from mamas who’ve pushed

  • “I TRULY CAN’T THANK EMILY ENOUGH FOR ALL SHE HAS DONE FOR ME THROUGHOUT MY PREGNANCY. SHE IS SUPPORTIVE, INFORMATIVE, COMPASSIONATE AND DAMN GOOD AT HER JOB. I STARTED TO WORK WITH HER AT THE BEGINNING OF MY PREGNANCY. SHE MADE SURE EACH SESSION WAS TAILORED TO MY EXACT NEEDS. SHE WOULD PUSH ME WHEN I NEEDED IT AND SCALE BACK WHEN I WAS FEELING THE ACHES AND PAINS OF PREGNANCY. I GIVE EMILY ALL THE CREDIT FOR HOW STRONG I FEEL GOING INTO MY 38TH WEEK OF PREGNANCY. I AM FAR MORE CONFIDENT IN THE BIRTHING PROCESS BECAUSE OF MY WORK WITH EMILY AND ALL THE EDUCATION SHE HAS PROVIDED ME. I LOOK FORWARD TO OUR WEEKLY SESSIONS TOGETHER. SHE IS TRULY YOUR BIGGEST SUPPORTER AND CHEERLEADER. EVERY PREGNANT WOMAN NEEDS EMILY IN THEIR LIFE!"

    -KELLEY

  • "I started working with Emily when I was 12 weeks pregnant. I am a fitness lover, but once I was pregnant I was so confused about what I should or shouldn’t be doing. I feel so lucky I found Emily when I did! Emily has SO much knowledge about all the right exercises and what to do at what point in your pregnancy. She made me feel safe, and taught me so much. Most importantly, I felt great my entire pregnancy. I didn’t have any or the normal aches and pains and I actually felt stronger as the weeks went on. I’ve been amazed at how much working with Emily has made this experience so much better then my first pregnancy. I am quickly approaching my due date and I can’t wait to continue working with her through my postpartum journey. Working with her has been a true gift!"

    -LAUREN

  • The word is EMPOWERED - that is how Emily has made me feel throughout every step of my first pregnancy. Emily showed me how to safely exercise during pregnancy so I could keep my body moving without concern about whether it was harming me or my baby. She always spent time with me to answer questions (about exercise or anything pregnancy-related), demonstrate proper form or technique, or just listen, whether before or after group classes or at individual training sessions. She made me feel comforted and informed every step of the way and it gave me so much peace of mind to have a resource outside of my doctor’s office who was so knowledgeable and has such positive energy (and she helped inform and empower me with questions to ask my doctor which was incredible). I can’t recommend her and the Push studio enough and am so grateful to have found it during pregnancy. I attended lots of group Push classes, both prenatal and regular, and Emily always made me aware of any adjustments to make for class. I also did weekly individual training sessions, which were customized for my pregnancy and always tailored for my stage of pregnancy, since movement looks so different throughout. Emily gave me a plan to follow so I didn’t have to guess or make decisions myself, I just had to show up (which is already such an effort while pregnant!) and she took care of the rest. Emily was judgment free, taking all of my concerns seriously from day 1, while also being a ton of fun and absolute pleasure to be around and I don’t know how I would have made it through my first pregnancy without her!

    -ERICA R

  • "EMILY IS AN EXPERT IN PRE/POSTPARTUM FITNESS AND TAUGHT ME THINGS I NEVER WOULD HAVE KNOWN ON MY OWN. SHE SPECIALIZES IN PELVIC FLOOR TRAINING WHICH IS CRUCIAL FOR ANY NEW MOM. EMILY SAVED ME FROM MAKING SO MANY MISTAKES THAT COULD HAVE DERAILED MY RECOVERY. SHE HAS A DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT YOUR BODY IS GOING THROUGH AND KNOWS EXACTLY HOW TO TRAIN IT DURING EACH STEP OF THE JOURNEY, WHETHER YOU'RE IN YOUR FIRST TRIMESTER OR 6 WEEKS POSTPARTUM. HER WORKOUTS ARE TAILOR MADE FOR YOUR SPECIFIC NEEDS AT THAT VERY MOMENT, AND THEY EVOLVE AS YOUR BODY CHANGES SO YOU ALWAYS FEEL CHALLENGED AND NEVER GET BORED."

