By Linda Hartman-Strenger, CYT

Yoga is a Sanskrit word meaning yoke, union or connection, to your mind, body and spirit. The practice of prenatal yoga gives expectant mothers that same union with their baby. Prenatal yoga gives expectant mothers the opportunity to create a space in their body that is healthy, happy and filled with peace. Motherhood is about living in the present moment to create a magnificent relationship with your child and the practice of yoga helps prepare women for this blessing.

Yoga helps to prepare our body for labor, delivery and also helps to ease the physical changes. During the first trimester there are many hormonal changes going on internally. Increase in blood flow brings oxygen and nutrients to the zygote. This process helps to ensure the zygote embeds to the uterus, supports the massive changes occurring to the zygote within the first twelve hours of conception and throughout the pregnancy. Usually during the first trimester not many modifications need to be made, but caution and awareness of the body must always be the first priority of any expectant mother.

The expectant mother will experience exhaustion, light-headedness, nausea, mood swings, indigestion, bloating, breast tenderness, flatulence and morning sickness in the first three months of pregnancy. These symptoms that our stressful, the expectant mother should give herself permission to miss class occasionally. Yoga has shown to lower blood pressure, stress and anxiety. Decrease back pain, correct misalignment of the spine with weight changes and swelling of the extremities. Improve sleep, aid in digestion, strengthen and loosen muscles and joints, and increases circulation and stamina.

Yoga creates an opportunity for the expectant mother to have time to bond with the baby before birth. All of these bi-products of Yoga will ease the pain of childbirth. Becoming one with yourself and Divinity will also aids as a mood enhancer in the difficult months after the birth which involve a lack of sleep. As with all exercise programs, a physician should be consulted with before starting yoga. Many health care providers as well as yoga instructors advise not begin a program until after the twelfth week of pregnancy, when the second trimester begins. There is an increase risk of miscarriage during this the first trimester.

If a woman is already attending a class, she should let the instructor be aware so that special modifications and safety precautions can be made for her. As the pregnancy advances into the second and third trimester more modifications will need to make to insure safety for you and your baby. During the entire pregnancy awareness or intuition of what feels good to your body needs to mastered. If something feels strange or just out of the norm, stop the asana.

A suggested amount of time to stay in the asana is a minute. This may not be possible for the novice, but a slow advancement it can be possible. This aids in the active labor stage and prepares the mother to endure the contraction, which lasts about a minute. Special modifications that should be made with pregnancy: Stepping back instead of jumping, example from a lunge asana to a forward bend.

When practicing a seated forward bend spreading the legs to accommodate your growing belly and the use of straps also helps to ensure that the body’s is not over extended. Avoid putting undue pressure on the belly as with Tortoise asana. When doing a twist go to the opposite side of a normal twist or twist more gently just from the upper body. This helps to avoid any over twisting. Inversions asanas reverse the pull of gravity that is desired during delivery, so they can be substituted with asanas that place the legs up the wall.

Rapid breathing, Pranayama techniques such as Breath of Fire and breathing that requires breath retention as with Kapalabhati, should be avoided. Avoid backbends like full wheel pose, unless your are an experienced yoga practitioner and can already do this asana with ease, then you may continue for the first trimester. Any poses specific just for abdominal strengthening should be avoided example the Canoe asana. Any asanas the involve lying on the belly as with the Cobra, should be avoided.

Lying on the back as with relaxation pose can cause too much pressure on internal organs and is encouraged by physicians to lay on your side. Preferably on the left side because the heart pumps out from the left and it easily bring oxygen via the blood to your baby. The use of pillows and blankets in this asana also aids in ensuring relaxation to expectant mothers. The practicing of Bikram Yoga or Hot Yoga is not recommended during pregnancy.

These practices’ our vigorous programmes and put the expectant mother at risk for miscarriage. Bandhas like Uddiyana can put to much pressure on abdominal muscles and should avoided. The use of a chair can also be used to aid in making modifications for asana such as Downward Dog. The use of blocks can be incorporated during the triangle asana. These are all examples of cautionary and contraindicated asanas with pregnancy, there are more not mentioned here, so before doing any asana be sure to check with the experienced yoga instructor.

The breath is extremely important to the practice of yoga. It gives energy and strength to the body during each asana. The use of Ujjayi (breathing in and out through the nose while closing off of the epiglottis in the back of the throat and making a noise) is encouraged during the yoga programme.

A prenatal class should begin with grounding and centering phase. Yoni Mudra is a wonderful hand gesture to be used at this phase. It symbolizes the power of the womb and can be used while sitting in Easy Asana. Meditation should be encouraged both before and after programme. Setting an intention of peace is a wonderful addition to any programme and helps to decrease stress through out the day.

Chanting during prenatal yoga is also a powerful way to bond with your baby. In utero babies are able to recognize vibrations of sounds and different voices. Babies respond to these differences and recognize their parents voice at birth.

After warm-ups focusing on all the joints, there are Sun Salutations with built in modifications for expectant mothers. The asanas and sequence of the postures, used in prenatal yoga, are the same as regular yoga class. Asanas that are encouraged during pregnancy are focused on opening the hips; the Pigeon, Warrior II, Triangles, Baddha Konasana and squats are few examples.

The Cat-Cow asana is extremely beneficial in getting the baby in position for birth. Kegal exercises are also incorporated into the programme, they help to strengthen and aid in uterine muscle control, which will be needed specifically in the active part of labor when the mother will need to push. The specific control of this muscle group can significantly shorten the length of labor and delivery. Bladder control can also be an issue for women during and after pregnancy, Kegal exercises are encouraged continuously. Ending with guided relaxation helps to release any tension or stress the expectant mother may be holding in her body.

Prenatal yoga helps the mother to become aware of her needs, as well as her babies while in utero and the physical changes in her body. These changes may be pleasant or unpleasant for the mother. Pregnancy puts extra stress, aches, pains, tension and discomfort on the body. These disappear when the mind is at peace. Prenatal yoga will help to curb unpleasant changes in the body and make delivery easier by preparing the muscles used in childbirth.

Obviously, yoga or any exercise program will aid you in getting back into shape after delivery. Prenatal yoga has be proven to improve birth weight, decrease pre-term labor, decrease intrauterine growth retardation and pregnancy induced hypertension.

It is also encouraged to wait three months after delivery of the baby before returning to a full programme. This gives the body a chance to recover from delivery. The body’s muscle, joints and ligaments are still soft and make the body prone to injury. The uterus will return back to normal size without complication. Remembering to ease back into a programme by slowly deepening forward bends, twists and introducing asanas that were contradicted with pregnancy. Performing Mula Banda helps to firm the perineum and prevent incontinence. Uddiyana Bandha becomes easier and helps the uterus to shrink to the pre-pregnancy size.

Much caution must be taken in choosing a certified yoga instructor for the novice yogi. If you are a novice, you are unaware of the asanas and the normal feelings of the posture. Be sure to talk to your instructor to make sure what your experiencing in normal. As with any yoga class do not force a pose, a twist, an extension or a flexion. which can put undue stress on your growing baby. In time, the length of time maintaining an asana will increase, twists and flexibility will deepen. You will be able achieve things you never thought possible. Remember if does not feel good do not do it!

Linda Hartman-Strenger is a certified Yoga teacher. She teaches classes in the Oreland, Pennsylvania area.

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