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Prenatal & Postnatal Teacher Training (CPD Certified) (Udemy.com)

How to safely adapt exercise & Pilates for pre/postnatal clients and classes (20 CPD points)

Created by: Josie McKenlay

Last updated August 2026

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What you will learn

  • Essentially, this course will enable you to adapt exercise, with a particular focus on Pilates, safely to your prenatal and postnatal clients.
  • Sample classes including a couple of sequences to help with pelvic girdle pain
  • Anatomy, physiology and physiological changes through the three trimesters and postpartum
  • The psychology of working with pregnant clients and how to keep them motivated
  • Who you can and shouldn't be teaching and why
  • Possible conditions, problems, contraindications and adverse effects of exercise
  • Exercises to avoid and safe adaptations and variations for exercise in general and Pilates
  • How to adapt a class or create dedicated prenatal/postnatal groups
  • Help your clients recover more quickly from the inside, out and help them enjoy this amazing time of their life
  • The benefits of exercise for mother and baby
  • Health Screening and ideas on buiding a pre/postnatal business

How it compares

Against the other 662 rated Udemy courses in Health & Fitness on CourseDuck:

  • Rating4.6 out of 5higher than 49% of them
  • Reviews814#163 of 663 by number of reviews
  • Length8.5 hourslonger than 88% of them
  • Last updatedAugust 2026more recently than 91% of them

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Course Description

Please note: this is not a collection of pre/postnatal workouts: it is a theory based training and CPD certification with practical examples of classes and postnatal programme.  It also includes the 4th Trimester Healing Program.

This Prenatal & Postnatal training course is an absolute must for anyone who works with women and movement: Pilates instructors, personal trainers, fitness coaches - if you work with women then the knowledge you will gain is essential.

There is considerable evidence that exercise during healthy pregnancy has positive effects on both mother and baby. Women, therefore, should be encouraged to initiate or continue exercise during a healthy pregnancy.  And you, the health and fitness professional, are in the perfect position to help mums-to-be give their baby the best start in life as well as enjoy a healthy, happy pregnancy and recovery.


To safely, effectively and confidently include pre- and postnatal women in your exercise sessions, you need to know more than simply which exercises you should avoid, especially as there is a lot of misinformation out there. 

With the indepth information on conditions and contraindications you will be in the best possible position to make a judgement on whether or not you should be teaching a prenatal client or whether they have a condition that needs medical advice, supervision and care.

This course will give you the necessary skills and knowledge you need to effectively train women at every stage of pregnancy and beyond.  You will gain a deeper understanding of

  • Anatomy and physiology specific to the pre/postnatal phases

  • The physiological changes through the trimesters

  • The psychology of working with pregnant and postpartum women.

Topics covered include

  • Benefits of exercise for mother and baby

  • The journey from conception to a new life

  • Conditions and issues

  • Contraindications

  • How to keep your clients motivated

  • General exercise guidelines for all forms of exercise

  • The benefits of prenatal Pilates and how to adapt the exercises

  • Examples of variations and a sample prenatal class

  • Pelvic girdle pain and how to deal with it

  • Helping your client recover from the moment they give birth

  • The 4th trimester core healing programme

  • Ideas for setting up dedicated pre/postnatal classes.

Learn how to help your clients with common problems such as pelvic floor dysfunction and low back pain; be secure in the knowledge that when they discuss an issue with you, you will have the background knowledge and tools to help; be able to reassure them that what they are feeling is normal or be in a position to advise them that they should seek medical help.

By the end of the course you will be prepared to run inclusive classes, work with a wider range of clients in your community and set up dedicated pre- and postnatal classes.  You will also have access to the downloadable manual and a time-saving template for a health questionnaire.

Best of all, you’ll learn how to empower women to be their healthiest and strongest selves during one of the most amazing times in their lives, a time which can also be stressful, isolating and diminished self-esteem and give them and their baby the care they deserve.

