"The reason why pilates is so important for pregnant ladies is teaching the women how to access their transverses abdominis, which is their deepest layer of abdominals," D'Agostino says. These are the muscles that you'll use to push your baby out, and knowing how to work them properly can make a world of difference. D'Agostino adds that keeping these muscles toned with pilates builds both strength and endurance for child birth, and she's heard from many clients who credit their short labors to their time in her classes.

Although Sutter Health noted that the average American woman spends about two and a half hours pushing during birth, many of D'Agostino clients have needed less than half an hour. "I had one OB-GYN doctor come to our class because he was so impressed by his patient that was one of our regulars," she says. "He was so impressed by her efficient pushing that he wanted to come and see what we were doing."

Back pain plagues many pregnant women, and it can get worse the further along you are. D'Agostino says that your abdominal muscles are designed to give your spine support, but you lose some of that as the muscles stretch. Working those muscles through pilates can help prevent the muscles from stretching out too much, causing even worse back pain. "People who do pilates have happier pregnancies because their spines, their lower back doesn’t bother them as much," she says. "They’re giving their uterus the support it needs to be held against the spine instead of just spilling forward."

Back pain isn't the only issue pregnant women deal with. You might also have lots of pelvic pain. For some women, it's simply a nuisance, but for others it can stem from a condition called symphysis pubis dysfunction, or SPD. D'Agostino says that a good prenatal pilates workout can help manage that condition.

As mentioned above, your abdominal muscles are going to stretch as your belly grows during pregnancy— there's simply no way around it. "Your abdominals stretch over 50 percent their original length during pregnancy. You want those abdominals to remain toned even while they’re being stretched," D'Agostino says. That's because letting them stretch and separate too much can result in a condition called diastasis recti, which can cause your belly to stick out and stay rounded long after you've dropped your pregnancy weight, according to WebMD. Pilates can help avoid that while you're pregnant, and even after you've given birth— when many women don't realize it's still a risk.

Giving birth is an amazing experience, but it's an incredible ordeal for your body. Whether you deliver vaginally or by C-section, the recovery is rarely easy. Taking care of your abs, back, and pelvis through pilates can make your pregnancy easier, which in turn aids your recovery. Plus, simply knowing how to manage your movements and your body after birth can save you discomfort. "We teach women even how to pick up and put down their baby so they’re being safe with their spine and with their abdominals," D'Agostino says.

If you're interested in prenatal pilates, do yourself a favor and find an instructor as knowledgable and passionate about it as D'Agostino. "If you’re going to take pilates when you are pregnant, you should ask the person what kind of training they have," she warns. "If they don’t have specific pre- and postnatal classes that’s an indicator right there."