PREGNANT
Why Should I do YOGA when I’m Pregnant?
While you are pregnant your body is changing in many ways – increased hormones, shifting center of gravity, creating new space, emotions releasing…
Prenatal Yoga is designed to assist your changing body with poses, breath practices & tools designed to help you feel more supported, strong, and at ease in your pregnant body. It will benefit not only your pregnancy but your labor, birth, and recovery as well!
Prenatal Specific Yoga during pregnancy can:
- Give you time to connect with your baby
- Help you feel relaxed throughout pregnancy & childbirth, in ways that work well for you
- Teach you yoga poses and breathing techniques that assist with total body relaxation and strengthening, while also preparing for labor
- Help encourage baby into the optimal birthing position
- Support you with a like-minded community who understands what you’re going through
Whether you’re a first time parent or this is another child for you, you deserve to feel empowered, comfortable & connected during your pregnancy & labor. It also doesn’t matter if you give birth naturally, surgically, medicated, unmedicated, at the hospital, birth center or at home – prenatal yoga benefits every pregnant body & baby.
We are trained to assist you in any stage of pregnancy & make sure the practice is accessible for your changing body. We always check-in at the beginning of class so you can get to know other students and ask questions, share how you’re feeling or simply say hi. Don’t be shy! We’ve heard it all & we want to be there for you too.
ALSO, WE LOVE USING PROPS AT PRENATAL YOGA. We encourage use of bolsters, extra blocks, yoga straps, wedges, blankets and essential oils to make your prenatal practice safe, cozy & give you room to move calmly with baby.
Frequently Asked Questions
HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT DOING YOGA WHILE PREGNANT OR WITH OUR YOGA FAMILY?
What should every pregnant person know about doing yoga while pregnant?
Yoga can be safe, fun + help relieve pregnancy aches so it's totally worth it + recommended if you are feeling healthy + up for it!
Use props to bring the ground up to you. Props help you create space for baby in poses, they also help you find stability as your balance changes.
What trimester should I start doing prenatal only yoga?
Any! Our teachers are trained to support you in your yoga practice during all 3 trimesters. But this can be more of a personal question and changes pregnancy to pregnancy but we believe yoga is a great way to get through each trimester (when you are feeling ready for it of course!). If it's first trimester and you are tired + not feeling way but want to come relax in a supported child's pose all class, we got you! If you're feeling great in 2nd trimester and wanting a good workout, we got you too! Then if you're in third trimester feeling achy and in need of some stress relief, we also got you!
Is it safe to do downward dog during pregnancy?
Yes, but... This can feel like a tricky question because the answer changes towards the end of pregnancy and doing downward dog is a little different while pregnant. At Our Yoga Family we teach you how to make minor adjustments to this pose to keep it feeling good and make sure you are getting the benefits safely. At 36-37 weeks we do recommend limiting inversions, like downward dog, IF baby is in a position that is favorable! Just ask us and we can talk about it 😉 But in general, a few breaths in downward dog (while engaging your pevlic floor) is highly recommended!
What should I avoid in my yoga practice during pregnancy?
A lot of yoga can feel really good and be super beneficial during pregnancy. At Our Yoga Family we make sure our Prenatal flows have exactly what your body wants to do and nothing it doesn't. But in case you practice yoga somewhere else, here are a few tips to keep in mind: Keep breathing! We don't want to pause between inhales + exhales while pregnant, to ensure we have lots of oxygenated blood going to baby. Also, avoid deep twists (to ensure we have adequate space for baby), deep backbends (to protect your core + low back), poses on your belly (trust your mama instincts), poses with long holds on your back after 20 weeks.