Yoga for Pregnancy

What is Yoga for Pregnancy?

Yoga is an ancient form of exercise that involves stretching the body in partnership with the breath and the forces of gravity. It stretches, balances and strengthens the body, calms the mind, relaxes you, and helps the correct alignment of spine and pelvis. In Yoga for Pregnancy we tailor the yoga postures to specifically accommodate the needs of your pregnant body. Yoga practice now can help you later in pregnancy and labour. This yoga is specifically developed for pregnant women and very safe.

What Happens in Class?

We mostly follow gentle, easy postures, sometimes stronger ones. We use yoga belts and yoga balls to vary what we do. In each class we do work as partner pairs (often with massage and stretching) and we discuss many aspects of labour and birth to increase your knowledge and understanding. We always stop for a cup of tea and a biscuit which gives us time for a chat and sometimes we might have a guest speaker eg a new mum bringing her baby to show us and to share her birth experience with the class, or we pick a topic for further discussion. Each class is one and a half hours long. This social aspect of the class is very important and helps you make friends and create bonds with other women who are due to have babies at the same time as you and who live in the area.

Who Cannot Do Yoga for Pregnancy?

As a general rule this form of yoga is suitable for almost everyone so long as you are 14 weeks pregnant or more when you start. This is a strict rule as women can be very tired/nauseous in the first couple of months and it is better to give yoga/other exercise a rest until this time. I consider each person individually and provide guidance if I feel that yoga is not going to be suitable for you based on pre-existing medical conditions/other factors. At all times the safety of you and your baby is my top priority and I will not take anyone into a class if I feel that the risks outweigh the benefits. If necessary I would work as a team with you and your pregnancy health providers to reach such a decision. If you have had a bleed I would discuss this with you and would require written permission to do the yoga from your GP or midwife.

What Do I Need?

You need comfortable clothing that has a bit of stretch in it so that movement is not restricted. There is no need to go out and buy special sports/fitness clothing unless you specifically want to. It is best to avoid clothing with lots of buttons and zips as these can dig into you during the postures. We work with bare feet in yoga so that we can feel the ground properly with our feet. For the last part of class we do a relaxation session so you may wish to bring a warm jumper and socks. Snuggly blankets are provided. You can borrow a mat and ball for the first class but you should definitely purchase your own non-slip mat for the second class onwards.

What About My Health?

As your pregnancy progresses you may suffer from variety of symptoms – mostly very mild but sometimes more serious – the important thing is to keep me updated of your health as this allows me to modify a posture if that will make it better for you. I am here to support you and to ensure you get the best from your yoga classes – not just the physical issues but any emotional worries you have regarding your pregnancy as well. The classes are a supportive and nurturing environment for you as a pregnant woman and entirely tailored to your needs at this time.

By Isobel Boyes
69 Colindale Street Monkston Park Milton Keynes Bucks MK10 9PX
Telephone: 07970 549199
Email: prepareforbirth@yahoo.co.uk Website: prepareforbirth.com (not yet active)

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