Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachelle Pulver.
Hi Rachelle, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I was a very fit and athletic person before I became pregnant with my first child, and one of my biggest goals was to stay strong and active throughout my pregnancy. I even planned a 5 day backpacking trip to the Chicago Basin for my third trimester!
I knew staying active during pregnancy needed to be prepared for, so I trained to be in the best shape I could before and started researching what would keep me and my baby safe. During my pregnancy, my research continued, and I quickly realized how much conflicting information was out there and struggled to figure out what applied to my own unique circumstances.
After realizing there was a huge gap in knowledge for how to personalize pregnancy training, I got specialized training in pregnancy and postpartum fitness and movement. I wanted to help other women (and myself in a future pregnancy) more easily navigate their journeys in wanting to stay strong and active, without settling for generic advice and beginner pregnancy fitness programming.
Fast forward to being pregnant with my second child, and my fitness goals were to be able to keep running up until 32 weeks pregnant and also train my body to have a low-intervention, unmedicated VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean). I was successful with both and had my second baby in September 2026! My work hits different now that I’ve been able to support myself in the ways I support clients in their pregnancy fitness and birth goals, and truly be the resource I needed while pregnant with my first baby.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Things have not always been easy. With the birth of my first baby, I had a scheduled cesarean after planning for an unmedicated, low-intervention birth because she was breech (butt down). It also took us longer than expected to get pregnant with our second baby, including a loss in between. It can be tough to support clients who are pregnant, while desperately wanting to be pregnant yourself! Our second baby also has a medical condition that will require major surgery when they are a few months old, which has been really tough to navigate while growing my business and still working part-time in a corporate job, AND strategically training my body in pregnancy.
I’ve learned that you can prepare intentionally for pregnancy and birth, but things don’t always go according to plan. What kept me going is the passion for this work and empowering women to know that they don’t have to give up everything they love once they get pregnant. They CAN stay strong and active as their pregnancy progresses, whatever that looks like for them, even as obstacles come up. Being able to keep an active and athletic lifestyle and identity during pregnancy helps mentally as well as be able to adapt to challenges and obstacles that arise.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I offer 1-1 virtual fitness coaching for women to stay active and strong during pregnancy and beyond! I love helping women keep their athletic identity through pregnancy in a way that is safe for their body and their baby. I not only provide fitness programming, but incorporate individualized exercises, especially mobility, to address body imbalances and prevent or reduce symptoms and pain that can come up. We all have body imbalances, and they particularly show up in pregnancy due to how our body is changing.
There are also so many outdated rules and fitness advice around what women can and can’t safely do during pregnancy, and I stay on top of the current research related to pregnancy and postpartum fitness. I love getting to know my clients individually and providing them with information to collaborate on their plan. It’s important to me that someone feels invested in their plan and that it is sustainable to their current life and long-term goals. I am most proud of empowering women to know that they can keep their fitness identity during pregnancy and that it is possible to keep lifting heavy, running, whatever it is during pregnancy and to do it safely.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
If you are getting ready for motherhood and want to stay strong and active, DM me on Instagram @rachellepulver.wellness to book a 30 min discovery call and learn more about how you can succeed in your pregnancy fitness goals, where can follow me, share my services, and book me on your next podcast!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.rachellepulver.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachellepulver.wellness
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/@rachellepulver.wellness
