Belly Pilates review:
Ugh, I really wish I had done my research before scheduling a session with Kelly McBride. The first red flag should have been that she had very few reviews from clients posted or available online (and one in particular that I read afterwards sounded very similar to my own less-than-positive experience with her). The second red flag was that when I reached out to Kelly to schedule with her, the rate she gave me ($125 for one session) was notably higher than the rate advertised on her website, and she indicated that the meeting would need to be an in-home session at my residence since she was in the process of moving (and thus did not have access to her usual studio or equipment). She showed up to our session without any equipment whatsoever. During the session, she gave me several exercises to practice at home (most of which I had already learned in prenatal yoga - e.g., cat/cows & squats) and a few that involved use of a 65cm exercise ball geared towards strengthening the pelvic floor. Since Kelly showed up without any equipment, the only reason I feel like she was even able to give me the exercise ball moves was because there was an exercise ball available for us to use in the fitness center of my apartment building... otherwise, would she have just taught me cat/cows & squats, which I already knew?? I just felt very misled by Kelly & the services she advertised on her website, so I left the session feeling pretty disappointed (and $125 lighter in my pocket). When I initially scheduled the session with her, I told Kelly in no uncertain terms that what I was looking for was the comprehensive assessment/evaluation advertised on her website & an "exercise prescription" that I could continue on my own at home up through & following delivery. There was no "history intake", "Belly Screen", "DR assessment", "mat workout" or any sort of tangible "exercise prescription" provided during our session (despite those being advertised on her website as being part of the initial evaluation session). Copied below is, verbatim, the only "exercise prescription" that was provided during our session (which Kelly sent to me via text message):
Space
Gravity
Movement
Belly big 3
Breath
PF
Abs
...That's it! No illustrated diagrams, printouts or other exercise descriptions for me to go on following our session. I wasn't sure what would be provided as far as a take-home guide, so I actually brought my own pen & paper to the session to take notes (which I'm glad I did, since the "space, gravity, movement" text message I received afterwards wasn't at all helpful). Giving clients an "exercise prescription" that consists of telling them to work on their abs, pelvic floor, & breath through space, gravity & movement is about as helpful as a hole in the head.
From the outset of the session, Kelly expressed that she could only help me so much in a single session...but that she offered a 6-session program that would help get me ready for labor. Sure lady, let me pay you $800-900 for six more sessions of "space, gravity & movement". I got the sense that Kelly was pushing an agenda for financial gain (i.e., her side business of private Pilates sessions) rather than truly & genuinely helping me as a paying client. Needless to say, I will not be scheduling additional sessions. As pregnant women, we spend SO much money as it is on maternity clothes, prenatal yoga/exercise, chiropractic & massage services (none of which is covered by insurance!) and the last thing we need is to be taken for a ride by a salesman peddling $125/hour sessions that don't really help. read more