Yoga can be a welcome help during pregnancy

For women who are avid yoga practitioners, becoming pregnant presents a unique situation when it comes to participating in the activity.

But that doesn’t mean you have to stop participating in yoga altogether until your pregnancy is over. In fact, participating in yoga can help pregnant women cope with the physical and mental changes that come with it.

There’s no denying the fact that getting pregnant will disrupt a woman’s regular yoga schedule, not to mention her entire life. While a pregnant woman may not be able to participate in yoga as often as she did before she became pregnant, or participate in all the exercises as she might have done before, she can still enjoy some of the benefits of yoga by making a few changes. in your routine.

According to yoga instructors and medical experts, yoga can help pregnant women by promoting breathing and relaxation. Anyone who has participated in a childbirth preparation class, especially a Lamaze childbirth preparation class, is no doubt familiar with the importance of breathing exercises in the process. While there are the more deliberate breathing exercises associated with a childbirth class (think of the “hee hee hoo” kind of deliberate breathing), there are also the deep breathing exercises that are designed to relax and calm the body during childbirth and is closely related (if not directly related) to the types of breathing exercises taught in a yoga class.

By using the gentle breathing exercises taught in yoga, mothers-to-be can reap the benefits of relaxation at all stages of the pregnancy experience, from prenatal through delivery and beyond. The breathing techniques associated with yoga can help calm the mind and body, removing physical and mental stress that can be detrimental during pregnancy.

As stated, there are precautions pregnant women should take when participating in yoga, many of them geared towards specific trimesters. The following are suggestions on how to incorporate yoga into each trimester of your pregnancy.

Women in the first trimester of pregnancy who regularly attend yoga classes should inform their instructor of their condition so that the instructor can suggest or assist them with any modifications to the routines. And if she’s pregnant and experiencing “morning sickness,” she doesn’t feel guilty about dropping a class, skipping some of the more strenuous poses, or moving on to a less difficult class. Take morning sickness as a sign that it’s time to switch up your yoga routine.

On the other hand, if you are a pregnant woman who has never participated in a yoga class but have heard about the benefits of yoga for pregnant women, you may want to look for a prenatal yoga class in your community. Many yoga studios today have special classes for pregnant women, where you can also check in with other moms-to-be in the class and share information. Even if you can’t find a prenatal yoga class in your community, don’t worry; There are many videos and DVDs available on the topic of prenatal yoga that you can view and use at home.

Yoga experts say that there are specific poses and movements that are suitable for women in their first trimester of pregnancy, movements that promote flexibility, particularly in the hip area that can help make the birth process easier. Yoga experts recommend that mothers-to-be practice poses such as Triangle, Knee to Ankle, Warrior II, Pigeon, Ardha Chandrasana, and Baddha Konasana. Yoga instructors also recommend positions that can really affect the birth process, such as Cat-Cow, in which the participant is on all fours, because it helps place the baby in the ideal birthing position inside the woman’s body. Similarly, yoga experts discourage pregnant women from engaging in poses that overstretch muscles, particularly the abdominals, as pregnancy increases production of the hormone relaxin, which softens connective tissue and allows the uterus to expand .

In the second trimester, morning sickness usually passes and this may be a perfect time for those who have never tried prenatal yoga to start the practice. Regardless of the level of experience with yoga, pregnant women practicing yoga at this stage of their pregnancy should be careful to refrain from straining or performing movements that require extreme stretching.

Experts recommend that you refrain from hopping, hopping, or rolling in your transition between movements, and instead walk or crawl. For example, with a movement like the Sun Salutation, yoga instructors recommend that pregnant women keep their chest no more than 85 degrees from the floor in the forward position of the movement and place their hands in front of their feet instead of the sides. In addition, they recommend avoiding extreme twisting that could cause placental abruption, postures that press the heel of the foot against the uterus while sitting, or sitting in the lotus and half-lotus positions unless you can keep the position relaxed and not twist your knees. too.

In the third trimester, an expectant mother will increase in size and her level of fatigue will change, which means that she will have to modify her participation in yoga. At this point in pregnancy, a woman should avoid postures that compress her stomach and should acknowledge her feelings of fatigue. In this trimester, they can continue to engage in yoga, but only if they feel up to the task. If not, gentle stretching and relaxing breathing exercises will suffice.

At 36 weeks pregnant, women should limit the number of inversion poses they do, such as legs against the wall, bridge pose, and downward facing dog. These movements can alter the position of the baby in a negative way. The only exception to performing these positions is if the baby is currently in a breech position in the womb. In that situation, those poses can actually help turn the baby around.

Along with these recommendations, yoga experts have some rules that pregnant women should keep in mind when participating in yoga classes. Avoid participating in Bikram yoga, also known as “hot yoga.” Studies show that overheating could negatively affect your pregnancy.

• Beginning in the second trimester, when changes in your body may alter your center of gravity, perform standing poses with a chair for support or with your heels against a wall to reduce the chance of losing your balance and injuring yourself.

As you lean forward, bend at the hips with your chest toward your head, extending your spine from your tailbone to the base of your skull. Bending this way gives your ribs more room to move and makes it easier to breathe. If you lean forward while sitting, place a yoga strap or towel behind your ankles and hold the ends with both hands. As with the other move, lean in from the hips and keep your chest up to avoid putting pressure on your abdominal section. Keep your legs spread about hip-width apart to give your stomach more room.

If you are performing a twisting movement or posture, twist from your shoulders and back rather than your waist and restrict the twist to a position that is comfortable for you. This helps avoid putting pressure on the abdominal area.

Avoid backbends, single-leg balances, handstands, headstands, and upward bow movements.

Lastly, don’t ignore the signals your body sends you. This is an amazing time in your life, and yoga can help make pregnancy less stressful, less uncomfortable, and even more peaceful.