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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Yoga and Body Pump

9 replies

friedfrog · 20/10/2011 10:56

I go to yoga twice a week and pump twice a week, but since finding out I am pregnant (4-5 weeks) I am really worried about doing it! My yoga teacher told me to avoid some of the core stuff (she said I can do all that again in my second trimester) and downward dog.

Any advice?

Frog

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LouisaJF · 20/10/2011 11:11

I think the British Yoga Wheel recommend that you wait till about 14 weeks for yoga. Try contacting them directly for definate advice. I asked my midwife and she had no idea.

user59457812 · 20/10/2011 11:20

Sounds like your yoga teacher knows what she's doing and if you are experienced already it's probably OK. I was super cautious in the first tri (not saying you should be, though, I had a particular set of circumstances) and waited until I was 12 weeks to go back to yoga. When I tried, I was told they wouldn't take me until at least 14 weeks, preferably later.

TBH, I think it is to protect them (the teacher admitted she was 'too scared' to teach anyone less pregnant than that). Pregnancy yoga teachers should also have specific training - as Louisa says, have a look on the British Wheel of Yoga website). After 14 weeks you shouldn't do anything flat on your back for example, and a regular yoga teacher might not know that (the one I spoke to didn't - yikes!).

Regarding body pump, as I understand it, you want to avoid getting too hot or too out of breath during exercise - you should be able to hold a conversation or whistle - and your heart rate shouldn't go too high. My OB said that if I'd been doing a particular exercise for a while then it was fine to continue but to 'be sensible', whatever that means!

HTH

melliebobs · 20/10/2011 14:44

You'll be fine with body pump but should focus on just maintenance so go for light weights. Also and chest work where your lead on your back and core work should be avoided after 12 wks. Also if there is anything over the head that should be avoided if you have blood pressure problems. But on the whole with pump you'll be ok and the instructor should be able to give alternatives

OiMissus · 20/10/2011 14:54

Hi, congratulations on your pregnancy! I did BodyPump until about week 28. I gradually dropped my weights down, bit by bit, and took care not to overheat. I could've carried on past week 28, but I found I could no longer get up off the benches for the chest and tricep tracks. Beached whale effect! And I also felt like I deserved a break.
This brochure has been written for pregnant ladies doing bodypump.
Good luck and enjoy!
(Now 34 weeks pregnant, eating cake and going to Aquanatal once a week.)

scepticalexpat · 21/10/2011 15:15

I went to yoga throughout my first trimester - my teacher told me to avoid a couple of poses (mainly deep back bends, things like cobra as far as I recall), and I found a fair bit of information on the internet telling you which poses to avoid. Unfortunately now I've deleted the bookmarks, but I would have thought you could trust your teacher if she seems to know what she's talking about.

There is no real reason to avoid yoga in your first trimester: the people who say there is (and you will find some) are like the ones who think you shouldn't do yoga when you have your period. That attitude was no doubt totally acceptable in India hundreds of years ago.

friedfrog · 21/10/2011 17:39

Ah thanks everyone :)

I am gonna carry on me thinks and just take it easy. I trust my yoga teacher , thanks everyone for the reasurance :)

Have a fab weekend x

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ITryToBeZenBut · 22/10/2011 17:30

I teach yoga (BWY qualified via a long and repoutable course) and am pregnant. First trimester is a debate as someone said. Traditional schools of yoga such as ashtanga say no practice in first 14 weeks aside from pranayama, meditation but no asana work.

However, as other said this is a bit olde worlde and there are more relaxed approaches and if it feels good, go for it. However, NO twisting! Especially not deep as the placenta is forming/settling in trimester1 and the last thing you want to be doing iss twisting, squeezing and compressing the abdomen whilst this is happening. No reason why you can't do dog right now. As long as it feels good. Made me feel sick in tri 1 so I stopped and listened to my body,

Your teacher is right about no strong abs but I would, unless you have a very strong, consistent practice, suggest no strong abs in trimester 2 either. I'm 23 weeks now and no longer practice chaturanga/half plank etc or do anything with strong abs work but focus on legs and shoulders - areas you want to make strong right now. I work on the lower abs to keep the bump supported but not strong core - although there are various examples of very experienced yogis carrying on until right until birth with poses requiring strong abs such as headstand but these are the exception rather than the rule Wink

Obviously, in tri 2 I wouldn't have you on your belly at all and always lie on your left hand side. You can still be on your back but as you move through trimester 2 and into 3, you must not be on your back as the weight of the placenta can compress the vena cava interrupting the blood flow to both yourself and the baby. Savasana or final relaxation on your left side. In tri 3, you need to remember the relaxin is loosening up the ligaments and you can overstretch so many hip openers are off the list then as the last thing you want to do is destabilise the pelvis by over-stretching. In tri 3 - I'd maybe try and find an ante-natal class by then.

There is TONS you can still do but you do need to modify your practice a lot and I'm ensure you really do have a teacher who knows the principles. As someone else said there are specilist teachers trained for pregnancy. Other general teachers should know the basics to keep you safe but sadly the yoga teaching industry is not as regulated as it should be and there are teachers out there who've taken short cut routes in who really aren't perhaps up to speed as they should be.

Hope that's helpful in some way and enjoy yourself. I'd not survive without my daily yoga and it's such a nice way to keepo yourself well. Smile

ITryToBeZenBut · 22/10/2011 17:32

ps I recommend the book 'yoga for pregnancy, birth and beyond' by francoise freedman. I use it for my home practice but has lots of advice and is a lovely book.

enjoy your practice Grin

Halgirl · 24/10/2011 16:40

Don't really know about Yoga, but I taught body pump and aerobics until I practically gave birth first time round. As someone else said, I dropped the weights gradually and at the end I was teaching it with just the bar and no weights. This time round thought of it makes me knackered, but this pregnancy has been so different, I would listen to your body and make sure you tell your instructor, which you have done.

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