Dr. Mae Hughes

He’s here 💙

Sharing some more honest thoughts as I’ve officially made it further in my pregnancy compared to my first 🖤

Hate eating dates? Here’s how I sneak in mine 👇

I’m currently consuming 4 larger medjool dates per day to help increase my chances of a spontaneous vaginal delivery.

If you are consuming smaller dates, you may need to consume 6-7 per day!

Not everyone likes dates, I get it, so here are some fun ways to sneak them in to your diet:

- bacon wrapped dates stuffed with goat cheese are a personal favorite of mine
- chopped into a smoothie
- stuffed with peanut butter and drizzled with chocolate
- chopped into oatmeal
- stuffed with cream cheese

➡️ Share this with a pregnant friend or save for your future self!
🖤 Be sure to follow .maehughes for more pregnancy, postpartum and pelvic health education

He’s coming any day now 💙

What helped you prepare your mind, body and home for the arrival your baby? 👇Comment some helpful tips below to share with this community!

Sharing some honest pregnancy thoughts tonight 🖤

Postpartum recovery is NOT 6 weeks ❌

In truth, it takes many of my patients at LEAST 12 months to feel like they have returned to their prior level of activity and fitness — and for many, it is even longer.

I developed my 12 level Movement Through Early Postpartum rehab program to help bridge the gap from rehab to fitness, but by no means does your journey end after you finish the program.

DM me or comment below with any questions you have! And if you’re interested in my MTEP program click the link in my bio 🖤

Comment NEWS to join my FREE pelvic health newsletter delivered straight to your inbox every week 📥

What are some other myths you’ve heard about your pelvic floor? Share with me in the comments!

Merry Christmas 🎄☃️❄️🎅

Happy Thanksgiving from the Hughes family 🦃❤️

Each and everyday I wake up thankful for this community and what we’re building, I just love y’all ❤️

As doctors of physical therapy who specialize in the pelvic floor and pediatrics — and I know a thing or two about recovery for mama and motor skills for baby 🖤

That’s why we decided to collaborate for our gift guides this year for the new mom and baby!

Comment GIFT and I’ll send you the guides to your inbox to make your life easier this season 🙌

And don’t miss my Black Friday sale starting Friday to give the best gift of all — pelvic floor rehab! ✨

She’s the life of the party always ❤️

Shoutout to my sister for catching these amazing faces of Ava!

It’s about time I made this post 😂

Y’all know my obsession with is REAL! I’ve filmed just about every course and reel in Lululemon; so here is a fun roundup of my absolute favorites — but let’s be real I love it all.

Comment LULU and I’ll DM you the links of the full roundup 🙌

Ready for a sponsorship whenever you are 😂🤞🙋‍♀️

Comment READ and I’ll send you my most recent blog post about reducing SI joint pain!

You don’t have to have ever been pregnant to experience SI joint pain — but pregnancy is a big risk factor for developing it.

My goals are always: reduce the aggravating activity, find what’s tight, find what’s weak and re-pattern your movement from there!

Let me know if you find the blog post helpful!

3 labor and delivery options ✨

When we set out to create a comprehensive, multi-provider labor and delivery course, our goal was always to reach as many moms as possible!

Which is why we now have three options to fit your needs!

➡️ The full course is our most comprehensive and includes everything from 3rd trimester appointments to different pushing techniques to newborn medications. First time moms will benefit from this course the most!

➡️ The mini course includes our labor prep flows as well, but only contains educational information on pushing, pelvic floor prep and positions/breathwork for each phase of labor. This is best for moms who’ve already delivered before, but want a refresher or better birth experience.

➡️ The labor and pushing guide is a pdf download that contains information such as when to go to the hospital, positions and breathwork for labor, partner support and ways to reduce tearing. This guide is included in both the full and mini courses!

Remember, both the full and mini course are HSA/FSA reimbursable! Simply follow the instructions in the program to receive your receipt ❤️

Have a question about the options? Leave a comment below and we’ll help you out!

Welcome to my home gym 🏋️‍♀️

You really don’t need a ton of equipment to build strength at home!

Throw in a yoga mat and a birth ball (if you’re pregnant) and you’ve got all you need.

For anyone wondering what equipment you need for my programs — this is it!

Do you have a home gym must-have that’s not on here?

Comment GYM and I’ll send you the links right to our inbox 📥

D-D-D-Dino play 🦖 Happy Halloween 🎃

❗️SHARE this with a friend in need❗️

Did you experience tailbone pain postpartum?

Yea, so did I…like many women!

But you don’t have to live with a pain in your butt forever.

Working with a pelvic floor therapist to release tension and improve pelvic stability is incredibly helpful.

If you don’t have access to a PT, I have included educational info, tips and a movement flow for tailbone pain relief within my Movement Through Early Postpartum program 🖤

Movement Through Motherhood programs ✨

I’m still in awe that thousands of y’all have already completed these programs 🫢

My goal is always to serve y’all in ways that meet your goals — and I hope these programs have done just that 🖤

I have *big* plans for more educational offerings over the next few years and I just cannot wait to see how this community continues to grow!