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Instructor Details

Josie McKenlay

With nearly 40 years of experience in the health and fitness industry, I bring a wealth of knowledge to every course I teach. I began my career as an aerobics instructor in London before training extensively in Pilates and yoga in the late 1990s. Since then, I’ve built a diverse portfolio of clients, delivering private classes across London and the Middle East, and contributing a lifestyle column to a Dubai‑based sports newspaper.

My passion is helping people improve their wellbeing through safe, evidence‑based movement practices. Over the years, I’ve expanded my expertise with training in aerial yoga, self‑myofascial release therapy, Barre, indoor cycling, and special populations, including seniors, pre- and post‑natal clients, and those managing chronic health conditions.

Teaching on Udemy allows me to share this knowledge globally in an accessible, affordable way. My courses are designed to empower fitness professionals with practical tools to adapt their skills for diverse populations — from senior fitness training and exercise adaptations for older adults to back care, postural assessment, and nutrition education.

Qualifications & Training

Level 3 Education, Training & Assessing

Pilates Classical Mat & Props

Pilates Orthopaedics

Barre

Myofascial Release

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Reviews

4.6

814 ratings on Udemy

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By Bobbie Wolff on 7/18/2026

The variety of exercises Josie gives to cover prenatal and postnatal is so helpful. The resources guide you towards which exercises are best during these stages of a woman's journey. Including different props and modifications ensures moms can stay healthy throughout pregnancy and after baby arrives in a way that best fits each mom. Thank you again for another wonderful course.

By Nathalia Cerquera on 2/11/2026

solo esta en idioma inglés

By Astrid Lewis on 10/25/2025

In the past I have completed two other Prenatal and Postnatal courses, however this course tops both these courses. Josie offers a great deal more information and guidance in this course. This course is packed with very important information it's easy to follow, it has quizzes to test your knowledge after each lecture and there are fun assignments to do as well. I am thoroughly enjoying the course.

By Asami J on 10/18/2025

Josie is an amazing instructor! Her Pre/Postnatal Pilates certification course was very well organized and provided clear guidance. Whenever I had questions, she responded quickly and answered everything in detail. I feel very lucky to have learned from her course. Thank you so much!

By Ashleigh Camilla Johnston on 1/16/2025

This course was wonderful. I left feeling knowledgeable and confident on how to offer effective and great Pilates for pregnant women. I also learnt a lot about what happens to the body when pregnant and what areas to focus on when exercising which will be super beneficial to my current and future clients.

By Maria Stravodimou on 12/8/2023

This is the fourth course I have taken from Josie and once again I am so happy with it. Josie has a wide knowledge on what she is practicing and not only she gives comprehensive information but she offers many ideas for our classes. I come back and revise these Pilates courses a lot because everytime, I learn something new and there is a lot to unpack. These are true gems :)

By Charlotte Harris on 7/18/2023

I took the course for a better understanding around suitable movements for women who are pregnant as I am a yoga teacher and want to ensure that I am able to best serve those who come to my yin classes.

By Anouska Parr on 5/9/2023

Great course, super thorough and easy to follow, with lots of useful supplementary documentation I can use moving forward. Highly recommend if you are someone like me who has not been through childbirth as now I have a much better understanding of the entire process and how I can adapt my sessions to help my clients through this magical experience. Thank you!

By Sophie L Smith on 2/24/2023

Really enjoyable course with so much content. The 95 page handbook is full of information and such a handy resource I will keep reading over and over. I also enjoyed praticising writing classes as part of one of the assignments. Having never been pregnant, I was a little worried about teaching this population but this course has given me a lot of confidence.

By Kate Menzies on 1/3/2022

I enjoyed the presentation of the course, the content and the way the information was provided. Being able to save progress and come back helped to motivate me to continue to completion. The exercises have been helpful and given me confidence when providing adaptations for participants of my classes who are pregnant.

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Overall Score : 92 / 100