Prenatal yoga

[Maggie272]

Hi Ladies
All going well for me at 22 weeks nearly, and feeling good. Have continued being active - walking about 3 - 4 miles a day and doing prenatal yoga classes online. All of the teachers include downdog in their practice, but I just wanted to check here - especially with anyone who has actually been to a 'live' class - that it's ok to do downdog? Sometimes I wonder if it's ok for baby, but all looked normal on 20 week scan last week and the sonographer said to keep doing what feels good. Just wondered what anyone else has continued (or not) to do.
Mx

Yup, it was part of my classes last time and this, but one instructor did mention not to hold it for more than 5 breaths in pregnancy, which I'd not heard before. Not much chance of that with me...

@CoolNoMore me too! But I love the stretch it gives me all the way down my spine, it's the best part of yoga for me so far! Thanks so much for your response, good to know

Random coincidence: this evening a different instructor mentioned that we shouldn't hold down dog for more than 30 seconds. I hadn't heard this at all for the whole of my last pregnancy, and I was doing prenatal yoga at least twice a week. Weird!

@CoolNoMore I wonder if it's because there's a risk women might get light headed and dizzy? I was more worried about the baby and the cord being swished around but the sonographer laughed when I said that : ) I signed up for Glo.com and my favourite teachers for prenatal are Jo Tastula & Stephanie Snyder. Jo Tastula's classes so SO beautiful and relaxing but you still get strong. Are you still going to classes? I'm in Ireland and everything is shutdown and will be for a while I think....

Hi, the classes I do have it as an option for women that can still get into that position. I've had low blood pressure though so I just given it a miss!

My mum is a yoga teacher with a pregnancy qualification - yes you can still do it, you might like to take a wider stance and not do a long hold. Alternatively you can do puppy pose with a bolster/cushion. Or take a wide leg child's pose.

The main things you avoid in pregnancy - no twists across your body, wider stance with everything, no core work, nothing lying on stomach, avoid deep back bends, no breath work that involves holding or the one where you pump your stomach...

I think those are the main areas...

Hey @Maggie272 Glo sounds really good, hadn't heard of that! I bought the Lucy Flow prenatal course, it's good too. Like others have said she says downward dog is fine or do puppy pose if downward dog is uncomfortable.

I've actually been doing my own thing quite a bit as get sick of staring at a screen after I've been on the computer all day! But I might look into Glo if I need more inspiration. Do you find there is a lot of variety?

@doadeer (love your name!) that's really helpful, thank you!

@IslayBrigid hi there! How are you? We're both due around the end of Aug if I remember correctly? Hope you're keeping well! I will check that out definitely. There is some variety in styles and approach but not really in terms of poses. I can't wait to get back to my twists and inversions and arm balances...but for now it's lots of standing warrior sequences, goddess pose, modified sun salutations and seated stretches. I modify chaturanga with knees on the ground, and I do plank for shorter stints. Yes, do some practices on my own but because there is not a massive range of poses I sometimes need the teacher to keep me going! x

@Maggie272 oh that all sounds really good. How often are you practicing? Some days I do some every day and then I leave it for a few days as well other times. But on the whole I feel so much better after I've done some yoga even just fifteen mins! I'm sure it'll help with the birth too, I've also been doing the PBC hypnobirthing course which is amazing :)

Yes I'm due 28 August! Having a girl. Did you find out the sex yet? X

Oh you're having a girl!! Congratulations! We did - we're having a boy! we're so happy and just relieved that everything was ok on the scan. I try to practice everyday, like you even 15 mins is amazing. I didn't do anything for 14 weeks and missed it so much, and trying to stay as fit as possible now despite the tiredness. I will be having a c-section but have been curious about the hypnobirthing courses...
do your yoga courses have variety in them?

we are due 26th of August, but I gather from our doc that IVF pregnancies tend to be delivered a little earlier so we're not too sure when, but just going with the flow. Glad to hear you're well!

Hi yoga folks!

I'm due Aug 31st.

I had a regular Ashtanga practise for about 5 years before getting pregnant. Felt too ill to practise at all for the first 15 weeks or so. Now I'm 21 weeks and getting back into some stretches.

@Mucklowe I was the same! I miss my ashtanga routines but trying to keep strong and fit and calm and also trying to remember that yoga is about meeting your body where it's at. I'd be lost without it! Congratulations and so happy you're due in August too!

@Maggie272

Oooh, I hadn't heard of glo, will give it a look. I'm in Melbourne but I'm from Norn Iron We're at level 3 lockdown, so no classes but I'm doing local ones online and then London-based ones (Triyoga) that I did in my first pregnancy as they're all online now anyway and at a time that suits upside down time perfectly. We're having a boy too

@CoolNoMore amazing! I have only been up there a couple of times but 'when this is all over', as everyone is saying, we are going for a looong drive : ) Congratulations on your little boy!

