THIS is why you keep seeing videos of pregnant women with ‘disappearing’ bumps

 

If you frequent social media as often as we do, then it’s likely you have come across those incredible videos of pregnant women with ‘disappearing’ bumps.

 

In them, the mums-to-be are initially seen sitting as normal, their fill and beautiful bumps on display. Then, they start to concentrate on their breathing, and before you know it, their bumps have ‘disappeared’ back in close to their bodies. It’s quite something to watch!

 

Well, if you have been wondering what this is all about, we’re here to clear it all up – it’s actually part of a new pre- and postnatal fitness trend that is taking over in the US.

 

Pregnancy and post-birth exercise specialist Brooke Cates is the founder of The Bloom Method, an exercise programme that ‘redefines and simplifies’ fitness for new mums and mums-to-be.

 

 

Happy Spring Mamas! Our beautiful instructor Rachel tapping into her deep core on her stunning hike this afternoon! Do you connect to your changing core in both exercise & daily movements? Do you know what intra-abdominal pressure is and how to maintain appropriate pressure in your abdomen whether pregnant or not? Are you aware that incorrect intra-abdominal pressure throughout your pregnancy (or after) can increase your chances of having diastasis Recti, PF prolapse & incontinence? Simple re-patterning can shift all of this while providing better results through exercise & other movement modalities. The Bloom Method wants to help you with all of this... pregnancy doesn't have to cause pain, it doesn't have to be complicated, It doesn't have to create a sense of disconnect within your body and it most certainly shouldn't make you feel any other way than Empowered & Strong! Shifting unnecessary movement & breathing patterns will provide more joy & awareness in your body than you may have imagined! TBM Belly Pumps are a must for all mamas, while we teach a series of deep core engagement exercises these are super yummy and easy for any woman to incorporate into her pregnancy! Adding BP's to your day may feel weird at first as most of us are chest breathers before we draw awareness to the imporantace of diaphragmatic breathing. Stick with it and be patient... your body came into this world breathing this way, it just has to remember We know you want to feel better during pregnancy (no pelvic or low back pain), decrease your chance of abdominal separation & PF prolapse or incontinence, become more aware of your deep core in ALL movements; not just your workout, build a stronger relationship with your PF outside of the dreaded kegel, & better understand how to use your deep core in the pushing phase of labor - making your pushing time drastically less, and heal quicker and safely pp! Give it a try and feel free to reach out if you need guidance- #fitpregnancy #fitbump #bellypump #thebloommethod #fitpregnancy #pregnancyfitness #pregnancyexercise #prenatalexercise #prenatalfitness #strongasamother

A post shared by The Bloom Method™ (@thebloommethod) on Mar 20, 2017 at 3:16pm PDT

 

 

A post shared by The Bloom Method™ (@thebloommethod) on Jan 30, 2017 at 7:20am PST

 

One practice that has garnered much attention is The Belly Pump, which is the official name of what’s going on in those trending social media videos.

 

The Belly Pump is based on the concept of taking breathing right back to the diaphragm, as was is the natural instinct of newborns.

 

Brooke explained to Babble that going back to this diaphragmatic breathing ‘helps to keep the body in a state of parasympathetic nervous system activation, which helps keep us calm and de-stress’.

 

As you can imagine, this – in conjunction with the many other aspects of The Bloom Method – has been helping new mums and expectant mums greatly with their health and fitness regimes.

 

 

We love seeing athlete @angigreene add correct core activation exercises to her pregnancy. We call this exercise TBM's Deep Core Hold and recommend that all our mamas do this during pregnancy, along with several of our other deep core techniques. Exercises like this one provide endless benefits that support your body during & post pregnancy. Making sure to add some PF awareness to the exercise (both a softening & strengthening) will also help to build a better relationship with your PF decreasing your chance of incontinence & prolapse. Let's shift the way we see these "normal" pregnancy related issues. Diastasis Recti, PF issues, low back pain, hernias, extremely long pushing times, slow recovery post birth- these are ALL things that can be prevented when adding correct core exercises + being willing to shift core specific movement patterns while pregnant. Let's start approaching our pregnancies as a time to get stronger & more in touch with our bodies not an excuse to sit around and do the opposite. Pregnancy is incredibly empowering if you allow it to be! . . . . . . #fitbump #fitpregnancy #bellypump #thebloommethod #birthprep #boulderbirth #bouldermom #athletes #prenatal #pregnant #pregnancy #pregnancyfitness #pregnancyexercise #prenatalfitness #prenatalworkout #prenatalexercise #fitness #birth #babybump #expecting #labor #diaphragmaticbreathing #boulder #bouldercolorado

A post shared by The Bloom Method™ (@thebloommethod) on Apr 2, 2017 at 5:51pm PDT

 

Indeed, a recent report from one fan of The Bloom Method, Savannah Sheree, reads: “I’ve been not only able to keep up with my core work but increase frequency and see major improvement in strength, awareness and connection.

 

“Everything else in pregnancy is so humbling, it feels so empowering to have one (physical) thing that shows me progress.”

 

And Savannah is not the only who impressed with The Belly Pump. Many other mums have been happily sharing their own #bellypump videos and boasting of the results.

 

Well, mums – over to you. Firstly, do you have any experience with this ‘belly breathing’ phenomenon? Or if not, is it something you would be interested in trying? Be sure to let us know how you got on!