About the Owner: Wendy Foster  is the director of mamalates and the master trainer for Wendy Foster mamalates certification programs. She is an internationally Certified Pilates Instructor, Pilates Educator and EMT and has been certified through The Center for Women's Fitness as a prenatal/postpartum Pilates specialist.  She has been teaching Pilates since 1999, has been practicing yoga for over 18 years, and has trained Pilates instructors in Oregon, Idaho and Utah.

Wendy practiced Pilates throughout both of her pregnancies, having an unplanned Cesarean in 2004 and a VBAC in 2006. From her own healing experience through Pilates, she developed mamalates and has dedicated her practice to working exclusively with prenatal and postpartum women. She enjoys helping other women to safely reconnect with a sometimes unfamiliar body during pregnancy and postpartum.

Types of classes offered: Mamalates specializes in prenatal and postpartum essential fitness. Our program is a Pilates based, core focused, functional fitness program. We offer prenatal and mom & baby classes, as well as specialty workshops including prenatal fitness essentials and cesarean recovery.

All classes are safe and modified for women with diastasis recti (abdominal separation), with a focus on proper biomechanics, posture and building strength from within.  We use sculpting stations, foam rollers and other small props in all of our classes.

What makes Mamalates unique and why should someone try your classes? Mamalates is unique in that we take traditional Pilates and Yoga moves and modify them so that all women can exercise safely during pregnancy and with the baby postpartum. All of our exercises incorporate pelvic floor work with a strong focus on stability, alignment and safety.  Also, we combine mamaSculpting stations (which include resistance straps) in most of our classes for seated and standing work; this enables each student to challenge and support herself properly.

We have been teaching our program for over eight years; I developed it after my first son was born by unplanned cesarean. So, personally and professionally, I know what is needed and how it feels to recover from birth no matter what shape you were in before pregnancy.

Our classes are offered at Pod+Kin in Portland, Oregon. This is a perfect place to come for pre and post fitness as there are many other workshops and classes taught by area experts, specifically designed for the pregnant and postpartum client .  It is a wonderful resource and a beautiful space!

Advice for pregnant or postpartum individuals? If you are pregnant, start an exercise program as soon as you feel up to it and stick with it throughout your entire pregnancy until the very end. You will always feel better and energized after class!

If you are postpartum, commit to a series that you can do with your baby. Birth recovery should be a priority, even when it seems like you don’t have enough time to squeeze it in with your new little one.  If you can’t make it to class, ten minutes of mamalates movement 3-4 times a week or, the mamalates DVD, will help you feel better if you are not sleeping well, are experiencing back pain or just need to energize!

Favorite things to do in Portland? When I am not teaching classes, I spend time with my husband, two boys, our chickens and one rabbit. We are very active, skiing Mt. Hood in the winter, hiking with llamas in the summer, hunting for mushrooms in the fall, and kayaking at the coast in the spring - we love to explore Oregon. We bike and run all over Portland with Forest Park, Mt. Tabor and Reed Canyon as some of our favorite jaunts.

Did you know? Wendy became interested in Pilates over 13 years ago after an ice climbing accident caused her to start having all kinds of physical overcompensation issues. Being a climber and doing lots of ski touring, her hip flexors were doing the work of her core and she was starting to pay for it.

Wendy has climbed a big wall in Zion, endured many snowy and cold ski tours, and run half-marathons. But, nothing has reduced her and tested her endurance more than childbirth and parenting!

Portland new moms and moms-to-be, check out mamalates for prenatal and postpartum essential fitness classes.  Not in Portland? Try these mamalates products at home or on the road!