Yoga in early pregnancy - are twists bad? Panicking a little!

[IslayBrigid]

Hi, I found out that I'm pregnant yesterday and it's very early days. My period is due Monday, I did a FRER and it had a clear BFP yesterday and today.

I went to yoga today thinking 'this will be good for me'. The class was OK but I was late so I couldnt tell the teacher about my situation. It was an ashtanga class, and we did quite a lot of twisting. I didn't do inversions but did do the twists. Towards the end of the class and after it I could feel cramping - relatively mild, but definitely there. Cramping and a few twinges. It's been about 3 hours now and the cramping has eased off a bit though it still feels kinda stimulated. No bleeding. However I was already having cramping yesterday and today so it might not even be related to yoga?

I've googled and most sites say you shouldn't do twists but I'm just not sure if this applies so early on? I definitely won't do them again (might just avoid yoga till 12 weeks have passed) but I'm petrified my yoga class today will have done damage and dislodged the embryo and I'll miscarry.... :(

If anyone has any advice or been through something similar, please do let me know!

I can't say in general, but I was doing yoga twists until they got uncomfortable (towards the end of the second trimester) because the bump doesn't like twisting - you do open twists instead of closed ones as the pregnancy option.

It sounds unlikely that you would've done anything that could cause miscarriage, or that the cramping is related (in my non-medical opinion)

Good luck OP!

If anyone has any advice I'd be so grateful... worried this will get swollen up in the message boards...

The advice is to avoid yoga in the first trimester. However your very unlikely to have caused any harm, so early in your pregnancy, your little baby is very well protected.

I was figure skating in my first pregnancy and had a huge fall. Was the day before I found out I was pregnant. Everything was fine, I never had any bleeds or anything.

Relax and congratulations

If you can afford a private scan at 7 ish weeks it would put your mind at rest. I had one both pregnancies and it was definitely worth it. We struggled to conceive so I was extra worried. Never miscarried though.

Good luck 🍀

My nurse told me very clearly this morning that yoga is fine, do what you were doing. She did say though that if anything happened, I would blame the yoga. I agreed and decided to stick to walking. But look at this:
flo.health/pregnancy/pregnancy-health/pregnancy-loss/miscarriage-causes-risks

You won't have dislodged the embryo, don't worry about that. Serena Williams won her 23rd Grand Slam at two months pregnant.

A lot of the warnings about exercise in pregnancy are not really about the baby - they're about the mother. Your joints, ligaments etc all loosen up and it can make injury much more likely. Plus later on your centre of gravity changes so falls may be more likely.

Definitely get in touch with the instructor before your next class - they may be happy to accommodate you or they may want you to come back once you're past 12 weeks. This isn't because yoga would harm a growing baby, but because if God forbid something were to happen, there would be no way of proving it wasn't the yoga, iyswim.

I'm sure it's probably fine but I would avoid doing any more twisting... I joined a pregnancy yoga class and they accepted people from 12 weeks so if you love your yoga would recommend doing that!

Oh thanks so much for your advice @paperplant. I hope you're right. I'm probably being paranoid but I've read a lot of conflicting advice about whether twists are OK or not.
Were you doing closed twists in the first trimester?
x

Your uterus is still sitting deep in your pelvic girdle at this stage and very well protected. Twisting around your waist/middle will have zero impact on it

Oh wow, thank you all so much - the page hadn't refreshed and I didn't realise people had posted! Thank you, seeing all your responses really is reassuring.

@Maggie272 thanks so much for the link. That is definitely reassuring. And that your nurse said yoga is OK. I might also stick mostly to walking and swimming. How far along are you?

Thank you all so much... I want to tag you all but it would take too long, as there are so many kind souls who have taken the time to comment :) thank you!! I so so appreciate it. This has been my first scare and I definitely freaked a little. xxx

@IslayBrigid I'm 4+2...I'm ok but I just actually posted about all the anxiety. I think you are as far along as me? I thought I would be blissed out..yoga definitely makes life better! I love it so much, Ashtanga and Kundalini. It's hard to give it up for a while, but it will be there as a refuge when we come back to it in the second trimester. Just think of all those lovely prenatal classes!

Yes, I was doing closed twists in the first trimester and at the beginning of the second.
Many women don't even know they're pregnant at the beginning of the first trimester!

There is pregnancy yoga if you want to consider that? I've just done normal yoga throughout my pregnancy (with adjustments later on) but if you've been doing yoga, do continue :)

Tara Stiles on YouTube has great prenatal videos for a quick fix : )

I do pilates and have done since I found out I was pregnant and I checked with my GP I was ok to carry on. I get sciatica and pilates keeps it at bay so I'm loathe to stop until my body tells me to. I told my instructor and I just do the lighter versions of some moves and we do pilates barre so I use the lightest one. I'm 15+5 now and have had no issues. I really enjoy it and have heard it's good at preparing your body for labour so I plan on carry on with it, and swimming, for as long as I'm comfortable.

I'm sure you've done no harm. Cramping in early pregnancy is normal and common. Your hormones are surging and they're causing changes to start happening. If you're concerned or have any bleeding get in touch with your EPAU and they will scan you.

Thanks so much everyone 😘😘 I'm so grateful for the Mumsnet community! It's so amazing that we have this resource for guidance and support 🥰

@Maggie272
I've just joined this thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/pregnancy/3771676-bfp-august-september-2020-babies?watched=1&msgid=92483504#92483504
Come join! Xx

@Maggie272 oops posted too soon. Yeah it would be a shame to give up yoga... But maybe a good idea in first trimester... I might just do gentle stuff at home rather than go to full on hour length classes. I'm 3+4 now so very early days! Period due Mon. Hopefully Mon just comes and goes 🤞🥰 I had a definite positive yesterday and today even tho early so that's a good sign hopefully.

@APD1981 I get sciatica too! And Pilates really helps me! I like doing mat stuff at home and going to reformer pilates classes. I hope reformer is ok to keep doing! I'm glad pilates has been good for you to carry on :) Xx

@IslayBrigid thank you, I think I did...I've just arrived here like you, so been floating around!

@paperplant thank you :) yeah I'll see how I go. Might do some gentle stuff at home while I get used to being pregnant then sign up to a pre natal class after 12 weeks :)

You don’t need to give up yoga OP, just tell your yoga teacher and if he/she is any good they will give you the nod for things NOT to do and give you adaptions where necessary. If you always do yoga then it’s perfectly ok to still do yoga whilst pregnant.

I went to yoga throughout my first pregnancy and this one. After about 16 weeks all the lying on my front poses stopped working. I think it has been super helpful for me. Women are encouraged to get exercise in pregnancy, I don't think there is any need to worry.

Thanks @Travelmumone and @LondonKate! I'll have a proper look into it at the studio I usually go to.
I might wait till I'm feeling a little more pregnant :)

I just did my regular classes until around 6 weeks when MS hit. I then went back to yoga around 10 weeks and did closed twists (but gentle ones, didn’t push it at all) until around 16 weeks when I could feel that there was something there- same prone postures.

I’m still going to regular classes at 23 weeks but stick to teachers I know are comfortable with a pregnant woman. I don’t twist much now but will sometime do a gentle turn in the general direction.

A yoga teacher I know recommended Nicky Appleby pregnancy yoga series (has flows for all 3 trimesters) as a good pregnancy yoga if you’re used to quite a strong yoga practice- I find a lot of pregnancy yoga too gentle at the moment but I think towards the end I’ll join some classes.