    -CATHERINE

  • "I AM 15 WEEKS POSTPARTUM AND NOT KIDDING WHEN I SAY I AM THE STRONGEST I HAVE EVER FELT/EVER BEEN IN MY LIFE. I STARTED WORKING WITH EMILY AT 17 WEEKS PREGNANT AND STARTED POSTPARTUM TRAINING TWO WEEKS AFTER MY SON WAS BORN. I HAVE NEVER BEEN STRONGER IN MY LIFE AND IT'S ALL THANKS TO EMILY & PUSH!

    -ALEX

  • "I am thrilled to share my heartfelt recommendation for Emily's Pelvic Floor Program, an absolute game-changer for prenatal and postpartum care. Discovering Emily's business on Instagram turned out to be a blessing as I prepared for my second child due in December. The 5-week course, crafted with expertise and care, not only strengthened my pelvic floor but also prepared me for a smoother birth experience. Emily's approach is nothing short of amazing. Her informative and friendly sessions felt like catching up with a knowledgeable friend. The personalized 1:1 time we spent focused on executing routines, proper breathing, and mindful exercises has been instrumental in my significant improvement. What sets Emily apart is her professionalism and dedication. Unlike my first pregnancy, where I battled pain and relied on support belts, this time around, I've experienced a remarkable difference, all thanks to the muscle memory established through Emily's program. The follow-up emails with a personalized plan have kept me motivated and focused on strengthening key areas. I firmly believe that the in-person sessions made a crucial difference – a level of attention that simply can't be replicated in a remote, online course. I wholeheartedly recommend Emily's Pelvic Floor Program to any mom-to-be or current mom seeking to regain confidence and receive expert guidance. Emily's business addresses a critical need in prenatal and postpartum care, and I wish more women were aware of the incredible benefits she offers. If you're considering an investment in your pelvic floor health, Emily is well worth it. Her dedication to women's well-being shines through, and I can't thank her enough for the positive impact on my pregnancy journey."

    -LOUISE

  • As a first time mom, I was terrified to give birth. I had no idea what to expect. Emily gave me the confidence to not only persevere, but to be able to think back on tips from our work together when I went into labor. She taught me how to breathe, different positions to push in and most importantly she educated me on how strong my body is. I checked into the hospital at 7:00 am with pretty consistent contractions. I kept them at ease thanks to Emily’s advice on deep core breaths and keeping my body moving. At 12:00 PM I finally had enough pressure that I got an epidural. I was still only three centimeters dilated, so the nurse told me to just relax. I luckily remembered Emily’s advice on using a peanut ball to stay comfortable, since your movement is limited by the epidural. The nurse put the peanut ball between my legs as I was side-lying (another thing Emily taught me!) I knew to listen to my body and advocate what was most comfortable to me. About three hours later the nurse came in to check on my progress. BAM-thanks to the peanut ball and the side lying position I was 8 centimeters dilated. At this point the pressure was becoming tough even with the epidural. My midwife came in and told me we could start pushing in two hours-ugh. We waited some more and finally at 7:45 PM I told my husband the pressure was too much and I needed to push. I took all of the work I did with Emily and put it to the test. The nurse told me to push, so I pushed. She quickly told me to stop due to my pushing skills-ha! She was extremely impressed that a first time mother had such control of her body. She ran and got my midwife. Fast forward twenty minutes and twelve pushes later, our precious little Owen came into the world at 8:17 PM. My midwife said she can’t wait to see me birth our second child, since I had such a smooth labor with my first. Thanks to Emily and her amazing work, I was able to have familiarity with my body and had a very efficient labor. Truly couldn’t have done child birth without her!

    -KD

  • "EMILY HAS BEEN A CRITICAL SUPPORT THROUGHOUT MY FIRST PREGNANCY. NOT ONLY DID I STAY IN SHAPE, GAIN STRENGTH, AND FEEL AMAZING, I COULDN'T BE MORE CONFIDENT THAT HER BESPOKE WORKOUTS SAVED ME FROM THE TYPICAL PREGNANCY BODY ACHES AND INJURIES. EMILY IS MORE THAN JUST A TRAINER, SHE IS A FRIEND AND HAS AN INCREDIBLE WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE PREGNANCY JOURNEY AND IS YOUR ADVOCATE EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. I FEEL MORE PREPARED, BOTH PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY, TO BRING MY FIRST BABY INTO THE WORLD, ALL THANKS TO EMILY!"

