Sciatica, Fatigue, and Survival Mode: How One Bismarck Mom Found Relief at 30 Weeks Pregnant
The first time I first connected with Kayla, I knew within about ten minutes that I needed to get her in front of my people. She’s been doing this work in Bismarck for over six years, serving a population that is wildly underserved when it comes to fitness, and she brings a level of clinical knowledge to her work that most of the general fitness world just doesn’t have. So I asked her some questions, I asked one of her current clients some questions, and here we are. You’re welcome.
Chantel is currently in her third trimester with her third baby. She came into this pregnancy already knowing what survival mode felt like—two young kids, a demanding schedule for both her and her husband, a history of diastasis recti since her first pregnancy, and some extra weight she’d been carrying since her second.
During her first two pregnancies, staying active was always the goal but it just never felt possible. Nausea, vomiting, fatigue, the symptoms won every time. This pregnancy, she decided she wasn’t willing to accept the same outcome. “In this third pregnancy, my approach shifted. Continuing in survival mode over nine months wasn’t realistic anymore. I was motivated to find a way to feel better.”
“In this third pregnancy, my approach shifted. Continuing in survival mode over nine months wasn’t realistic anymore. I was motivated to find a way to feel better.”
She didn’t start seeing Kayla until she was 30 weeks along. Within two to three weeks of starting the program, her sciatica—which had returned and was a persistent problem—was gone.
Like, WHAT??? That part really stuck with me.
What “prenatal fitness” actually looked like for Chantel
Here’s something I love to share with moms about prenatal fitness: Chantel is not doing intense workouts. She is not logging miles or lifting heavy or showing up to a group fitness class three times a week. Her outside-of-Kayla routine is breathing exercises and gentle movement in bed each night before she falls asleep. That’s it. “I focus on getting to my once-a-week time with Kayla. It is relaxing and makes me feel good to get there and learn about my next step as I progress through the pregnancy. Outside of my time with Kayla, I don’t do cardio or lifting, but I focus on breathing and gentle movement in bed each night, which helps me relax and sleep better.”
“I focus on getting to my once-a-week time with Kayla. It is relaxing and makes me feel good to get there and learn about my next step as I progress through the pregnancy. Outside of my time with Kayla, I don’t do cardio or lifting, but I focus on breathing and gentle movement in bed each night, which helps me relax and sleep better.”
She also told me she was nervous to commit to anything going in—given how she’d been feeling, the idea of adding one more thing to her plate felt like a lot. What made the difference was Kayla’s flexibility. “I was nervous to commit to anything given how I feel, but that has been easier than expected with Kayla’s support on doing what feels best that day. Kayla is really flexible and understanding.”
The hardest part, she says, has been learning to drive movement with breath—a skill most of us have never been taught and don’t realize we’re missing. But Kayla is good at identifying the small adjustments that make it click.
And the shifts haven’t only been physical. The breathing work has given Chantel something she didn’t expect: a tool she can use in real time, on hard days, when the symptoms that used to derail her try to resurface. “Mentally, I feel that the breathing has supported me through Braxton Hicks, or moments where I am overcoming shortness of breath, fatigue, and nausea that were previously setting me back—now they help me keep going through my day.”
“Mentally, I feel that the breathing has supported me through Braxton Hicks, or moments where I am overcoming shortness of breath, fatigue, and nausea that were previously setting me back—now they help me keep going through my day.”
What Chantel is working toward isn’t just getting through the rest of this pregnancy. She has goals for her diastasis recti healing, for her physical health postpartum, and she’s already been learning techniques with Kayla to help prepare her body for labor. Those goals developed through the work, not before it, and now she has someone helping her reach them. “Staying active became less about “exercise” in the traditional sense and more about maintaining quality of life throughout pregnancy.”
That reframe is mindblowing, and it’s exactly what Kayla is so good at facilitating.
Who Coach Kayla is and why her background matters
Kayla is a Fit For Birth Certified Pre and Postnatal Corrective Exercise Specialist—but in all honesty, that credential is almost the footnote. What actually sets her apart is what came before it.
Her degree is in Clinical Exercise Physiology. If that doesn’t mean much to you, here’s the translation: she studied how the body adapts to exercise under special conditions. Cardiac rehab. Pulmonary rehab. Diabetes education. The populations that require a deeper understanding of physiology than sets and reps.
Pregnancy, she’ll tell you, is a special condition. “Although these seem like opposite ends of the spectrum of populations, my clinical background is really the foundational knowledge of how the body adapts and works during exercise with special considerations. Pregnancy is definitely a special consideration.”
That foundation means she’s not following a pre-made prenatal program and calling it specialized. She understands the physiology behind the guidance, she knows why the outdated rules are outdated. And when a client comes in with a high-risk pregnancy or a complication, she adapts based on actual clinical knowledge and coordinates with OBs, physical therapists, and chiropractors as needed to make sure that client has the best possible all-around care.
Another thing worth mentioning: her background in diabetes education means she’s a genuinely knowledgeable resource when a client receives a gestational diabetes diagnosis and doesn’t know where to turn. That’s not something most fitness professionals can offer. She’s not trying to be your OB, but she fills in a lot of the gaps that primary care providers don’t always have time to fill.
