Yoga & Pregnancy

kassie

Hi

can anyone tell me if it is safe to practice normal yoga in the very early stages of pregnancy (2-4 weeks). I've been wanting to start yoga for so long but because i work full time, class times never suited and i've finally found a beginners evening class that suits AND i've just found out i'm expecting! I spoke with the yoga instructor after the first class and she said i should get a cert from my doc (who i am attending later in the week) but that there are certain positions that are not good and that she is passing me a number of a lady locally who specialises in pregnant yoga but only from 14 weeks onwards.

What i'm wondering is, is it safe to practice normal beginner yoga now if my doc says its ok? This is my second pregnancy and the first was trouble and complication free, text book!

lucyw

See if you can get hold of Janet Balaskas' book and chart that shows what poses you can practice safely. The advice I got which worked for me was: no yoga asanas for the first three months (unless you have an established practice, in which case you can modify/select poses), months 3-6 you can do a full practice modifying appropriately, and the last three months, the focus is on gentle stretching of the pelvis and breathing practices with rotations of the wrists and ankles, relaxation and other practices that put you in touch with or allow you to empathise more with the growing baby inside you and with the process of birth. Good luck! I'm a yoga teacher in north-west Mayo and I used yoga throughout my pregnancies to good effect.
If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to ask.
Best,
Lucy

burrenyoga

Hi Kassie,
Firstly congratulations on your pregnancy! It truly is one of the highest points of life and worth appreciating every moment.

I am also trained in pregnancy yoga and the general advice is that if you have never practised yoga before, that you should NOT take it up within the first 16 weeks.

In fact it is recommended not to take up any NEW exercise routine that you have not done before.

There are 2 main reasons.

The first reason is that there are huge changes taking place within your body especially within the first 16 weeks, and equally well your body is adjusting and still making sure that everything is ok with the new life within you. It is not unusual within the first 16 weeks that for whatever reason the pregnancy is not continued.

The second reason is that it is really important if this happens that the woman does not blame herself in any way, and not think 'oh if i had not done that, would the life still have continued...".

So best to take some time to rest during the day when you feel you need it.... do some breathing practices... take time to lie down and listen to classical music (or whatever you feel relaxing) and take it easy during the first 16 weeks. Energy levels can fluctuate hugely during the first 16 weeks.

However for someone who has been doing a very strenuous ashtanga yoga practice every day for a couple of years... often they can continue to practice most days even during the first 16 weeks avoiding deep inner twists or advanced postures such as the peacock which put huge pressure on the abdomine and the womb.

The guideline really applies to NEW practices that you are not used to.

Having said all the above... if your yoga teacher is trained in pregnancy yoga and there have been no complications so far, very gentle yoga designed for pregnancy ...especially breathing practices and yoga nidra can be great for the first 16 weeks. But probably not a general yoga class.

The book Lucy recommends above is very good and i would also recommend it.

There is another excellent book "The Woman's breath" by Uma Dinsmore Tuli which is one of the "best yoga for pregnancy books".

Uma is teaching a special yoga weekend for pregnancy and also fertility in April and full details can be seen at
http://www.burrenyoga.com/Ireland-Retreat-Holidays/yoga-for-menstrual-health-fertility-and-pregnancy/

Well worth considering buying a Yoga Nidra CD and starting to practice it as many days as possible.

I hope all goes well with the new life within you, and that you find the right pregnancy yoga class to attend near you.

There are an almost complete list of all yoga teachers in Ireland on the website above, which should help you find a pregnancy yoga class near you.

Best Wishes,
Dave

kassie

thanks for the replies guys, i've spoken to a local girl who teaches pregnancy yoga and she has advised me accordingly! so i'm gonna kick back and relax for the next few weeks and then maybe joint the pregnancy yoga beginners class at 14-15 weeks