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Pregnancy

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

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Original poster

Yoga or pilates - will they actually help you in labour

31 replies

pollingfold · 02/04/2004 11:09

Heard lots of right on people say that yoga and pilates are great for pregnant women and that t helps to control breathing in labour. I had crappy labour and got very scared of the pain - felt out of control and when had the urge to push couldn't control it leads to massive ripping and snipping.

I wanted to see if anyone had experience of labour using yoga techniques and whether you found it benefical.

Also have not done any exercise for 2 years and wondered if it was safe to start these new activities from 4 months pregnant?

Also does it help post birth - strength and recovery wise?

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bossykate · 02/04/2004 11:29

i'm planning to do pg yoga too. have a look at this for more info.

dinny · 02/04/2004 12:00

Hi, Pollingford,

I have practised yoga for a few years and reckon doing yoga throughout pregnancy really helped me first time round. I've been practising this time though has been hard as have been so sick.

I think it's ideal for you - and fine to start at four months so long as you find a good, qualified ante-natal yoga teacher. Whereabouts are you? I know some good teachers in south London...

sykes · 02/04/2004 12:25

I do a lot of pilates and it's VERY good for getting your figure back post the birth. Most teachers I know probably wouldn't let you start at four months (I did all the way through my pregnancies) if it's in a class - maybe if you had some individual tuition they might though - then join a class in a month or so?

dinosaur · 02/04/2004 15:17

Hi pollingfold,

I had never done yoga before I was pg with DS1. I did antenatal yoga then and really enjoyed it, but I can't honestly say it helped me very much during the labour and delivery.

However, I did antenatal yoga again before I had DS2 and I found it very useful during the birth. I dealt with the contractions just by using yoga breathing - no gas and air or other artificial pain relief and felt really in control. So it definitely helped second time around.

I have subsequently carried on doing yoga and am a huge fan of it now. Definitely helps post birth, although you can't start doing it straight away after the birth.

dinosaur · 02/04/2004 15:19

p.s. also quite safe to do antenatal yoga now, even if you haven't exercised for 2 years

emmagee · 02/04/2004 16:09

I have done Acitve Birth Yoga in all three of my pregnancies and it has helped me enourmously. Not only are you spending a couple of hours a week, just focusing on yourself, but it will help you throughout pregancy with the demands that carrying a baby make on your body. In labour I have found the breathing to enable me to almost self-hypnotise and to cope witht the increasingly difficult contarctions. If you can find a teacher who is trained in Active Birth I think you will really benefit.

motherinferior · 02/04/2004 18:51

Like Sykes, I did pilates - antenatal pilates - throughout my last pregnancy and it was amazing for getting my figure back; I was back in my jeans a couple of months after giving birth to dd2 , whereas it took me about a year, literally after dd1.

Don't know about the birth, though!

Tommy · 02/04/2004 18:56

Hi Pollingfield, I did ante natal yoga with DS1 and the breathing part was really helpful in labour. The other great thing about it was it gave an hour and a half every week to just think about me and my unborn baby and really relax. My yoga teacher made a video as well which I used at home. (I think she was also selling this through Blooming Marvellous) Like you, I had done very little exercise previously but the yoga was not difficult in that respect. Make sure you find a good teacher, maybe one who specialises in maternity. Good luck!

spots · 03/04/2004 19:45

I have been doing yoga since 24 weeks after dh's sister (a midwife and mother of 3) said she thought one of the things that best allowed a woman to deal with labour was that ability to 'self hypnotise' as emmagee mentions...to 'disappear inside yourself' as she put it. She reckoned yoga really good for that. As it's my first pg am unable to comment on efficacy of this but certainly have loved the experience of thinking very hard about the sensations your body feels as you move through positions and breathing. Even if it doesn't do anything for me during labour it's really informed my pregnancy.

deegward · 03/04/2004 19:49

quick post,a s dh is calling htat supper is ready, Yes active birth yoga really helped during birth, afterwards etc. Got shape back quickly (not saying good shapr but got it anyway) Woulds and DO recommend it to everyone .