Have a specific question about a program? Want to see a specific program or offering in the future?

👇 Leave a comment below or ✉️ send me a DM!

Ava’s favs ❤️

These are a few of the most requested links for Ava’s things that I received this month.

I’ll link everything in my stories and then save it to a highlight for easy access!

Let me know if this was helpful for you ❤️

Read more about common prenatal exercise myths at drmaehughes.com !

I try to publish 2-4 blogs a month on topics related to pregnancy, postpartum, pelvic health, motherhood and general women’s health!

Make sure you’re subscribed to my weekly newsletter to get the new blog posts delivered right to your inbox 📩

I cannot say thank you enough 🫶

This community is never lost on me and I will continue to do giveaways to share my gratitude!

For this giveaway, one of y’all will get any one of my courses (or reimbursed if you already own) AND a $100 gift card to because there is nothing like some new workout clothes to motivate you!

👉 To enter:
- must be following me!
- like and comment on this photo
- bonus entry if you share any of my reels/posts to your stories (make sure you tag me or send me a screenshot if you have a private profile!)

Entry will close Monday 12am CST and winner will be announced Tuesday morning on my stories!

Seriously, thank y’all again for being here and helping me spread the good word about pelvic health through all phases of life!

Need some support for your pelvic floor or core?

I’ve compiled my favorites in one blog post with more information on:
- recommended use
- recommended wear time
- signs that your support garment is too tight or not properly fitted

Read it now at drmaehughes.com or comment SUPPORT and I’ll send it directly to your inbox 📩

Goodbye to the old recommendation of 6 weeks and in with a more realistic timeline of least 12 months…

Comment MTEP and I’ll send you a free preview of my 12 level pelvic floor, core and full body rehab program to help you rebuild postpartum ❤️

My labor survival kit 😂

👇Comment below something YOU could not have labored without

More items below👇

Instagram only lets you add 10 slides, so here are some more helpful items/ideas to consider!

➡️A step stool to help with getting in/out of bed with limited bending

➡️Stool softeners to ease postpartum constipation

➡️A large water bottle to stay hydrated

➡️A heating pad to help reduce muscle tension

➡️Baggy pants that do not irritate your scar

➡️Scar cream to help with healing

➡️Community support to help with laundry, meals, childcare, and cleaning

Did you have a c-section? What would you add to this list?

✨And don’t forget to work with a pelvic floor physical therapist to help restore, reconnect and rebuild your entire core and pelvic floor system!

My Movement Through Early Postpartum has a 12 level rehab track specifically for cesarean deliveries along with c-section specific educational modules! 🔗Learn more through the link in my bio!

Are you experiencing lower back/butt pain during pregnancy? 😩 It might be your SI joint!

Nearly 1 in 4 women will experience some form of pelvic girdle pain during pregnancy, crazy right?

Let’s explore WHY this might be happening…

➡️ Postural changes – as your belly grows it places more weight in front of your body causing postural compensations placing more stress on your lower back and SI joint

➡️ Increased joint mobility – typically the SI joint does not move much, but as your hormones change, your ligaments become more elastic to prepare for birth and then increased movement can cause inflammation

➡️ You are female – women who are not even pregnant are more likely to experience SI joint pain compared to men because of the differences in our pelvic anatomy

➡️ Decreased muscular strength – you may not be strength training as much early in pregnancy due to nausea or fear, and you NEED strength from the muscles that cross the SI joint to improve stability

Too often we are told to just deal with pain during pregnancy as it is just a part of the process – but it does NOT ❌ have to be this way!

🤰In my Movement Through Pregnancy program you will receive educational videos helping you get to the ROOT of your issues as well as 4 workouts per week that specifically target hip and pelvic stability to reduce common issues such as SI pain, p***c symphysis pain, low back pain and more!

8 pregnancy travel essentials to bring on your next trip ☀️

Don’t let the fear of nausea, swelling, constipation and back pain stop you from enjoying a nice vacation while pregnant 🤰

➡️ And don’t forget to bring any paperwork or doctor’s notes that would be helpful for you should anything come up during your vacation!

Do you have something to add to this list? 👇 Drop it in the comments below for other pregnant mamas to use

Share your “go-to” tip in the comments ⬇️

Don’t let constipation ruin your vacation!

We are traveling for the next two weeks for a wedding and to FINALLY go on a honeymoon (3 years later), so it felt appropriate to share a few tips to manage your bowel health while traveling.

You are not the only one!

Addressing pelvic floor tension, dryness and scar tissue with a pelvic floor therapist can be hugely beneficial!

Download my free Postpartum Recovery guide through the link in my bio 🔗

These were some of mine – what were some of yours?

You deserve to feel prepared, comfortable and supported during your postpartum journey 🤍🖤