Yoga During Pregnancy

The perfect way to get back in shape post-baby

Pregnancy is like riding a roller coaster, isn’t it? You’re excited about the new life growing in your body one moment; but the next moment you’re worried about your baby’s health and meeting doctor’s appointments, work obligations, family obligations and health obligations. Your breasts bulge painfully while your stomach doubles in size, plus your feet swell and the gas is uncontrollable.

As you know, all kinds of anxieties go along with the joys pregnancy. Luckily, doing yoga exercise can stabilize your mood, reduce your morning sickness, help control your breathing and keep your body in shape. Furthermore, yoga will help prepare you mentally for your baby’s birth.

Yoga is made up of postures combined with stretching, bending, relaxing your mind and deep breathing. These gentle exercises work for pregnant women – first, by helping keep their lives as active and stress-free as possible; and secondly, by preparing them for the physical demands of labor and motherhood.

If you’re a yoga beginner, you should learn the poses under a teacher’s supervision, as there are many yoga styles, including Hatha, Ashtanga, Kundalini and Iyengar that focus on slightly different parts of the body. Remember that pregnancy isn’t just about you; it’s about your baby as well. No matter how much you think you know about yoga, seek the advice of a qualified instructor to choose the right type to ensure the safety of you and baby.

Although, certain yoga postures are known to relieve tension around your cervix and open the pelvis, some poses should be avoided. Just because you think a certain yoga pose will make labor easier and quicker, it can be a challenge for you and baby, and may even cause injury. Never perform a pose that causes any pain or discomfort.

• Don’t do extreme poses that over-extend the muscles - especially the abdominals.
• Use a chair or place your heel against a wall when doing standing poses in order to keep balance.
• If you bend forward, bend from the hips instead of the back. Try your best to keep distance between the pubic bone and breast bone, so that you can breathe easier.
• In twisting poses, avoid pressure on the abdomen by twisting from the shoulders and back.
• Listen to your body. Stop doing any pose that causes discomfort.