Dr. Mae Hughes

Dr. Mae Hughes Movement for Motherhood. Helping women remain pain free and active during pregnancy and beyond.

05/02/2026

Comment HIPS if this sounds like you and I’ll send you a 10 minute hip mobility flow 🙌

ALSO — please remember that yes, you need hip mobility, BUT you also need hip STABILITY!

The two go hand in hand to reduce and prevent pain, especially during pregnancy as the load increases on your pelvis!

Let me know if you want me to share some of my favorite pregnancy hip STABILITY drills too! I’m happy to make a similar post for this ❤️

05/01/2026

Yes, you absolutely can deny cervical exams during pregnancy…

Hi 👋 if you’re new here, I’m Dr. Mae Hughes, a pelvic floor physical therapist and pregnant with baby #3. Follow along for all things pregnancy, postpartum and pelvic floor education!

Ok, here’s why I personally deny cervical exams:
1) They don’t determine when you’ll go into labor — yes, they give you info on how dilated and effaced you are, but that doesn’t always correlate with when you’ll go into labor. I’ve had patients sit at 4cm for multiple weeks and still never go into spontaneous labor.

2) I find them uncomfortable — this isn’t the case for everyone, but it is for me!

3) I just personally don’t want even the smallest risk of a rupture of membranes or infection — yes, the risk is very, very small, so you’re likely fine!

4) I don’t want the added stress/anxiety — I don’t want to constantly think about how dilated I am or am not, I do better living in ignorant bliss 🤷‍♀️

And if you want your cervix checked, that’s your choice too! I just wanted to share my reasons for declining in case someone else feels the same too, but truly there is no right or wrong answer!

The purpose of this post is just to remind you that cervical exams during pregnancy require your informed consent. I’ve heard too many stories from patients stating they had no choice or felt pressured. That should NOT be the case.

Hope this post helps! Let me know if you have any questions in the comments below!

04/30/2026

Signs you need to release your tight pelvic floor⬇️

- you struggle starting the flow of urine
- you are experiencing pain with in*******se
- you have low back, hip or pelvic pain
- you struggle to feel your pelvic floor length on an inhale
- you have diastasis or prolapse
- you have difficulty fully emptying your bladder

Lets be real — SO many dysfunctions of the pelvic floor can be traced back to pelvic floor tension! It’s so much more common than you might think.

Pelvic floor tension is often a compensation for a strength imbalance or a result of a daily habit.

And if you are pregnant, a tight pelvic floor can actually impede delivery and make it difficult for baby to get in an optimal position potentially making tearing more likely!

This is just one of the pelvic floor release techniques I teach in my 4 Week Birth Prep Challenge!

Comment PREP and I’ll send the challenge details your way 🖤

04/29/2026

Comment CORE for a pelvic floor & core class from my Movement Through Pregnancy program 🙌

04/28/2026

PLEASE READ ME 👇

Ok, y’all might get mad at me, but there is no list of “pregnancy-safe” core exercises, but I needed you to read this caption about core work during pregnancy and the algorithm really loves lists 🤷‍♀️

It’s not about a specific list of exercises…

It’s about HOW you perform each exercise and the capabilities of every individual pregnant woman.

One woman might be able to continue with front planks without any hard coning, breathing holding or other compensation well into her second trimester.

Another might have to stop planks early in the first due to coning at midline.

One woman might need to modify dead bugs and switch to a supine march at 30 weeks while another needs to do the same at 24 weeks.

It’s not about a specific exercise list, it’s about learning HOW to properly perform each exercise and know WHEN you need to modify based on signs of poor pressure management likely caused by changes in your body during pregnancy.

This is why I made every single workout in my Movement Through Pregnancy program a follow along class, so I can talk you through signs you need to modify and what those modifications look like 🙌

If you want to try 4 free workouts from my prenatal program, comment MTP and I’ll send them your way!

What’s a rule or topic you’re confused about during pregnancy? I’m happy to chat more in the comments below!

Do you want a low intervention birth with as little, unnecessary medical intervention as possible?? Yes me too, that’s w...
04/28/2026

Do you want a low intervention birth with as little, unnecessary medical intervention as possible??

Yes me too, that’s why I created my 4 week birth prep challenge.

Comment PREP for all of the details!

Been MIA the last 4 days celebrating my sista sistaaaa getting married!!Bridal shower, bachelorette, rehearsal dinner, w...
04/27/2026

Been MIA the last 4 days celebrating my sista sistaaaa getting married!!

Bridal shower, bachelorette, rehearsal dinner, welcome party, wedding and brunch — what a weekend!! Only had to change out of my heels at the end of the wedding, so I’d call that a success.

My number one goal this pregnancy was to keep this baby in until after her wedding. Mission accomplished. Now I’m ready to nest 👶

04/25/2026

Comment ‘ROUND’ for the full YouTube video on how to reduce your round ligament pain

Stretching is great, but it usually only provides temporary pain relief for round ligament pain during pregnancy.

You need more STABILITY to help support your already lengthened round ligaments.

This is why we include weekly core and pelvic stability exercises in my Movement Through Pregnancy program 🙌🏻

04/23/2026

Comment MOBILITY for my free pregnancy mobility guide to help you create space for birth!

These are the exact movements included in the warm-ups in my Movement Through Pregnancy program that start at week 5 because birth prep doesn’t just start at 36 weeks!

And remember, nothing is a guarantee. While these movements improve pelvic mobility, it’s impossible to predict every aspect of labor.

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636 Grassmere Park
Nashville, TN

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