The Pilates Program Keeping Me Grounded In Pregnancy

Words by Courtney McIntosh | Photography by Bree Castel

We’re delighted to share an exclusive offering for THE INARRA community: enjoy 30% off Fluidform at Home Yearly Subscriptions using the code ff-inarra-30 at checkout. Available via the Fluidform app.

I first joined Fluidform At Home in the middle of Covid, which as we all know was a time when the days felt long, the uncertainty felt heavy, and any sense of rhythm had completely dissolved. Life was a blur of nap times, makeshift homeschooling, work deadlines bleeding into late nights, and an emotional load that never seemed to let up.

If I was ever going to exercise at home, it had to be motivating enough to stick. Because let’s be honest, how many online fitness programs have we all signed up for thinking this time will be different? We start strong for a week or two, but once the novelty fades, the only thing getting a workout is our direct debit.

Fluidform At Home was the first program that didn’t feel like that. It was simple, structured, nurturing, and genuinely achievable and was the only online program that met me exactly where I was, not where I “should” be.

Fluidform At Home is far more than a library of Pilates videos. It’s a thoughtfully structured program built around real life and, especially, the realities of motherhood. Kirsten’s workouts and challenges feel meticulously planned and beautifully paced, with programs spanning pregnancy, postnatal recovery, stretch and release sequences, dynamic strength work, athlete-level conditioning, express workouts for time-poor days, and even nutrition-aligned meal plans to ease the mental load.

You choose the duration that suits the day, sometimes it’s twenty minutes before the house wakes, other times it might be a quick six-minute flow beside the cot or between emails.

Over the past four to five years, Fluidform At Home has remained part of my routine in some capacity. Some weeks I’m incredibly consistent; other weeks life is full and I dip in and out. But it’s always my easy, dependable go-to, especially when getting to an in-studio class simply isn’t achievable. Even my husband has had his own ebbs and flows with Fluidform At Home (and would never admit it, but Kirsten’s core series humbles him every time).

Kirsten tells THE INARRA, “Movement heals. You can’t control everything in life, but you can show up for yourself.” Fluidform At Home embodies that belief.

Her approach reframes movement from something you should do to change your body into something you get to do to support it. During pregnancy, this is especially powerful. As she explains, “When you have a baby inside you, you are actually superhuman. Why can’t you keep moving? Why can’t you be strong? Because actually you need to be strong.”

And when it comes to labour? “Pregnancy is the training for the marathon. The race is the labour.”

In postpartum, the focus shifts from expectation to reconnection: “It’s not about bouncing back. It’s about bouncing forward, finding a new connection with your body, and owning it.”

This is the heart of why Fluidform resonates so deeply, it treats women with intelligence, respect, and gentleness.

Kirsten’s philosophy centres on consistency, not intensity. Just twenty minutes a day is enough to create meaningful change. As a mother, this feels realistic, sustainable and human. On the days I move with Fluidform, I feel calmer, clearer and more anchored. On the days I don’t, everything feels a little more scattered. The impact has always been as mental as it is physical. “In any situation in life, movement is always a great idea. It boosts your mood, reduces stress, and helps your body function,” Kirsten says.

For me, Pilates has become less about sculpting and more about regulating my mind, my breath, my energy.

When I asked Kirsten for her advice on what women truly need during each stage of pregnancy and postpartum, her perspective was refreshingly empowering and the complete opposite of the fear-based messaging many of us have been taught to expect. Rather than treating these seasons as fragile, she sees them as powerful transitions where women deserve intelligent support, not restriction.

On C-sections, she emphasised emotional and physical reconnection, “Talk to that area of your body… talk to yourself like you talk to your best friend. You’d be surprised how much kinder you are to yourself.”

On postpartum rehab, her advice was simple and practical, “Seeing a women’s health physio first and getting the sign-off, that’s imperative. Even if you think you’re okay, just go and do it.”

And on rebuilding strength safely: “You can actually come back fitter, stronger, with a completely different body, in the best way.”

One of my favourite parts of Fluidform At Home is its portability. Family holiday? Hotel room? Grandparents’ house? The living room while the kids chalk on the pavement outside? It comes with me. All I need is a mat and my phone and the Fluidform At Home equipment pack which easily fits into your handbag. There is comfort in the consistency, Kirsten’s voice and all the wonderful specialised instructors she introduces through various workouts, the cues and the tone. In motherhood, where everything constantly shifts, having something steady feels grounding.

I’ve also had the chance to work with Kirsten on creating a series of pregnancy-safe exercises you can do from home. They’re simple, grounding, and are a beautiful entry point if you’re not sure where to begin. You can explore and save the videos here. And if you’d like to try the full Fluidform At Home program, THE INARRA readers can enjoy an exclusive 30% discount off Fluidform at Home Yearly Subscriptions using the code ff-inarra-30 at checkout.

Whether you’re pregnant, postpartum, years into motherhood or simply wanting to feel more connected to your body again, Fluidform At Home is a beautiful, sustainable place to begin.

Twenty minutes a day. A mat. Your breath. A practice that meets you exactly where you are and slowly, gently, helps you become stronger from the inside out.

Discover the world of Fluidform At Home and begin your journey here.