    -ALEXANDRA

  • "I’M SO GRATEFUL THAT I FOUND EMILY TO HELP GUIDE ME THROUGH THE ENDLESS PHYSICAL CHANGES THAT COME WITH PREGNANCY. SHE IS KIND, PATIENT, AND UNFAILINGLY POSITIVE. BECAUSE OF EMILY’S EXPERTISE AND SUPPORT, I’VE BEEN ABLE TO STAY ACTIVE AND FEEL CONFIDENT SAFELY EXERCISING DURING MY PREGNANCY—WHICH HAS DONE WONDERS FOR MY MENTAL HEALTH AS WELL. I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO WORK WITH EMILY THROUGH MY POSTPARTUM RECOVERY."

    -LIZ

  • “AFTER MY FIRST BABY, I WAS FEELING REALLY WEAK AND EMILY HAD ME FEELING LIKE MY REGULAR, STRONG SELF AGAIN AFTER JUST TWO SESSIONS! AS SOMEONE WHO HAS TAKEN EVERY SINGLE FITNESS CLASS THAT NYC AND NJ HAVE TO OFFER, HER SESSIONS ARE NOTHING LIKE I’VE EVER EXPERIENCED BEFORE. SHE NOT ONLY CREATES SOME OF THE BEST WORKOUT ROUTINES I'VE EVER DONE, BUT SHE ALSO EQUIPS YOU WITH KNOWLEDGE YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO TRAIN ON YOUR OWN. ABOVE ALL, EMILY IS THE KIND OF TRAINER WHO IS ALSO A FRIEND. AS A NEW MOM, I WAS EXPERIENCING A WHIRLWIND OF EMOTIONS AND EMILY WAS ALWAYS THERE TO LISTEN OR GIVE ADVICE. SHE CHECKS IN ON YOU FREQUENTLY TOO SO I ALWAYS FELT LIKE I HAD THE MOST AMAZING SUPPORT SYSTEM. SHE’S GOT A MILLION CLIENTS BUT YOU REALLY FEEL LIKE YOU’RE THE ONLY ONE WITH HOW MUCH ATTENTION SHE PAYS TO YOU. IF YOU’RE PREGNANT, THINKING OF BECOMING PREGNANT OR JUST HAD A BABY… EMILY IS THE ONE!”

    -CATHY

  • "PUSH PRE/POSTNATAL PREP WITH EMILY HAS BEEN A TOTAL GAME CHANGER. HER WORKOUTS MEET ME EXACTLY WHERE I AM IN MY PREGNANCY/POSTPARTUM JOURNEY SO I ALWAYS FEEL CHALLENGED AND CAPABLE. AS AN INSTRUCTOR, EMILY IS INCREDIBLY SUPPORTIVE AND EXTREMELY KNOWLEDGEABLE. SHE GOES THE EXTRA MILE TO MAKE SURE I’M GETTING THE BEST WORKOUT POSSIBLE WHILE SUPPORTING THE MANY PREGNANCY AND POSTNATAL SURPRISES THAT CAME MY WAY. OUR SESSIONS ALWAYS MAKE ME FEEL STRONG AND EMPOWERED AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THEM EVERY WEEK. 10/10 WOULD HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMEND TO ANY MOM (OR FUTURE MOM) OF ANY FITNESS LEVEL."

    -KEARA

  • "WORKING WITH EMILY DEFINED MY PREGNANCY AND POSTPARTUM EXPERIENCE! SHE IS SO KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT ALL THE RIGHT EXERCISES TO DO, AND I KNOW I WAS ABLE TO HAVE A HEALTHY PREGNANCY, DELIVERY AND RECOVERY BECAUSE OF HER. SHE HAS KEPT ME FEELING GREAT BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER PREGNANCY. SHE IS TRULY THE BEST!"

