Daniela Knaan
UX/UI Designer at - Adobe
“When should I begin with prenatal yoga?”
As a prenatal Yoga teacher, that`s the question I get asked the most…
While for some it may be from even before pregnancy until the very moment the baby comes out, for others, it may be just during the second trimester.
Prenatal Yoga has soo many benefits for you and your baby, that it is out of the question whether to practice it or not…
But when and for how long is really more of an individual thing for most of us…Let`s see why.
Before Pregnancy
Do I have to explain that exercise should be part of everyone`s life? The benefits of moving your body several times a week are endless. We can prevent physical ailments and pain, and also protect our mental well-being. And while people who grow up with physical activity will mostly stick to some sort of activity later in life, for others including exercise in their lifestyle may be a challenge…
In most cases, any physical activity you do or did before pregnancy can be continued during pregnancy, so if you are used to practicing yoga, you can continue doing so during your entire pregnancy. Of course, you have to be aware of some poses, stretches, and backbends that you will have to avoid or practice in different ways. I`ll explain in each paragraph…
The First Trimester
As I said before, if you practiced yoga regularly before pregnancy, there is no reason to stop now.
You might though, feel uncomfortable and have light cramps in your abdomen, not to talk about nausea.
Let your body lead you through your practice, and follow one of the many beautiful yoga rules that tell you to respect your own boundaries and listen to your body. In pregnancy more than ever, we have to follow that rule!
Gently adjust your practice and avoid any twisting, compressing, and too-hard stretching of the abdomen!
Taking up practice early in pregnancy might help you adjust better to the changes you are going through, mentally and physically, and love your changing body…
There are plenty of exercises to help with nausea, relax your body and help you feel better, you can check out this prenatal yoga flow for pregnancy nausea in my video here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3-UDev8NEs
If you have never practiced yoga or generally don`t exercise, the first trimester may not be the best idea to pick up any new habit… Let your body gently get used to the new feeling, practice some good and deep breathing daily, and start with yoga in your second trimester.
Second and Third Trimester
The second trimester is usually the time in pregnancy when we feel great. All the uncomfortable and weird feelings from the first trimester start to wear off, and our belly is not as huge as it will eventually be in the last months.
So now it`s time to get active if you haven`t yet. Yoga practice during the second and third trimesters is similar.
In my yoga classes for the second and third trimesters, I focus on:
- strengthening and stretching the whole body
- breathing
- working on the pelvic floor
- relaxation\meditation
If you start practicing in the earlier months of pregnancy, all the work you do to strengthen your back and hips can actually help you prevent lower back pain and hip pain.
But don`t worry if you did not, and even if you are experiencing some kind of pain already, yoga practice may help you to release that pain.
Just Before Birth
You are already week 30 something and haven`t started yet? Do it now, there is no reason to think that it may ever be too late to practice!
Stamina, strength, and some degree of flexibility all help you move around with more ease during labor, and learning to breathe, even if it is one week before you actually give birth, can be a lifesaver!
But during those last weeks, there may also be a lot of women who practiced earlier in pregnancy and find it difficult to move their body and huge belly at that time…
During Labor
Doing yoga exercises during labor is in my opinion the best way (maybe besides hot water), to deal with contractions. And really using those tools you learn, maybe a lot easier if you have practiced them a lot before, even with your partner!
But even if you did not have the chance, I can tell you, that I once got a message from some woman on Instagram, who said :
“I have never been to one of your courses, but when I was in the hospital, waiting for dilation to happen, I stumbled upon one of your reels about poses to speed up labor. I did them all repeatedly, and a short time after I was fully dilated and able to birth my baby.”
See? It is never too late 🙂
She totally made my day, by the way.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQ8BjAiZc8g
Conclusions
So what did we learn? That it is never too late to start practice. But, that there are also many benefits, like preventing pain in later pregnancy if you start earlier.
And of course, let`s not forget all the benefits that prenatal yoga has on your body, mind, and baby and that we get those every time we practice!
It`s up to you, how you feel during your pregnancy, how much you really like to exercise, and how committed you are.
