Yoga during Pregnancy

[Pandara]

Dear All,

This year I have two ladies in my class who are pregnant. I have researched and compiled a yoga programme specifically for them, which they will start next week.

If any of the ladies who has been pregnant before (or anybody with sound advice) on this forum have any advice, suggestions etc, it will be most welcome, as I do want to offer them the best possible yoga time I can while they are pregnant.

Both of them are early in their term, no adverse health considerations such as high blood pressure etc.

[Nichole]

Hello Pandara,
Two mothers to be--that is wonderful! Mukunda has offered many recommendations for all months of pregnancy if you want to search keyword pregnancy for those posts. It is difficult for me to add to what my blessed teacher has already shared, but I wanted to offer a couple things too, perhaps you've already included these ideas in program:

- singing to baby, reading uplifting books, listening to beautiful music
- eating ojas building foods like dates, soaked almonds, ghee, kitchari, and the like
- avoiding caffeine
- avoiding or adjusting asana that increases or directs apana vayu
- encourage oil self-massage (Abhiyanga) using oil that is appropriate for your student's constitution and season in SA.
- Shavasana for meditation with hands resting on belly in Yoni mudra and an inward smile

Much love to you and your students,

[Fin]

Dear Pandara,

Fantastic! I wish I had come to Yoga sooner (rather than at 50). The wonderful & inspired work you are doing means Yoga comes to them at foetal stage, such a wonderful & blessed start.

Aside: When my wife was pregnant I could sense & feel the presence of my son all the way thro her pregnancy, in fact I knew with absolute certainty she was pregnant before she did. When finally my son took human form – it was for me sensational – like reuniting with a long lost friend or brother! I so agree with Nichole, talking (perhaps about Yoga) & singing to the Child (whilst still in foetal stage) is so beneficial, for both parties.
Also very difficult for man to do but if the fathers open themselves up then any “fathers to be” will sense the same presence. What’s coming to their life is a true gift from the Gods.

Best wishes for your work.
Love,
Fin

[Pandara]

Dear Nicole and Fin,

Thanks for the advice and ideas, will definitely use it. Nicole I did use the search function and this is where I got most of my initial ideas for their programme, but though I would post it again, perhaps previous mothers can share their experience about what worked and didn't worked for them during pregnancy. Or just share their story of how yoga helped them during pregancy, I find that these stories contains more advice sometimes than one think.

Fin, I like the idea of the fathers actually doing yoga with their wives, it might be a wonderful experience for these couples and their unborn child and will suggest this to them, perhaps they can convince their husbands.

Much appreciation from my heart.

[Alix]

I didn't do yoga while pregnant but I remember being pregnant well! If they are still early in their pregnancies then something to inspire energy would be beneficial to both Mom and baby. You are so blessed tired for the first few months. I'm not sure how to word this, but something to relieve pressure on parts of the pelvic area would be helpful in the later stages. My sciatic nerve got "stepped on" quite heavily in my first pregnancy and my pubic bone felt ground to a fine powder. I'm not sure if inversions of any kind are doable, but I suspect I'd have tried that out if I'd come to yoga while pregnant.

As to the music and reading, I hummed or sang throughout both pregnancies and was rewarded with settled infants (for a while at least). I love the oil massage idea too Nichole.

[lavina]

Dear Pandara,
May I recommend "Mother's Breath" by Uma Dinsmore-Tuli. It is a beautiful, sensitive and instructive book on "yoga breathing, sound and awareness practices for pregnancy, birth, post-natal recovery and mothering". I had met Uma at the Structural Yoga Therapy Training Workshops in London. Uma is based in London and has dedicated the last 10 years to proving perinatal yoga to expecting students, training yoga teachers and working with midwives and other health professionals. I was impressed with her thoughtful and insightful questions...so much so that I took a week-long perinatal yoga workshop with her during which many of the practices were discussed and experienced. This was simply an amazing, deep and intergrating experience. Some of the recommendations:

1. to be gentle in the first trimester ... lots of relaxation and supported poses ... mother's energy is directed to the development of the baby...all of the organs are formed in the first months so it is a big task

2. pranayamas that focus on breath retention and forced exhalations are not recommended. Indeed there are modifications to pranayama practices to support pregnancy and promote post-natal recovery.

3. practices to develop pelvic floor awareness and control


I hope that this is useful to you and your students.

Lavina

Incidentally, Mukunda has written the foreward for the book and does think highly of it.

The book is available at Sitaram Partnership - Pregnancy Yoga and Hypnotherapy in Brixton, South London or at yogamatters.com

[Pandara]

Dear All,

Had my class tonight with the two ladies. First of all thank you for all the advice it has really helped me to reach out to them on a level that made them feel comfortable and at ease with what I presented to them. Some of you mentioned things in your posts and I again mentioned these in the class, both ladies were pretty amazed that as a man I know so much about being pregnant! Little do they know that I had good advice from very experienced yogis, so from my heart to all who contributed: THANK YOU.