Go for it! Let me know if you are in the Watford area as have really good teacher for you.

grumpyzebra · 03/04/2004 19:51

I would have guessed the breathing techniques in Yoga could help a lot. Pilates I don't get, and Yoga is too boring for me, I think I'd rather watch paint dry!

wilbur · 03/04/2004 19:59

I found antenatal yoga very helpful, both for labour (breathing and positions) and just for keep relaxed while waiting for babyis one and 2 to turn up as they were both 9 days late. Also helped with preg headaches.

Original poster

pollingfold · 05/04/2004 11:42

Thanks everyone, sorry not have been back sooner, DH sick so off work and ill laws staying in computer room.

Dinny I am in South London, so would love any recommendations.

It sounds like antenattal yoga or active birth yoga are helpful for the birth and pilates for recovery after

Thanks again everyone

OP posts:

motherinferior · 05/04/2004 13:46

Soup Dragon in East Dulwich runs both, I know. I did the pilates there, and now do ordinary pilates.

dinny · 11/04/2004 12:03

Pollingfold, tried to email you some numbers. Can't be contacted, apparently. Mail me and I'll mail you back with them if you like. Dinny

Earlybird · 11/04/2004 15:48

Pollingfold - I had done regular Pilates 3x per week for 7 years, and had abdominal muscles of steel! But, even with that working in my favor, I stopped dilating, and had to have an emergency c-section after 10 hours of labour. I simply couldn't believe that I couldn't push dd out!

I think it would be difficult to learn Pilates while pregnant. Pilates involves alot of specific and subtle muscle work. I found the extra "padding" while pregnant sort of buried my abdominal muscles and of course, had to radically alter the exercise routine while pregnant.

Like sykes says, Pilates is great for getting your figure back post pregnancy - if you can manage some time to yourself to get to the sessions!! But, a word of caution........I moved just prior to giving birth, and thus, had to change teachers/studios. The new teacher had me doing abdominal work that I KNOW was inappropriate for someone who had had a c-section 3 months earlier.

dinny · 11/04/2004 16:23

Earlybird, I remember hearing that very tight abs can work against you in labour sometimes. Apparently female athletes often have long labours as their muscles are so developed.

My yoga teacher is so careful to make sure my antenatal yoga is about opening up - not about fitness/muscles.

PotPourri · 11/04/2004 18:18

I don't suppose anyone knows of a good Antenatal Yoga or Pilates class/tutor in West London....? I can't seem to find anything online.

beansprout · 27/05/2004 22:45

Can anyone recommend a good class/teacher in NW London? Am 20w pg and although have done a bit, it has been a while!

Many thanks

Piffleoffagus · 27/05/2004 22:46

I think yoga really helps with breathing and breathing can really help you be in control during labour...
That is how I found it

skerriesmum · 27/05/2004 23:40

I did a yoga class for pregnant women and really enjoyed it (made a nice friend too) but during the actual labour I couldn't concentrate on the breathing & visualisation stuff. What did really help was getting on all fours & doing lots of hip circles early on (at about 1 cm...) My yoga teacher (who's also a midwife, unfortunately not in labour & delivery) saw my file later on and said that's why I dilated so quickly. My labour started around 5 pm and ds was born just after 9!

motherinferior · 28/05/2004 12:52

But AVOID antenatal yoga if you have SPD (ie pains in your pubic bone). The stretches are not good for it. Honestly. Sorry. Try pilates instead, which will strengthen your core stability muscles and - possibly - prevent the SPD from getting worse, at least.

pollyanna · 28/05/2004 17:48

Beansprout- The Active Birth Centre in Archway has some ante (and Post) natal yoga sessions. I have done a class run by Janet Balaskas for my last 2 pregnancies and really enjoyed it. It isn't very energetic though if you are used to doing ashtanga 3 times a week. I don't have the phone number, but they have a web site. I don't know any pilates classes, but would also be interested in them if anybody has any information.

serenequeen · 28/05/2004 21:43

i tremble to disagree with our resident spd expert , but you can do ante natal yoga - but must avoid any stretches with the legs apart, or any activity which would put strain on the pelvis.

however, before proceeding you should definitely get qualified advice on what exercises/positions to avoid (e.g. osteopath or physio) and make sure your ante natal yoga teacher understands and is used to teaching women with spd.

whether the limited scope of the ante natal yoga you can do actually helps or not - well that's another matter!

skerriesmum · 28/05/2004 21:59

pollyanna you were so lucky, the active birth guru herself Janet Balaskas... wow!!!

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