Prenatal yoga benefits both the mother and the baby. You can read my previous post, “Prenatal Yoga to Support Mother and Baby,” to see some of the benefits.

However, as a mother-to-be, you might be apprehensive about performing yoga poses you never gave a second thought before pregnancy.

You might be afraid that doing a particular pose could harm the baby growing inside of you. Below are some guidelines to help you figure out which poses might be safe, but always listen to your body and if a pose doesn’t feel right, stop.

Read the full article, “Prenatal Yoga: What Poses Can I Do?” including guidelines for forward bends and seated poses, which is quoted below.

Safe Twisting
Deep twists during pregnancy are contraindications because of the possibility of straining the abdomen and uterus. However, twists that focus on movement initiating above the belly, at the upper back/rib cage area, can be a huge relief for the pregnant mom. Twisting poses can release tight back muscles and gently open the side seams of the body and chest, while also encouraging the mother to create more length in her spine. Remember when putting together the prenatal yoga cannon, the practitioner should only include “open twists”, twisting away from the leg.

Poses on all fours
Poses on all fours keep the spine and hips mobile, increasing circulation in the pelvis and legs. They also keep the baby off of the mother’s spine, creating more room in the abdominal cavity and encouraging the baby into the optimal birthing position. This is very helpful if the baby is in the posterior occiput position, meaning the baby’s head and spine is towards the mother’s front.

Standing poses
Standing poses strengthen the legs and gluteals that attach to the knees and pelvis. These joints are vulnerable during pregnancy because of the softening effect of relaxin (check out Yoga in the 1st Trimester to read more about relaxin), on the ligaments. Strong supporting muscles will help prevent injury. Most importantly, standing poses help create endurance and confidence in the mother that she can use during the marathon of labor.

Hip openers
The pelvis goes through tremendous change and compromise during pregnancy. Because of this, it is important to include poses that will help bring balance and stability to the muscles and joints. To do this, remember to include poses that work the hips in all directions, not just external rotation, which is most commonly associated with hip opening poses. The full family of hip openers access the full range of motion of the hip joint: internal rotation, external rotation, adduction and abduction, and flexion and extension.

Gentle Backbends/Chest Openers/Shoulder Openers
During pregnancy, the curves of the spine become more exaggerated, leaving the shoulders prone to rounding forward and the chest sinking in. Gentle backbends, chest and shoulder openers invite the upper body to move into a more open position. Also, since the mother tends to feel very breathless and “crowded” in the torso, this group of poses gives her temporary spaciousness in the chest and a feeling of fuller breaths.

You can see again how prenatal yoga benefits a pregnant woman. So if you’re feeling uncomfortable, try prenatal yoga. If you’re careful not to push your body and use safe practices like the guidelines listed here and in the original article, it can enhance your pregnancy and help both you and your baby.

Prenatal Yoga Benefits Mothers and Babies When Practiced Safely (Public Domain Image)