become dragged away from them under the excuse of ‘busyness’.
Luckily I’m not the first person in the aerial world to be in this position and the wonderful world of instagram has opened my eyes to some incredible women who were not only training and performing throughout multiple pregnancies but also running incredible aerial and pole business at the same time! I was beginning to feel a little more confident that my family dreams would be possible.
Co-incidentally, we’d recently had some enquiries at ALT about pregnant women attending classes so I’d started to research the current advice around pregnancy and exercise as well as any specific resources for aerial training. This also led me to undertaking the Xpert Fitness pre & post natal pole and aerial qualification. Having this knowledge was incredibly relevant and empowering when I discovered I was pregnant myself!
10 years ago when I first started training aerial, the prevailing wisdom was not to undertake any heavy exercise while pregnant. Nowadays the NHS advice is very different, and although every pregnant person’s individual circumstances may vary, becoming pregnant does not automatically mean you have to give up your favourite Aerial or Pole class.
Of course there are still some old school attitudes out there that will make you think you should wrap yourself up in cotton wool for 9 months and go nowhere and do nothing. That may be the right choice for some people, but it certainly isn’t for me. In all of the research and study I’ve done the biggest thing I’ve learned is that you have a choice! With the exception of high risk pregnancies, continuing with aerial is absolutely possible.
Second Trimester, preparing for her final Cloud workshop before Mat leave!
Since I found out I was pregnant, my attitude has always been this is my job and I don’t want my day to day to change! Of course some changes have been necessary, but the team at ALT have made me feel incredibly supported in the process. In the first few weeks of my pregnancy, Amy and I had planned out possibilities A to Z with risk assessments and modifications on standby for when my body started to change.
Each trimester has brought its own challenges and needed adaptations. From running out of classes to be sick during the first trimester (whilst pretending I just needed a pee because no one knew yet!) to feeling more myself and energised during the second trimester but being hindered by my growing bump and hot flushes! The third trimester has definitely been the hardest for me at work. Feeling heavier and having less ab engagement has meant that moves that have always felt good for me have started to feel less possible.
During my countdown to Mat leave I really started to pick and choose the things I demoed or included in my classes to ensure I was able to preserve energy and work to the strengths I still had. At times I felt differently on a daily basis about being in the air but after being grounded (by choice) during Workshop Week in March I knew I was ready to be firmly two feet on the floor for my final week before Mat leave.
Throughout the past 8 months I’ve taken great care in what I train and decide to teach to make sure that it remains within my comfort zone. I talk a lot in class about following your instincts and listening to what your body is telling you. This is work I have had to do myself over the years to unlearn lots of unhelpful learned behaviours and advice that holds whether you’re pregnant or not! We always try to encourage mindfulness in our training at ALT.
Our bodies really are the most incredible machines and pregnancy has only made me more grateful for how my body works and moves.
I have also been to see a physio more regularly to make sure as my body prepares for labour that I am not doing any damage to my muscles or ligaments (Helloooo relaxin!) I was concerned initially about what the physios’ attitude may be…. But guess what? She reminded me that I know my body better than anyone and I’ll be the first to know if something is not right and I need adaptations.
Third Trimester Photoshoot with Aerial Arts Photography
A perfect example of this was my Yoga practice: after the first trimester of horrendous morning (anytime of day) sickness I wanted to get back into doing yoga more regularly. It was previously part of my weekly routine and I love it! However, my pregnant body did not. I had a wonderful image of me attending pregnancy yoga classes etc but it’s not to be. As soon as I removed it from my weekly routine my hips and body overall felt so much better.
I have been incredibly fortunate throughout my pregnancy to have had no complications or concerns that have stopped me training and teaching. I love my job and I love aerial. The pandemic taught me pretty quickly that I feel completely lost without them.
The joy I get from being in the air and coaching others feeds my soul and is a massive part of who I am. Which has made it incredibly important for me as I move into this next phase of my life to retain a sense of self. ALT has been my normal when lots around me and my own body has been changing, so stepping into work and knowing that I have the support of both the staff and my students has given me a much appreciated sense of stability and safety.
Teaching until 35 weeks pregnant is one of my proudest achievements. It has been so empowering (and to be honest a little strange!) that getting out of bed has been harder in this pregnancy than getting into a hoop!
I hope that sharing my journey with you, whether it's been in person at class or by reading this blog, gives future mamas-to-be the confidence that you don’t automatically have to give up things that bring them joy just because you’re pregnant. Each pregnancy and body is different (you’ll hear that a lot!). Initially I found that fact a little intimidating but I’ve come to realise that it's pushed me to follow my instincts, listen to my body and have honest and regular conversations about how I feel physically and mentally - I can’t think of any more important lessons to learn before having a tiny human to look after!”
- ALT Fitness co-owner Caitlin Murphy