[earthdancer]

Hi
Im nine weeks pregnant and Ive been practicing yoga everyday for many years now, so Im very aware of the contra-indications during pregnancy. I am also in the process of completing my yoga teacher training course and im looking to start teaching very soon. BUT !!!! What I would like to clarify is what postures should be avoided during pregnancy. It is generally advised(also by my tt course) that inversions should not be practiced during menstruation or during pregnancy, but I have also read in various articles, and also been advised that inversions are very beneficial during pregnancy. Any feedback on this would be much appreciated as I dont want to be misled myself, or mislead any students in any way on this subject.

[InnerAthlete]

E.D.,

You've asked about asana during pregnancy.
The approach of Purna Yoga follows the energetics and requisites of the three trimesters in the body.

In the first trimester the focus is containment so open pelvis poses standing poses like Vira II are not done. Sirsasana can be done in the first trimester (assuming the student is able to do the pose in their practice to begin with) but should be carefully watched as falling is one of the concerns and that concern is for the fetus.

Sarvangasana is good in all three trimesters. Again, watched so there is no falling. I'd have pregnant student do the pose using the walls with the knees bent to 90 degrees.

No weight on the belly, no jumping, and no running. Additionally a Yin practice is advised as it is more nurturing for a developing fetus. So a gentle practice not an Ashtanga practice.

Gentle mulha bandha during the first trimester is very healthy.

As you move toward and into the third trimester the energetics shift from containment to opening (though the hormone relaxin peaks around the 12th week). At that point open pelvis poses in preparation for delivery are lovely.

I would modify adho mukha by going to the wall and doing ardha uttanasana instead. Surya Namaskar should be avoided as it creates and builds the element of fire. Also no firey pranayama.

No closed twists either please.

Off the top of my head that's what I've got for you. Hope it is helpful. If you have specifics on asana or other yoga elements please ask specifically.

[Pandara]

Namaste ED,

I have two pregnant ladies in my class this year. There are a few things I would like to share with you.

Firstly, the way (big or small) each lady carries are different and this plays a huge part in what she can do or not. For example the one lady really carries big and she is extremely uncomfortable in many of the poses, so we adapt and adjust as we go on with the asanas.

Alix mentioned that she wanted to get the weight off her pelvic area and this is true for both ladies, any asana that safely takes the weight off the pelvis was great for them and they spent lingering longer in those asanas. Both ladies did Upward Stretched Legs asana (Urdhava Prasarita Padasana), but against a wall. Early on in the pregnancies they can still safely lower their feet against the wall and then push their bodies away from the wall in a supported shoulder stand. Other asanas you can include here are the butterfly, the bound angle (Baddha Konasana), half forward bend, but facing a wall and using the wall as support.

Mukunda Stiles descibe a Joint Freeing Series in his book Structural Yoga Therapy which I included and both ladies just love the gentleness of the series. Good to include.

Remember from week 28 you should avoid any asana which turns the body upside down as the baby starts to prepare to turn its whole body to be born head first.

Both find the cat, cow and dog asanas very beneficial as it brings relief to their backs. The swinging knees pose is also great for backs and helped a lot relieving back ache and re-energize tired muscles and the twist is gentle.

Also remember that all the joints in your body starts to soften in order to prepare you for birthing so it is important to avoid over stretching as you can damage some of the joints and muscles.

Any asanas that prepare and work on the thigh muscles will be great as it is these muscles which you will eventually use the most during the birthing process. Many of the Trikonasana is great and you can modify the standing ones to be done sitting down.

And then relaxation, both ladies will sometimes just come to class and lay in sarvasana for the whole duration of the class, getting up after the class refreshed and well rested and as teacher you must have the sensitivity to allow aspects such as these.

Another aspect of importance is pranayama, we focus a lot on breath control, using the breath to bring the body under control. Both ladies are due within the next two months. I learn every week something new from them as both have never done yoga before I had to be very careful in my selection of asanas.

As teacher you need to learn to trust your instincts and feelings about many of the asanas and what the pregnant yogini will need. For me it is also a personal journey which brings me into connection with many of my previous incarnations as a woman and the wisom connected to those incarnations.

Will add as I remember more. Hope this will help.

[PrincessParis]

I've been doing yoga for over 2 years continuously and I'm in my 8th month of pregnancy right now

As for my experience, the first trimester was difficult because I felt tired as many women tend to do for those 3 months, however late in my first trimester all the way untill the beginning of my third trimester I felt very good with challenging myself through yoga... I attended class and was able to do everything everyone else was doing (although modified). It felt very good to stretch and strengthen....

however now being in my third trimester I find it very difficult to do the poses I loved doing throughout my pregnancy. It can be very uncomfortable. Mostly because my belly gets sore if there is pressure placed on it from other body parts (usually my legs)

I would like to say that I have continued doing forward folding bend throughout my pregnancy although I've reduced my repititions and increased my stance as my stomach grows bigger. As of right now I do it once and it's more of like a standing cat-cow so that my belly doesn't get smushed. But I feel fine doing it... in fact I don't feel good unless i've done it... it really relieves a lot of tension.

I've also continued to do a very ultra super gentle cobra pose... it feels very nice as long as i don't go to far into it. I have to keep my elbows bent...

Any how this is my first post here but I just wanted to share what I've experienced Thank you for recomending the search under Mukunda's threads. I'll be sure to check it out

Namaste!

[xela]

Welcome to the forum, Princess Paris!