Free Workshop Series for Expecting Parents

Kelly McBride, founder and owner of , has been in business for 6 years, and this fall for the second year she is going to utilize her studio’s resources to educate expecting couples.

Belly Pilates is a Pilates studio in Bryn Mawr that offers educational and holistic options for women in pre and post natal stages who are looking to take the healthiest approaches to their pregnancies.

This fall, Belly Pilates is offering 22 free maternal wellness workshops over the course of 22 weeks.

Beginning in September there will be a variety of workshops to choose from, all tailored to different needs that will be taught by different specialists from the greater Main Line community.

The workshops, which will take place every Sunday, are informational sessions for parents-to-be and recent parents addressing a myriad of topics such as childproofing, sleeping solutions, couples yoga and the benefits of cloth diapers, for example.

McBride cites female and baby wellness as her primary motivator for hosting these workshops as well as a strong desire to give back.

“I am doing this because my ultimate goal is to educate and empower families to take charge of overall health and wellbeing,” McBride said.

McBride’s interest in pre-natal wellness was sparked when she took Pilates classes throughout her own pregnancies. As a mom of three, she maintains that Pilates does more than just support the health of the mother but also helps to strengthen the baby during its development.

“You will have a healthier pregnancy, and a healthier delivery. There are holistic alternatives to modern medicine that encourage wellness and balance for such a profoundly changing experience,” she said.

McBride was raised in Delaware County and has lived on the Main Line for about twenty years. Over the years McBride has earned extensive certifications including being certified as a Master Instructor of Pre/Postnatal Pilates and Pelvic Floor Rehabilitation, certification as a Postpartum and Birth Doula as well as a Childbirth Educator among others.

She is also involved in the Pink Ribbon program, offering her time and skills to do pro-bono work with breast cancer survivors at Bryn Mawr’s breast cancer center.

Belly Pilates also employs an in-studio lactation consultant, in studio prenatal/postpartum massage specialist, a pediatric pt, and a doula service (a doula is a provider of non-medical support during labor) to attend to any possible need of mothers-to-be.

“All this training, my certification, it’s given me a balanced and comprehensive understanding of motherhood. I want to be able to offer preparedness on multiple levels.”