The rules she wants you to let go of
One of my favorite things Kayla said in our conversation was about the rules that get passed around in the pregnancy fitness world and how many of them aren’t actually rooted in research. “Many “recommendations” or “rules” around pregnancy and exercise aren’t rooted in fact or research. As with exercise for anyone, there’s such an individual piece. I’d also highly recommend finding those that have advanced training in the pre/postnatal space. Just because a trainer “did it themselves” doesn’t mean they know the ins and outs of coaching others.”
“Many “recommendations” or “rules” around pregnancy and exercise aren’t rooted in fact or research. As with exercise for anyone, there’s such an individual piece. I’d also highly recommend finding those that have advanced training in the pre/postnatal space. Just because a trainer “did it themselves” doesn’t mean they know the ins and outs of coaching others.”
The example she gave: lying on your back during pregnancy. Most people have been told to stop doing this at some point in the second trimester, no exceptions. Kayla’s take is more nuanced—many women are still perfectly comfortable on their back well into the third trimester, and if they’re not, their body will tell them. Lightheadedness is a common signal. She trusts her clients to listen to it, and she keeps a wedge on hand so they can still access the position safely if they want to.
It’s a small thing. But it’s a good illustration of what individualized care actually looks like, as opposed to a blanket rule applied to every body in the same way.
And then there’s the thing she calls the most transformative tool in her coaching toolbox: the core engagement series, which teaches clients how to manage intra-abdominal pressure through breath. It sounds technical, and it kind of is, but the impact isn’t. Chantel described it as harder to learn than she expected, but also the thing that’s made the biggest practical difference in her day-to-day. Kayla uses it with every single client’s program.
“Physically, I have not experienced sciatica pain since week 2-3 of being in the program with Kayla.”
What about the mom who thinks she’s too far along, too tired, or too out of shape to start?
Chantel was 30 weeks. She was exhausted. She was managing fatigue, shortness of breath, and sciatica. She had never worked out consistently during either of her previous pregnancies.
She started anyway and this is what she’d say to the mom who’s on the fence: “I would recommend starting whenever you feel up to wanting to improve your well-being. I don’t feel that there is a too early or too late time to start with Kayla. She creates a specialized plan that works for you.”
Kayla’s answer is even more direct: “It’s never too late. Even walking or doing squats can have huge benefits for baby as well as labor and delivery.”
She’s not kidding about the squats. If you take one practical thing away from this post, let it be this: grab a door frame, sink into a low squat hold, and rock gently side to side. Kayla recommends it for baby positioning, pelvic floor function, and leg strength—no gym required, no equipment, just you and a door frame and five minutes.
A note for postpartum moms, too
Kayla’s work doesn’t stop at delivery. If you’ve recently gotten your six-week clearance and are ready to jump back into your pre-pregnancy routine, she has something to say to you. “Just because you are “cleared” doesn’t mean the first thing you should do is run or jump back into a group exercise class. Ease in with simple movements to make sure your body is ready. There is always time to build and add, but it is hard to take back something that you maybe shouldn’t have done.”
She always starts clients with core engagement and breathing—rebuilding that mind-muscle connection before anything else. She also strongly recommends seeing a pelvic floor physical therapist before returning to exercise, because a typical postpartum check doesn’t include any hands-on assessment of how your musculature is actually recovering. Most women are never told this. Most women don’t know to ask.
Your body did something enormous. It deserves a return that matches that.
Bismarck is lucky to have her — and she knows it goes both ways
Kayla has been one of the only trainers in this area specializing in this population for over six years. Six years. And she still regularly meets people who had no idea this kind of support existed here.
Chantel is a perfect example. She found Kayla because her mom, who also works with Kayla, pushed her to go. When she showed up for that first session, she didn’t even know perinatal fitness was Kayla’s specialty. “When I started with Kayla, I actually didn’t know that she had a focus on pre and post pregnancy care. Kayla’s knowledge and expertise is very integral to getting me through the remainder of my pregnancy.”
That’s how it spreads in a community like ours: one person tells another, and that person can’t believe they didn’t know sooner.
I asked Kayla what it means to her to do this work specifically here, in central North Dakota. Her answer was honest about the gap, and warm about being part of filling it. “More recently, the word is getting around and I have been able to help so many moms on their motherhood journey. As a mom who has gone through periods of infertility as well as a late pregnancy loss, I have been able to support women in all walks of motherhood in a special way. It is something I will always cherish. I will say our community does have some of the most amazing birth and mom and baby support professionals I have ever encountered, so I am honored to be a part of that community.”
Ufft, yes. This is a woman who has walked through hard things herself and chose to use that experience in service of other women. That’s not a credential or a test study for, that’s character that’s earned.
Consider this your push.
If you’re pregnant, postpartum, or somewhere in the in-between, Kayla is ready to meet you exactly where you are.
Coach Kayla T. is a Fit For Birth Certified Pre and Postnatal Corrective Exercise Specialist based in Bismarck, ND. Get more info about her services here.
This post is part of an ongoing series featuring trusted local professionals who serve pregnant and postpartum families in the Bismarck–Dickinson area. Know someone I should feature? Reach me at regina@dickinsonbirthphotographer.com.