Prenatal Yoga
Prenatal yoga can be a wonderful addition to prenatal care. It can be done throughout the entire pregnancy with small variations added to accommodate the growing belly and baby. These are some of the most beneficial poses to incorporate into daily yoga routines for the first, second, and third trimester to keep that beautiful body stretched and energized.
First-trimester yoga is similar to the before-pregnancy yoga. Most poses can still be safely done but some are more beneficial to do than others.
Downward facing dog is one of those beneficial poses.
- To get into downward facing dog, begin on your hands and knees with your wrists directly under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips.
- Next, spread your fingers wide and press firmly into your hands and feet.
- Exhale as you lift your knees off the ground and reach your pelvis up towards the ceiling.
- Gently straighten out your legs.
- Your body should be in a sort of “A” shape.
- Continue to stretch the spine up during inhales and press the ground away during exhales.
Downward facing dog increases blood flow and brings energy to the body, which are two things that are so important during the first trimester of pregnancy.
Second-trimester yoga is not as strenuous as the first trimester. More stretching is involved to accommodate the growing belly.
Triangle pose is amazing to incorporate into a second-trimester flow because it stretches the inner groin, back, and shoulders.
- To get into triangle pose, begin by standing at the top of your mat with your feet hip-distance apart.
- Next, step one foot back and align the front heel with the back arch.
- Raise your arms to shoulder-height so that they are parallel to the floor, then turn the palm of your front hand up and reach towards the leading foot.
- Shift your hips back as you lean forward, but make sure that the chest does not drop forward.
- The leading hand should come to rest on the outside of the leading foot either on the mat or on a block for extra support.
- The other hand should then reach up towards the sky, lining up in a straight line with the hand on the mat.
- The body should represent a triangle.
- The top hand can also be placed under the stomach during this pose to help rotate the belly.
This pose is great for stretching out tight backs and the inner groin.
Third-trimester yoga is almost exclusively stretching. During this trimester, the body has gained a substantial amount of weight. This causes some aches and pains that were not present during the first trimester. One area of the body that takes a lot of pressure is the hips.
Pigeon pose is beautiful for releasing hip tension.
- To get into pigeon pose, begin with feet hip-distance at the front of the mat.
- A bolster and a blanket are very helpful in getting into this position comfortably.
- Place the bolster long ways at the top of the mat and the blanket folded long ways a foot behind the bolster.
- Stand in between the bolster and the blanket. Next, place your hands on your bolster and step one of your feet back.
- Place both hands on the inside of the foot that is at the front of the mat and scoot that foot all the way to the outside hand.
- Slowly place the hands back on the bolster and bring the knee down so that the front leg is perpendicular to the back leg.
- The arms can remain extended on the bolster or you can come to your elbows or even lay your cheek down on the bolster for a more intense stretch.
This pose stretches out those tight hips wonderfully and it does not only help the body feel better but also get the hips ready for labor.
These are just a few amazing poses that can be incorporated into prenatal care. They keep the body strong and stretched and they do not only relieve pressure from the body but from the mind as well.