Pregnancy is a powerful journey, and for those of you crushing it in the gym, we salute you. Now, let's dive into the topic that's been buzzing – the low-lying placenta. Advice is conflicting, people are telling you to basically lie down and not move, ever but you don’t want to give up training, we get it! We can’t give you medical advice and you should ALWAYS consult your health care provider and a reputable coach (that’s us!) when navigating complexities related to your pregnancy but fear not friends, we have worked with many, many pregnant people in your position and we want to share some of the things that work for us.

The Power of Strength Training

Strength training during pregnancy isn't about breaking records; you may well still his some epic PB’s but this is a time for maintenance and for preperation. We want to help you get strong AF for this next chapter in your life. Strength Training It sets the stage for a healthier, more empowered pregnancy and postpartum experience. But what if you've been hit with the news of a low-lying placenta? Let's break it down.

Low Lying Placenta: Facing the Fear

Firstly, what the heck does it mean? Your placenta takes a detour and decides to set up shop below your baby, possibly playing peek-a-boo with your cervix. The risks can spike, leading to placenta previa (when your placenta covers your whole cervix), so caution is the name of the game. Research on heavy lifting's impact is scarce, and the concern lies in the strain it might add.

Own Your Journey, Seek Knowledge

This is your body and your pregnancy so when faced with this diagnosis- ask questions, and understand what’s right for you. No pregnancy or pregnant person is the same so make your healthcare provider your ally in this journey and gather all the knowledge you need to own your experience and make informed decisions. No one knows your body better than you do.

Modify, Don't Halt

For most of the athletes we work with, there are few adaptations we would make before the 28-week mark. Working closely with our athletes and their medical providers we will come up with a plan based on their unique circumstances and not everyone will need modifications however as a rule of thumb we suggest:

1. Minimize Hip Flexion

Our main aim here is to decrease pressure on the cervix. By reducing hip flexion we can do just that. Most strength training movements will decrease at the bottom in order to acheive this. For example

Deadlift - to decrease hip flexion in a deadlift you need to reduce the space between you and the floor, the best way to do this is to either start using a hex or trap bar where the handles are much higher (thus decreasing the range needed to reach them) or putting blocks/place or crash pads under your barbell to bring the floor closer to you.

Squat - For squats, particularly back and front squats where the load is carried on your body we’d recommend using a box or bench to squat down to. That way you have something supportive to assist you in decreasing hip flexion and thus putting less pressure on your cervix.

2. Focus on Upper Body Movements

If you are anything like me and leg day is your fave day - an easy way to avoid complications with lower body movements is to see this as an opportunity to focus on your upper body! Ideally, we’d want to do these from a supported place such as seated or in a half kneel but believe me- motherhood is taxing AF on your arms and back so ensuring they are strong and supported is no bad thing. Things to focus on would be:

Rowing movements - seated row, bent over row, ring row etc

Push - Overhead press, Incline bench press, Single arm press etc

Pull - Lat pull down, cable pull-down etc etc

3. Don’t hold your breath or bear down

This is a tough one because a lot of people don’t realize how much they hold their breath or bear down when lifting. It takes practice and we’d recommend you do that out with lifting to familiarise yourself with how to. A good way to do this is to sit on a hard chair or box and practice 360 breathing (see our video for what we mean) and focus on lifting UP on the exhale or exertion as opposed to pushing down and out. Then when you apply this to lifting - use weights that you can manage to breathe in this way with. Remember this is a phase, a time in your life that will pass so don’t be afraid to leave your ego at the door and do what your body can right now.

Your Strength, Your Rules

This isn't about fitting into societal norms; it's about creating your own narrative. Pregnancy doesn't weaken you; it unleashes a different kind of strength. Your journey, your autonomy. No one has the right to dictate how you experience this journey and we are here to guide and support you every step of the way.

If you are pregnant and would love some support from Scotland’s leading pre and postnatal exercise specialists - check out our free online pregnancy strength course our come join us in person for Prental Power.