    -ARIELLE

  • "EMILY HAS BEEN BY MY SIDE THROUGHOUT BOTH MY PREGNANCY AND POSTPARTUM JOURNEY, AND I CAN HONESTLY SAY THAT I WAS ABLE TO WORKOUT LONGER WHILE PREGNANT AND RECOVER FASTER AFTER MY PREGNANCY BECAUSE OF HER. I AM SOMEONE WHO LOVES TO WORK OUT, SO WHEN IT CAME TO PRE/POSTPARTUM FITNESS, I KNEW I HAD TO FIND A TRAINER WHO WOULD PUSH ME BUT WHO ALSO UNDERSTOOD MY NEW LIMITS."

    -CT

  • "EMILY IS A MIRACLE WORKER! I THINK THIS IS THE BEST MONEY I HAVE EVER SPENT. I JUST GAVE BIRTH AND I SWEAR I COULD FEEL MY ABS RIGHT AFTERWARDS! MY CONNECTION TO MY DEEP CORE THROUGHOUT MY PREGNANCY MADE ALL THE DIFFERENCE. I AM SUPER OPTIMISTIC ABOUT RECOVERY AND CAN'T WAIT TO CONTINUE WORKING WITH EMILY!"

    -LAURA

  • "EVERY PREGNANT WOMAN I KNOW WILL HEAR ABOUT PUSH!! IT'S CRAZY TO ME ANYONE WOULD BE ALLOWED TO GIVE BIRTH WITHOUT WORKING WITH EMILY AND GETTING IN TOUCH WITH THEIR DEEP CORE AND PELVIC FLOOR. CAN'T SAY ENOUGH GOOD THINGS!!"

    -LC

  • "IT WAS TRULY SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH EMILY! I APPRECIATED HER THOROUGHNESS, MOTIVATION, EDUCATION, AND FLEXIBILITY THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE PROCESS. I FELT STRONGER AND MORE HOPEFUL AFTER EACH OF OUR SESSIONS AND KNOW I’LL USE THE CIRCUITS GOING FORWARD TO KEEP GETTING STRONGER! "

    -CASEY

  • "I’VE KNOWN EMILY FOR MANY YEARS, BUT ONLY IN A PERSONAL CAPACITY, NEVER AS A TRAINER. ONCE I GOT PREGNANT, HOWEVER, I IMMEDIATELY KNEW THAT THERE WAS NO ONE ELSE I WOULD WANT TO TRAIN WITH. IN MY MIND, EMILY WOULD HELP ME STAY IN SHAPE THROUGH MY PREGNANCY AND THAT WOULD BE IT. WHAT I DIDN’T REALIZE UNTIL WE STARTED WORKING WAS HOW MUCH MORE OUR TIME TOGETHER WOULD ENTAIL. EMILY HAS BEEN AN INCREDIBLE SUPPORT TO ME THROUGH THIS TRYING PROCESS, AND EVERYTHING WE DO TOGETHER, FROM BREATH WORK TO MUSCLE TONING TO TALKING THROUGH MY FEELINGS, HAS MADE ME FEEL SO MUCH MORE PREPARED TO GIVE BIRTH NEXT MONTH THAN I EVER WOULD HAVE BEEN OTHERWISE. EMILY HAS BEEN INVALUABLE TO ME AND MY BABE-IN-UTERO!"

