Yoga in pregnancy - when did you stop?

[Mufflette]

I've kept up my Ashtanga practice twice a week so far during my pregnancy (plus one more Hatha-y session + one of pregnancy yoga). I'm 32 weeks now and still feel comfortable doing my modified practice, but I don't know if I'm being overambitious thinking I can just carry on til baby's here.

Would love to hear others' experiences, especially if you had a regular Ashtanga or other vinyasa-based practice - does there come a point where your body just says 'enough with this now'?!

It depends what adaptations you're making. I know lots who continued until birth. I had such severe pgp by the end I couldn't do a child's pose, was crazy.

How heavily are you adapting? I wouldn't continue the primary series but movement and yoga can be great right up to birth

Thanks @doadeer , the pgp must have been super frustrating!

I'm still doing primary series but it feels very adapted - no jumps, no lifts, legs up against the wall replacing the finishing sequence, shorter stances, staying upright in seating forward folds etc... I might just need to stop thinking about it and be prepared to recognise a point where my body says it's time to take a rest!

Can you go to a pregnancy yoga class? Nice to meet other mums and they talk about preparation for birth.

Are you also doing open twists and nothing supine or on stomach? Those are the big adaptations too.

Just do what feels right, but remember you produce relaxin which makes your joints more malleable - so best to be mindful of that

I did active birth yoga right up to births. Really helped me.

Thanks @doadeer I'm doing the pregnancy classes and those adaptations so all good on those fronts.

I'm hypermobile on top of the relaxin so that combination might be what pushes me to stop if I realise I'm able to move too much rather than not enough, 'would I have been able to flex this much last year' is definitely the thing to look out for I think.

Thanks @crossstitchingnana fingers crossed I'll be able to say that in a few months too!

I did yoga until the birth. Back at it 2 weeks afterwards.

I'm hypermobile too that's one of the triggers for my pelvic pain my pelvis was just so loose. I can't say this more emphatically but do some pregnancy pilates, things like clam shells. Keep those muscles strong. I wish wish wish I'd done more like that

Thanks @Goodskin46 that's very motivating to hear!

@doadeer I'll definitely take that advice, thank you, will hunt out some pregnancy Pilates today!

I did Yoga with Adriene 30 days of yoga on repeat throughout pregnancy up to 39 weeks. At that point the bump was too big to do most postures comfortably because it just got in the way of everything.

The other thing I noticed in late pregnancy was how much effort it took to do simple leg balances like tree pose. I got really wobbly and my heart rate would get much higher from the effort of holding the pose (combination of extra weight + loose ligaments I think). By the end of pregnancy I was also replacing most core work (plank etc) with something simpler like bird-dogs.

My yoga may be a lot more basic than yours, but if your body feels fine, I'd say keep going. You'll know when your body wants you to modify.

It's been great for post C-section recovery too.