Only just saw these new posts :) That's so cool three of us are due around the same time @Maggie272 and @mucklowe. Similarly I didn't do much in the first trimester, I had nausea and vomiting until 16 weeks it was horrible. And motion just made it worse! But really loving getting back into it.

Do the triyoga ones cost @CoolNoMore? I used to love triyoga.

@Maggie272 The Lucy Flow course has a few different videos for different things e.g a morning flow, a strong flow, a slow flow, hip opener, etc. Doesn't feel like a huge amount of variety but they are really good and it's nice to use them for ideas then I just often do my own thing anyway. How come you're having a c-section, if you don't mind me asking? I'm just curious as to how people come to these decisions :) Yes hypnobirthing is great - definitely could still help for a c-section as it is all about giving you tools to keep you calm throughout labour :)

Congrats on your little boy, too! How exciting! It's so lovely knowing isn't it. And yes so relieved the 20 week scan went well xx

I am part of an Aug/September due date FB group if anyone fancies joining, I could send you a link. Be nice to keep in touch with fellow yoga lovers :)

@IslayBrigid yeah, they're about £8 per class if you buy a pack, but that's a lot cheaper than when they were live! And they're still fantastic as long as you know what you're doing. There's a lot more 'work' in them than the local classes I'm doing, which seem to be mostly based on breathing and being 'one with your baby'. Which is... fine...

Hey everyone! I’ve been having a bit of a dull pain down the right side of my abdomen for the last couple of days, no other symptoms. I’ve been a bit concerned about it and I’ve been doing yoga only so I looked up dangerous poses in yoga and it turns out that I have stupidly done some twists. Do you think I have anything to worry about with the babies? I’m 14 weeks with non Identical twins. I feel like it could just be muscular but I am absolutely gutted I could have harmed them. I am a massive exercise fan but have stopped everything other than walking and yoga as I didn’t want to have any reason that I could of caused for the babies to come to harm and now I’ve potentially (stupidly) unknowingly hurt them. I had a scan on Wednesday and everything was fine but I have done the yoga twice since then.

Hey @piglet what sort of twists were they? I'm sure it'll be absolutely fine. The advice about avoiding certain poses in yoga is due to risk of injury to the mother more than potential risk of injury to baby. A few days after I found out I was pregnant I did quite an intense ashtanga class and freaked out! Posted about twists and worrying! All was fine. Of course that was earlier in my pregnancy than you. But I highly doubt any harm will have come. Midwives encourage yoga.

Just avoid the twists from now and make sure you're doing prenatal flows. This is to protect yourself due to all the relaxin! If you have prolonged pain or any bleeding chat to your midwife x

Thank you so much for your response IslayBrigid. It was seated twists and probably some others. I don’t mind if I have hurt myself but to think I could have hurt one of the babies is making me an emotional mess. I think I will be staying well clear of yoga now.

Piglet

I'm sure you're totally fine... Lots of women continue their exercise without realising they are pregnant. If you are still in pain in a couple days you could call your midwife. Try not to worry x

You don't have to stop yoga there is still so much you can enjoy... I posted this down thread I'll add again.

Also be mindful the relaxin can make you feel a lot more flexible so be mindful not to over extend in positions like butterfly.

The main things you avoid in pregnancy -

• no twists across your body (you can do open twists but if you aren't confident with how to do these just skip)

• wider stance with everything
• no core work
• nothing lying on stomach eg cobra - do a gentle cat cow tilt instead
• avoid deep back bends (eg wheel)
• no breath work that involves holding or the one where you pump your stomach...

@Piglet11 No worries. Honestly, don't feel you have to stop yoga altogether! there are plenty of amazing online prenatal yoga vids that you can follow and they won't put you into any risky positions. And your babies will be fine, it's just advised to be careful with some yoga poses for your own benefit, due to the hormone relaxin. Seated twists don't sound too intense either! The pain in your abdoment is probably just due to some muscle soreness as a result of stretching belly and relaxin and the yoga might have just added to that x

I do Yogabellies and we do downdog except in third trimester

@IslayBrigid I remember that group! I thought it sort of disappeared off the board, but I'm on here quite sporadically and probably miss it when it comes up.
I'm having a section because I've had a number of back surgeries (which was what brought me to yoga!) since I was younger and my doc thinks this is safer. I'm quite happy with that actually, as the pain of another back injury would knock me sideways.

@Piglet11 I'm sure everything is absolutely fine, I was so nervous when I started doing my yoga again but am very confident now and do what feels good. Sometimes I feel a twinge and pull back, but I love feeling strong and keeping my strength up for giving birth and post partum. How are you feeling now? Mx