Prenatal Yoga | getfitwithkevin
Prenatal yoga is a safe and gentle class for women to attend throughout all stages of their pregnancy. Attending prenatal yoga classes can be a beautiful experience and a wonderful way to set time aside for you and your growing baby. Although most gentle styles of yoga are safe to practice throughout your pregnancy, there are some things to be aware of in order to keep your yoga sessions safe and enjoyable.
Yoga postures are designed to stretch, strengthen and tone your muscles, massage and detoxify your internal organs, lubricate your joints, ligaments and tendons and open and release blockages in the body. Â Yoga classes also incorporate breath awareness techniques and relaxation to melt away tension and stress. The list of benefits for practicing yoga is endless!
One of the greatest benefits of taking prenatal yoga classes is that women will learn specific yoga poses, breathing exercises and relaxation techniques designed to relieve the physical and emotional discomforts that occur during pregnancy and prepare women, body, mind and spirit to give birth.
Learning the breathing techniques primes you for labour and childbirth by training you to relax, breathe and stay calm when you will need it most. When you are afraid or in pain, your body produces adrenalin and may produce less oxytocin, a hormone that makes labour progress. A regular yoga practice will help fight the urge to tighten up and contract muscles when you feel pain and teach you how to breathe and relax instead so you can be present for the beautiful birth experience.
First trimester yoga tips
Seek out an instructor who is specifically trained in prenatal yoga, but if that is not possible, make sure you inform your instructor that you are expecting. You probably don’t have too many restrictions this early in your pregnancy, but remember to follow general safety precautions during pregnancy such as drinking lots of water before, during and after classes to keep your body hydrated.
Second Trimester Yoga Tips
By now your joints are beginning to loosen up so proceed through your practice with caution. Transition slowly in and out of postures and avoid over stretching or hyper extending. Be aware that your slowly expanding girth will affect your sense of balance, so practice standing and balancing poses using a wall or a chair for support.
Third trimester Yoga tips
You’re probably feeling less graceful now that your belly is bigger. Blocks, straps, bolsters, chairs and other props will help you move through postures with more stability and comfort. Again, listen to your body. If what you are doing feels good, it is most likely good for you! If it doesn’t feel good, modifications and adjustments may need to be made. In the third trimester you want to keep your body moving rather than holding the poses for long periods of time.
General safety precautions
Breathe deeply and regularly as you stretch and move through the practice. If you have a regular practice already, recognize and accept that your regular routine will require modifications as time goes on. Listen to your body and trust what it is telling you. If you feel pain or discomfort at all, make an adjustment or ask your instructor to recommend an alternative position.
You may want to avoid any postures or movements that require you to lay flat on your back for longer than a few minutes, especially after the first trimester. Lying on your back can put pressure on your inferior vena cava which is the vein that returns blood from the legs to the heart and can cause feelings of dizziness, shortness of breath or nausea.
Pregnancy is not the time to introduce inversions to your practice. If you have never done a headstand or shoulder stand before, skip these poses. Your instructor can show you alternate poses to receive the same benefits. Women who are familiar with these poses can continue practicing into their second trimester with caution but they should be avoided in the third trimester.
Avoid postures that stretch or compress the abdominal muscles such as deep forward or back bends, spinal twists or poses performed laying flat on the belly. You are more apt to tear and strain muscles during pregnancy because of the relaxin hormone that allows the uterus to expand and loosens other connective tissue.
Practicing yoga can be a wonderful way to exercise, relax and prepare women for childbirth. Whether you are a beginner or advanced yogi, as long as you keep your practice gentle and cautious you are good to go!
By: Lindsay Vandenhurk
Owner / Founder of Discover Your Yoga
Registered Early Childhood Educator