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Instagram: Inductions, Epidurals & Tearing

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Podcast: Birth Plans, Self-Advocating and more with OB-GYN Dr. Nicole Rankins

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Pelvic Health Mastery

I had a woman yesterday in class who was visibly f

I had a woman yesterday in class who was visibly frustrated trying to get the breathing down in class.

She’s what we call a “reverse breather”—when you inhale, the shoulders hike up, and when you exhale, everything collapses down.

It’s the opposite of how your body is designed to manage pressure.

And over time, it can make core and pelvic floor recovery really difficult.

She also deals with rib flare, a hernia, and described feeling constantly anxious and stressed in daily life.

This is extremely common, and unfortunately not surprising at all.

How you breathe doesn’t just affect core stability. It also influences your nervous system every single day.

This video was inspired by her, because I know many of you feel the same frustration:

“Why does this breathing feel so backwards?”

I hear it all the time.

Start here: slow it down. Exhale first. Then move.

Make the exhale the priority.

It changes everything.

Love,
Nikki

#pilates #thebellemethod #diastasisrecti #hernia #absafterbaby

Let’s talk about the C-section shelf - the area th

Let’s talk about the C-section shelf - the area that hangs over the scar incision.

It might feel numb, tender or sore, or create a tugging sensation throughout the abdomen. Scar adhesions often form after surgery. These tough tissue bands go deep and appear like spider webs that surround organs of your body.

Some signs of adhesions could include:

- Difficulty standing straight and tall.
- Unexplained pain in your abdomen years after a C-section.
- Pain during intercourse
- Intense new menstrual pain after c section
- Secondary infertility

A dark coloured scar that is thick or raised is another sign you might have dense adhesions.

Breaking up scar adhesions can help your healing! Scar massage is helpful and there are many tutorials about it online, but here are some other POWERFUL tips you may not have tried yet.
1. Scar cupping helps break down adhesions and de-sensitize the tissue.
2. Acupuncture needles break up the scar tissue fibres that have formed and stimulate blood flow for healing.
3. Dolphin Neurostim also known as Micro-Current Point Stimulation (MPS) Scar Release Therapy is a technology that targets deep adhesions. Bioelectric energy is applied to key acupuncture points to initiate cellular release.
4. Castor oil packs penetrate deep into your body to break down scar tissue, adhesions and reduce inflammation.

Did any of this surprise you? Tag a friend and share with someone who could use this info!

To all my C-section moms - you are strong AF!

#csectionmom #csectionrecovery #thebellemethod #postnatalrecovery #csectionshelf

LOW AB REHAB Throwback to 2021 when I had a todd

LOW AB REHAB

Throwback to 2021 when I had a toddler and a baby. 😜
These low ab exercises are staples - I still teach them to help with diastasis recti especially at or below the navel.

Note - there’s no such thing as a "bad core exercise". What matters is your ability to handle the pressure load.

I like these exercises because they are challenging yet not as pressure loaded compared to things V-sits, Russian twists etc. This makes them a great option for anyone in the diastasis rehab stage.

All you need is a booty band.

✨SOUND ON FOR CUES ✨

1️⃣Propped Pulls
2️⃣Banded Marches
3️⃣Open Book Pulls
4️⃣Banded Knee Hovers
5️⃣Hover Taps
6️⃣Single Leg Stretch
7️⃣Single Leg Stretch with Head Lift

It’s all about progressively overloading your core. We need to make sure we don’t fear movement. Tune in, notice when your body is giving you feedback, and learn to build true strength! It’s all covered in our Belle Membership (comment TRIAL to try your first week for $1). You'll want the Core Restore Course if you're rehabbing diastasis, prolapse or leaking.

Questions? If this is helpful, let me know! Share, save, and comment below ❤️💪

Join us for 2 unforgettable Pilates Retreat experi

Join us for 2 unforgettable Pilates Retreat experiences at a stunning lakefront luxury sanctuary near Kingston, Ontario.

🌿 Summer Retreat: August 7–9, 2026 (only 3 spots left!)
🍂 Fall Retreat: October 23–25, 2026

Think:
Pilates + mindful movement
Hiking trails
Chef-prepared, nourishing meals
Wood-fired sauna + lake dips
Meditation under the stars
Connection around the fire
And space to truly unwind…

All-inclusive from $995 CAD ($719 USD)

This is your sign to step away from the everyday and into something transformative with incredible women.

Comment SUMMER for details

#thebellemethod #pilatesretreat #womensfitness #fitnessretreat #wellnessretreat

Your pelvic floor isn’t a solo muscle. It’s part o

Your pelvic floor isn’t a solo muscle.
It’s part of a system: your breath, your core, your hips, your alignment.

And if you’re not training it that way, you’re leaving results on the table.

These are 3 things most women are not doing:

1️⃣ Training for impact (so your body can actually handle real life)
2️⃣ Learning to co-contract your deep core properly
3️⃣ Building pelvic stability through your hips + glutes

This is the stuff that changes everything —
leaks, heaviness, weakness, that disconnected feeling.

And no… it’s not too late.

Core Restore starts today — with full guidance, structure, and support so you’re not guessing your way through it.

Comment TRIAL and I’ll send you the link to start your first week for just $1 💛

#thebellemethod #pelvicfloor #incontinence #postnatalfitness #pilates

8 years ago today, I became a mother for the first

8 years ago today, I became a mother for the first time.

I had no idea what I was stepping into, or how my heart was about to be cracked open.

Here is what motherhood has taught me so far.

1️⃣Suspend judgment — of yourself first, then everyone else. If the other steps feel hard, start here. ✨

2️⃣ You will be humbled — again and again (they will break you...then ask for snacks)

3️⃣ Kids come through you, not for you (they’ll remind you of that… daily)

4️⃣ Advocate for yourself and your children - from the birth room to hospital emergency rooms. No one will do it better than you.

5️⃣ Your intuition is almost always right — even when Google says otherwise

6️⃣ Fed is best (I pumped 9 months, then chose formula…breastfeeding is amazing, but not every kid's latch can be fixed with a tongue tie surgery. Don't be hard on yourself.)

7️⃣ You will do things you swore you’d never do. Surrender to that reality 😆

8️⃣There is no one “right” birth or “right” way to mother. The people who insist that there is have healing to do.

9️⃣ Strength doesn’t always look how you thought it would

🔟 Some seasons feel endless… and then suddenly, they’re gone

And I don't know who needs to hear this, but if you’re in it right now — the newborn fog, the feeding stress, the “am I doing this right?”…

You are.

Even when it doesn’t feel like it.

There is no perfect way to do this.

There is only your way.

And it’s more than enough.

💛
Love
Nikki

#motherhood #motherhoodjourney #thebellemethod #motherdaughterlove #firstborn

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