It's OK to Still Be in Recovery Mode

"But 18 months after having a baby is still Postpartum." Chrissy Teigen posted these words that a Pilates teacher had told her a year and a half after she birthed her son. Chrissy had walked into a class feeling unsure of her ability to get through it. She also wrote that when the teacher assured her that it was ok to still feel like…

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Charlotte Blake
Postpartum Healing Beyond 6 Weeks

Mothers in the U.S. are taught one thing about postpartum healing: It takes 6 weeks. The truth, of course, is much more complicated than that. Not only can your healing begin before 6 weeks, but it’s a process that often continues for weeks, months, and years after giving birth. There’s simply no clear-cut timeline for healing that we can…

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Charlotte Blake
It Goes By So Fast

This is one of the last pictures I have of us doing this. Breastfeeding. I knew this time together was about to end and documented as often as I could toward the end. I thought to myself, “Why didn’t anyone tell me it would fly by so fast?!?” which is hilarious because that is all anyone says in the beginning. It fell on deaf ears when all the…

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Charlotte Blake
Filling Your Inner Well With Kindness

I've been thinking about what I want to write to you and mostly I want to sit with you and hear how you're doing. I want to honor the loss you might be feeling, the frustration, the fear, and all the lessons you might be learning. No matter how much you have to be grateful for, we are collectively sitting in the mystery and next to grief…

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Charlotte Blake
11 Months Postpartum, Here Is My Truth

When people ask how I’m doing, I’ve started being more honest. I often say, “I’m still figuring that out.” Because I am. My baby is almost 11 months old and I feel NOW how I thought I’d feel at 3 months postpartum. I’m starting to exercise more than Pilates 1x/week, I’m starting to laugh more with my husband, I’m starting to feel…

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Charlotte Blake
From a Postnatal Pilates Instructor Who Has Been There

I’ve worked with postnatal women for over a decade and no amount of training could have prepared me for what it’s REALLY like to recover and heal after having a baby. If you’re reading this and you’re expecting your first baby, please know you are stronger than you know and you will be amazing, especially because you are…

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Charlotte Blake
When to Seek a Second Opinion

One insensitive doctor can send a new mama into a tailspin of confusion; it happens more often than I’d like. This can easily be followed by years of feeling unsupported and lacking confidence. You deserve to walk away from every single appointment with 100% clarity and reassurance, whether it’s with a doctor or fitness expert…

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Charlotte Blake
That Word You Have Trouble With: Diastasis Recti

I’m usually anti do’s and don’ts when it comes to how to care for your body during pregnancy and postpartum. The fitness industry loves to list out exactly what you should do, but I’ve discovered in the 10+ years I’ve worked with women that every body is so different and there is no way a blanket list can be given to every single woman…

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Charlotte Blake
Navigating the Postpartum Healing Journey

In many European countries, birthing bodies receive prescriptions from their OBs to see a Physical Therapist after giving birth. Through the simple act of receiving a prescription, each person is given PERMISSION to slow down and heal. There is more to learn and more to do before jumping back into a busy and active life…

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Charlotte Blake