The Bump Plan: Your guide to fitness and exercise during pregnancy and the postnatal period from @thepilatespt and founder of The Bump Plan, complete with illustrated workouts

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Wear a supportive sports bra, especially if you are breastfeeding. This will make exercising postnatally more comfortable and protect the integrity of the breasts. From name length and style to country of origin and meaning, you’ll find baby’s name in one of The Bump’s specially curated lists. It’s for this reason that WH has called upon Hollie Grant, founder of The Pilates PT Method and The Bump Plan, for some inside intel. As a mum, she has first-hand experience of slowly and gently returning to movement after birth, and has trained the likes of Jourdan Dunn and Ella Mills (a.k.a. Deliciously Ella).

The glutes – the glutes are the muscles that help to support the weight of your growing baby. They will aim to hold the pelvis in position, as your bump gets heavier. It’s therefore really important that you keep your glutes active and functional during pregnancy with exercises such as squats, lunges, adapted deadlifts and clams The mental and physical health benefits of exercise far outweigh any possible risk of changes to your milk,’ she affirms. ‘If you are breastfeeding, ensure you stay hydrated, wear a supportive sports bra, and try to feed before exercise for more comfort.’ Easy. 9. Be conscious of Diastasis Rectus Abdominis Avoid high impact exercise until after six weeks (you may be able to start sooner if you regularly exercised before giving birth) A few warning signs that you need to stop exercising and speak to a health professional as soon as possible are: Below, see 17 of the best prenatal workout plans you can do at home, if you can't get to the studio. From yoga to cardio, barre to Pilates, these virtual methods will help you stay strong and feel confident throughout pregnancy.Around one in three women will suffer from diastasis recti, the separation of the abs muscles, so introducing safe core exercises can help to heal this. Speak with your doctor or a women's health physio for advice on how to do this safely if you have diastasis recti. Fact: the way you breathe scientifically changes during pregnancy. It’s for this reason that you might feel out of breath more easily, and it’s also why you need to pay even more attention to proper breathing.

READ MORE INFORMATION ON NHS GUIDANCE What to consider when exercising after giving birth Listen to your body You can find more information on pelvic floor exercises, including how and when to do them via our guide. 8. Know that moderate exercise is unlikely to impact milk supplyThe benefits of returning to exercise go far beyond just improving fitness. Exercise can help boost energy levels, improve posture and research has even shown how postnatal exercise can help boost mood and reduce tiredness in new mums. During pregnancy your uterus finishes very high up by the diaphragm which can make it difficult to breathe efficiently. Spending some time doing breathwork, and relearning how to breathe fully, can help stimulate the muscles of the core and pelvic floor. It can also help calm you down as it stimulates the Vagus nerve; a nerve that runs from the brain to the abdomen, responsible for relaxation. Speak to your doctor or physio

You must wait until around seven days after your Lochia (your postpartum bleeding) has stopped and until any stitches have healed (which is usually about six weeks postpartum), to go swimming," says Hollie. Speak with your doctor about swimming before you plan your next pool trip. General strength training The NHS also states that if you had a straightforward birth, you can start gentle exercise as soon as you feel ready. Activities such as walking or stretching are considered 'gentle'.Not every new mum will feel that a return to exercise is the best thing for them right now, and that is totally okay. Whether you had a vaginal birth or a C-section; or straightforward birth or a traumatic one, will all come into play. Listen to your body and speak to your midwife or doctor if there is anything you are not sure about. Our structured schedule of ttc workouts will challenge and boost your cardio fitness ahead of the demands of pregnancy.

You can start gentle exercise such as pelvic floor exercises and walking as soon as you feel up to itHere’s exactly what she wants women who have just had a baby to know. 1. Gentle recovery can begin, early doors