Yoga is said to be the magic pill that can help you get in touch with your body and manage most of the common issues people face. This is true even during pregnancy. Many women make the fatal mistake of leaving their yoga practice during pregnancy or not doing any kind of exercise during the entire gestation period.

Unless you have a high-risk pregnancy, this can become a costly mistake. Staying active through prenatal yoga or pregnancy yoga is the best way to have lesser pregnancy and childbirth complications.

So, now that you already know the importance of prenatal yoga, let’s discuss its benefits.

Benefits of ‘Prenatal Yoga’

There are many pregnancy yoga benefits, some of which we have listed here:

• Your body goes through immense changes during pregnancy, both physiologically and psychologically. Maternity yoga helps your body and mind accommodate and cope with these changes in a healthy manner.

• Pregnancy yoga helps strengthen and tone your lower body and pelvic muscles. This helps support your baby during the pregnancy and makes childbirth smoother and less

• One of the best ways to handle anxiety-induced mistakes in pushing, breathing, or muscle control during childbirth is through pregnancy yoga for normal delivery. Maternity yoga helps gives a woman better control over their body and trust their instinct during the birthing process.

• A great way to relieve yourself from common issues that women face during pregnancy, like breathlessness, exhaustion, insomnia, headaches, backaches, leg pain, nausea, high pressure, etc., completely or mostly is through pregnancy yoga.

• Studies show that women who practice prenatal yoga are less likely to suffer from miscarriages, preterm labor, or long, painful labor. Also, practicing prenatal yoga reduces the chances of the need for labor induction or emergency caesarian sections.

• In many cases, maternity yoga has been shown to optimize the baby’s position before birth. This reduces the chances of breech birth. In fact, many yoga poses exist for the express purpose of turning a breech baby around to help the natural birth process.

• Yoga, in general, will help you manage your mind better during pregnancy. You will be able to better control your stress levels and exercise pain management in a healthy manner.

• Prenatal yoga helps not only during pregnancy and childbirth but also afterward. It will help you bounce back faster from the trauma to your pre-pregnancy health. Nonetheless, the chances of postpartum depression would also be lowered.

What does a typical prenatal yoga class look like?

While different yoga teachers will have their distinct routines and methods, typical maternity yoga classes will look like this:

• Basic Introduction- Your yoga teacher will want to know how far along you are in the pregnancy, any issues you are having, and if your Ob/Gyn has said anything worth knowing. This will help the teacher modify the yoga routine to your specific needs.

• Breathing and Meditation- The class should start with awesome simple breathing exercises to help you get in the right frame for the coming yoga postures. There may also be some meditation to calm your body and mind down before starting any of the asanas.

• Light Stretching- Stretching is extremely important before any exercise and to open up the joints and loosen the muscles. It also reduces the chances of cramps or twisted joints. So, naturally, a maternity yoga class will also start with the same.

However, you will be given simple pregnancy yoga stretches of your hands, legs, neck, and upper body so as not to put any unnecessary stress on your lower body carrying the baby.

• Asanas- Pregnancy yoga poses, like stretching, will not involve anything that will cause any trauma to your already burdened body. Most of these will be poses that will build up muscle strength, tonality, and flexibility.

• Relaxation -The session should end with some relaxation asanas like savasana and  They will bring your vital signs down back to the resting stage and help relax your body after the exertion of the asanas.

What to ensure for a prenatal yoga class?

When doing a prenatal yoga class, ensure the following for a safe session for both you and your baby:

• Before joining, always consult your Ob/Gyn.

• Never push yourself to the point where you are hardly able to breathe. Nonetheless, at no point should you feel like you are struggling.

• Always ensure that you are properly fed and hydrated. You might get sick otherwise.

• Avoid doing a pose if it hurts you or you are not confident about it. The teacher should not force anything on you.

• Take mini-breaks to prevent yourself from getting overexerted.

• Any pose that puts stress on your spine or abdomen must be skipped, even simple twists, folds, or laying on your back.

• Wear the right kind of maternity yoga clothes. They should keep you cool and not restrict movement. We recommend our high-waisted midi maternity leggings if you need proper maternity yoga pants.

Summing up.

Yoga can be a lifesaver for pregnant women who have chosen to have their baby through natural childbirth. Regular yoga practice will make the childbirth process smoother and much less painful. If your doctor allows and your body permits, you should definitely practice pregnancy yoga for a range of benefits.

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Frequently Asked Questions-

Can pregnant women practice yoga?

Absolutely. Pregnant women can not only practice yoga but are actually encouraged to do so. As discussed above, they can go with light, less-intensive yoga forms like hatha yoga, vinyasa yoga, and restorative yoga, or opt for prenatal yoga specially designed for pregnant women.

What kind of effect does yoga have on natural childbirth?

Yoga has been proved to ease natural childbirth and make it less painful. Moreover, it even helps tackle many prenatal and postnatal issues too.

Which yoga movements are more suitable for pregnant people to practice?

Any yoga movement that does not put too much strain on the spine or the abdomen can be safely practiced by pregnant people. But even if a safe pose feels difficult, it is best to be safe than sorry and avoid it.