Pregnancy + Postpartum Yoga. What They Don’t Tell You.
We have all heard about how quickly someone’s body snapped back from pregnancy and what secret diet or workout plan they used. We put an immense amount of pressure on women’s bodies and how quickly one can ‘get it back’ postpartum. What we fail to acknowledge is that there is no quick fix to healing, but there are things we can do during pregnancy to not only help prepare our minds & body for birth, but to aid in recovery postpartum. Recovery is the word I prefer as the body has been through a major trauma whether you give birth vaginally or through cesarean section. Many women experience diastasis recti (a separation of the abdominal muscles) postpartum as well as bladder incontinence and adjusting to a new self-image. While some of these things simply cannot be avoided a prenatal yoga practice is a highly beneficial way to give your body the best chance for a positive birth experience, steady postnatal recovery, and a healthy pregnancy.
Prenatal Yoga encompasses numerous physical & mental health assets. As baby grows and the body stretches to make space for little one you will naturally experience a lot of changes. Some that you welcome with a big smile and others that will send you to running to google or your doctor to make sure it’s normal. If there’s one stand out point that I’ve learned from teaching prenatal yoga it’s that we as women are not taught enough about our bodies from fertility to pregnancy. Whether we plan to have children one day or not I think it’s very important to be prepared for all of the possibilities. In doing so, we can help avoid added stressors during pregnancy regarding a high influx of questions that you didn’t realize you needed the answers to. Such as, to circumcise or not circumcise? Should I have a delayed cord-clamping and how does that affect blood and stem cells? Should I have a home-birth, water-birth, or give birth at a hospital with midwives and/or doulas? Should I publicly or privately cord-bank? What’s considered an advanced age for pregnancy & how will that affect my doctor’s recommendations? Should I be thinking about perineum-stretching to avoid tearing and how do I go about doing so? How soon can I get back to a yoga practice or regular exercise postpartum? How can I self-check for diastasis during recovery? These are just a few questions that pregnancy raises which can be overwhelming if you lack community and resources.
As for the physical practice of prenatal yoga, it is not very different from a typical all-levels vinyasa class. Incorporating breath to breath movement while discouraging overheating, reclined postures, laying on stomach, and closed twists that cut across belly. We are mindful of avoiding specific transitions in our practice to keep you and baby safe such as Warrior 1 to Warrior 2. This common vinyasa transition releases relaxin hormone in the hips which shouldn’t take place until closer to delivery. Our main focus in pregnancy yoga is opening the hips to help prepare the body for birth, strengthening the pelvic floor, mindful breathing, & alleviation of tension in a growing and ever-changing body. Not only is this a great way to maintain safe exercise throughout pregnancy, but it creates a beautiful community amongst mamas throughout all trimesters. It’s comforting to know that you aren’t alone in the changes your body is going through as well as being offered reputable recommendations for prenatal massage, acupuncture, doulas, nausea-relief tea, sleeper pillows and more.
As a teacher, I like to begin every prenatal yoga class by allowing my students the floor to share how far along they are, where they’re giving birth, what’s going on in their bodies that day, and one thing they’re grateful for. I believe that it is this intimate community that makes prenatal yoga so valuable while allowing time to bond with baby. Some prenatal studios offer doula services, partner-birth prep classes, yoga dates, and certified specialists to support you during and after your pregnancy journey. I would highly recommend that anyone thinking of starting a family or newly pregnant to look into a prenatal-focused studio or classes that resonate with you. You will not regret it!