    -ARIEL

  • "I WAS LUCKY TO MEET EMILY AT A FITNESS STUDIO SHE TAUGHT AT AND FELL IN LOVE WITH HER ENERGY FROM HER FITNESS CLASSES. WHEN I TOLD EMILY, I WAS PREGNANT, SHE GAVE ME MODIFICATIONS IN CLASS AND MADE SURE I WAS STILL GETTING A SAFE WORKOUT IN. EMILY KNEW HOW MUCH I VALUED WORKING OUT AND TAKING CARE OF MYSELF, WHICH SHE THEN INFORMED ME ABOUT HER PRE/POST TRAINING CALLED PUSH. PUSH HELPED ME CONTINUE TO GET MY WORKOUTS IN AND PREPARE FOR MY DELIVERY. I STARTED WORKING WITH EMILY ONE ON ONE IN MY THIRD TRIMESTER AND SHE TAILORED OUR SESSIONS TO ME, WHICH MADE WORKING OUT SO MUCH MORE ENJOYABLE, SAFE AND COMFORTABLE. EVEN AT 9 MONTHS PREGNANT, EMILY PROVIDED ME WITH THE TOOLS TO MAKE MY DELIVERY AS SMOOTH AND SAFE FOR MY BODY. BECAUSE OF EMILY’S TRAINING, I WAS VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE AN EASY AND SAFE DELIVERY. EVEN THE WORK WE DID TOGETHER PRE-NATAL, IS CURRENTLY HELPING ME RECOVER POST PARTUM. EMILY NOT ONLY TRAINED ME BUT ALSO CHECKS IN WITH ME WEEKLY AND CONTINUES TO POST PARTUM. SHE IS AN AMAZING LISTENER AND GIVES GREAT ADVICE AS WELL. I AM EXCITED TO CONTINUE MY FITNESS JOURNEY WITH EMILY POST-PARTUM AND I ENCOURAGE ALL MAMAS AND MAMAS-TO-BE TO WORK WITH EMILY, AS SHE WILL TAILOR YOUR SESSIONS FOR YOU AND TRULY CARES FOR ALL OF HER CLIENTS!"

    -STEPH

  • "I CANNOT THANK EMILY ENOUGH FOR HER AMAZING SUPPORT THROUGHOUT MY PREGNANCY AND POST-PARTUM JOURNEYS. I WAS LUCKY TO WORK WITH HER FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, AND SHE TAILORED EACH SESSION TO MAXIMIZE THE BENEFITS FOR MY STAGE, GOALS, AND FITNESS LEVEL. I HAD COMPLETE FAITH IN HER APPROACH, WHICH IS GROUNDED IN EXTENSIVE STUDY OF PREGNANCY/POST-PARTUM BIOLOGY AND PHYSICAL RECOMMENDATIONS. SHE HAS AN EAGLE EYE FOR FORM, EVEN OVER FACETIME, AND I APPRECIATED THE CONVENIENCE, FLEXIBILITY, AND COVID SAFETY OF ONLINE SESSIONS, THAT MUCH MORE SO ONCE MY BABY ARRIVED. I KNOW THERE WAS ALSO A GENEROUS DOSE OF GOOD FORTUNE, BUT I GIVE EMILY SO MUCH CREDIT FOR MY SMOOTH PREGNANCY, DELIVERY, AND RECOVERY BECAUSE SHE HELPED ME FOCUS ON ALL THE RIGHT MUSCLES. SOME OF THE BEST MONEY I HAVE EVER SPENT! TO TOP IT OFF, SHE'S WARM, ENCOURAGING, FUN, AND A WOMAN OF MANY TALENTS. I ALWAYS ENJOY OUR TIME TOGETHER."

    -LAURA

  • I simply cannot imagine having gone through my pregnancy without Emily. In a period of time where you are feeling vulnerable both physically and emotionally, Emily normalized all I was experiencing and made me feel strong and capable. I especially have to commend her on how she was able to cultivate a relationship with me digitally, which is really hard to do! I knew that no question was off-limits with her, and she kept me active and mobile until my delivery. Thank you, Emily. I am so grateful!

    -MARTHA

  • Hi Emily! I wanted to reach out because I had my baby girl last week on Monday morning. I'm pretty sure that last prenatal class put me in labor because I started having contractions that Saturday afternoon. Your class totally changed my pregnancy, it was the one constant thing that made me feel like me (as opposed to pregnant me) and definitely prepared me for labor and delivery. The OBs who delivered complimented me on how well I could "push from my core", which I owe to you!!

    -RACHEL

  • Emily’s classes at PUSH were a huge part of my prenatal fitness / wellness routine and now are an integral part of my return to fitness post partum. I began attending classes at PUSH early in my second trimester and attended group classes 1-3x a week until I was 39 weeks! PUSH classes provide a space where you know what you are doing is safe and efficient for pregnancy, which is something difficult to navigate especially as a first time mom. During class Emily explains the purpose behind everything and takes time to do adjustments and offer modifications throughout the entire class. Her classes taught me how to engage muscles to make pregnancy more comfortable and also to prepare for labor and delivery, and most importantly trust my body. I am especially thankful for the instruction on how to effectively push during labor. I was able to have a super quick, completely unmedicated out-of-hospital birth without any tearing and I really credit so much of that to the training I received from Emily throughout the PUSH prenatal classes! I am now 6 weeks post partum and have been working with Emily 1:1 in order to help ease me back into working out safely. She is so incredibly thorough and responsive and I trust that she will help me safely get back to (and possibly exceed!!) my pre-pregnancy fitness level. So thankful for Emily and PUSH!!!!!

    -ASHLEY

kaitlin:

I entered the third trimester of my second pregnancy in the worst shape of my life.  After a slightly traumatic birth with my daughter during the height of the pandemic in 2020, I was left in an unstable place – both mentally and physically – and never quite recovered.  When I became pregnant with my son in 2022, it was a hellish ride.  I was extremely sick in my first and second trimesters.  I felt completely unequipped to handle another birth and postpartum experience.

An influencer I followed for years was pregnant at the same time. She began working with a prenatal fitness instructor and posting about the experience.  I was thinking about how badly I should be working out and preparing my body for the ride it was about to go through again.  After a few times of her posting about this instructor, she mentioned that she offered virtual classes.  I brought it up to my husband, noting I was already 31 weeks and it probably wasn’t even worth it. He told me to go for it. I didn’t have anything to lose.

I got off of my intro call with Emily in tears.  I still have the words she ended with in my notes -  “you should be so proud of yourself for taking this step.”  She was a vibe and I immediately felt safe with her. 

I had a lot of desires for my birth experience that I did not get with my daughter.  Emily validated everything I wanted and always had a “can do, WILL do” attitude while remaining realistic about how things can go during the birth process.  We put our focus on learning how to push “properly” and the way that felt most natural to me, even if I had an epidural (which I 1,000% did).

Since I only had 8 weeks before my due date by the time we started, we did sessions 3 times per week in order to get in as much preparation as we could.  With each passing session, I felt more connected to my mind and my body.  We practiced and prepped for all scenarios which I went over with my doula (another support I would recommend to any woman).

At 39 weeks, I chose to be induced (it was also recommended due to some underlying health issues I have).  I went into the process scared but with a deep confidence and even a level of excitement to put all my hard work to the test.  The initial phase of the induction was slow.  I had very specific limits around the process and was extremely fortunate to have a midwifery that supported my every request.  Once things started moving and the time was coming closer, I prepped my team for how I wanted to push.  While completely supportive, they seemed a bit skeptical about my wish to open glottis push on my side; they simply noted that it’s a tricky way to push but absolutely the best way.  I confidently informed them that I had been working with Emily and knew I could do it.  They were excited!  And then they dipped back down into skepticism when I said I found her through an Instagram influencer.  Nonetheless, they said we would give it a go.

The slow build up of my induction process came crashing into a very quick delivery.  I felt him go from -3 station to crowning in the span of 10 minutes. I had an instant urge to push.  The confidence I had vanished in an instant. It was  replaced by intrusive thoughts of pain and trauma.  I was terrified.  My husband and doula just kept telling me I knew how to do it, I was ready.  While side laying, as I practiced with Emily, I was getting feedback that my pushing was perfect.  My widwife actually yelled “who is this prenatal girl? Give me her number! I haven’t seen a woman open glottis push this well in a while!”

My doula encouraged me to try a different position but I was nervous to move away from what I knew.  Emily prepared me for this though. She made sure I knew that the core skills we worked on would help me in any position I tried.  And so I did something different.  I put my legs up on a bar and pulled down on a towel hung over the top. Two seamless breaths later, my son came into the world.  It was the most beautiful and healing moment I have ever experienced in my life.  

We all picture in our minds how we want things to  play out.  And sometimes we can try everything and it doesn’t work.  But this was one of those experiences where it not only worked, it was better than I ever could have dreamed.  And while my doula, midwife, nurses, and husband were integral supports who helped me undo the birth trauma I had with my daughter, I truly owe every ounce of the confidence I had in my mind and in my body to Emily.  She is one of the greatest risks I have ever taken.  I’m so grateful she was a part of my journey and that I get to continue working with her postpartum, focusing on rebuilding, from the inside out.