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Using Yoga During Your Pregnancy Safety Tips (6+)

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Safety Tips for Using Yoga While Pregnant

Pregnancy Safety Tips that you should be aware of when you practice yoga. Yoga is safe and we’ll explore which yoga poses are unsafe for you.

Easy Yoga Pregnancy Safety Tips

You found out you’re pregnant! That’s great! You love yoga or were just considering starting yoga. But, is yoga safe?

Yes, yoga is safe and we’ll explore which yoga poses are unsafe during pregnancy.

We’ll then look at what yoga is safe while you are pregnant. Here is our look at Yoga Pregnancy Safety Tips.

  • Modified Yoga Poses for Pregnant Moms
  • How to Stay Cool During Your Pregnancy?
  • Stay Hydrated When You are Pregnant
  • Yoga Breathing Exercises for Pregnant Moms
  • Using Props When Pregnant
  • Yoga Poses to Avoid During Pregnancy

We will be discussing these Yoga Pregnancy Safety Tips in more detail below.  Please let us know what you think of them in the comments below.

Modified Yoga Poses for Pregnant Moms

Using Yoga During Your Pregnancy Safety Tips
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Our very first Pregnancy Safety Tips is that You don’t have to stop doing yoga or wait to begin, just because you have another member of the family on the way.

With some modifications and slowing down a little, you can still do yoga during your pregnancy.

Plus, there are benefits of prenatal yoga that can help you have an easier pregnancy and delivery.

Some are listed in our companion article Using Yoga During Pregnancy Has Many Benefits also check out our other post Yoga After Giving Birth Helpful Tips and Poses.

As a general rule, here are some Yoga Pregnancy Tips to keep in mind for doing yoga during your pregnancy:

  • Be extra gentle with your abdomen, back, pelvis, and hips.
  • Trade out harder poses in favor of easier versions.
  • Slow down the pace and hold the poses for only 15 to 30 seconds.
  • And most importantly, listen to your body.

If something feels uncomfortable or too difficult, skip it for now. You can always add it back later when you are returning to your normal state.

Also, a good teacher can show you a prenatal yoga sequence that would fit your personal needs.

How to Stay Cool During Your Pregnancy?

How to Stay Cool During Your Pregnancy

How to stay cool during pregnancy? While doing yoga during your pregnancy, the main thing to keep in mind is moderation and compromise.

So, one of the first things you’ll want to do is find a space by a door or window where you can get cooling breezes if possible.

Good airflow will be very beneficial to keep you cool. Getting overheated isn’t very good for the baby or you, so you have to stay cool.

pregnancy pillow that stays cool
(Amazon)

After a hot day or a workout, you can try relaxing in one of these full-body pregnancy pillow that stays cool for greater comfort while you sleep.

On a related note, hot yoga classes aren’t recommended at this time.

For those who’ve not heard of it, this is a yoga style done in a very heated environment, sometimes in temperatures of over a hundred degrees, and using very intense and difficult exercises.

So doing hot yoga during pregnancy might sound good but skip it for now.

For all the references to a fetus as a bun in the oven, actually cooking the little tyke is not recommended.

See also  Yoga After Giving Birth Helpful Tips and Poses

So, wait until they’re out with access to air conditioning before you go back to or start a hot yoga class.

Pregnancy Safety Tips – Stay Hydrated During Your Pregnancy

Pregnancy Safety Tips - Stay Hydrated During Your Pregnancy

What can I drink to stay hydrated? A very important Pregnancy Safety Tips is to stay hydrated. Keep water handy and drink throughout your Yoga practice.

While some teachers tell you not to drink until after the session is over, doing yoga while you are pregnant is a different situation.

One of the best ways to stay hydrated during your pregnancy is to keep a bottle of water nearby that you can sip from periodically. You need to keep yourself well-hydrated.

Best Drinks to Stay Hydrated During Your Pregnancy

It is advised to drink at least 10 8-ounce of liquids a day.  Contrary to what you have heard it does not all have to be plain water.

Vegetables and fruits that contain high water like cucumbers, tomato, watermelon, or oranges will also help you to give you proper hydration thru out the day.

But there are other options that you can try that will benefit not only you but the baby as well.  So what are the best drinks to stay hydrated during your pregnancy?  Here are some options

  • Water of Course
  • Low Fat Milk
  • Ginger Tea
  • Seltzer
  • Veggie and Fruit Smoothies
  • 100% Juice Drinks

Be careful drinking juices that are not 100% juice as they may contain more sugar than your body will need.

Please let us know how you like these Pregnancy Safety Tips in the comments, feedback is always welcomed and appreciated.

Yoga Breathing Exercises for Pregnant Moms

Yoga Breathing Exercises for Pregnant Moms

Breathing exercises are an integral part of yoga. The breath is what is considered to bring basic life force into our bodies.

So, breath is part of each pose we do. But, when pregnant, some of these breathing exercises aren’t as good for an expecting mom.

Breathing exercises to pregnant moms may put pressure on the abdomen where the baby is located and basically put the squeeze on junior.

Others use quick breaths or more active type breaths than we normally use.

These can limit oxygen to the baby. Many of the pranayama exercises are to be avoided for these reasons.

Holding the breath isn’t a good idea at this time, either. Instead, it’s recommended to focus on smooth and slow breathing exercises.

You’re still bringing in life force energy but it’s easier on you and the baby.

Oh, and the baby gets the life force energy, too, which you will feel in force when the baby starts kicking.

Pregnancy Safety Tips – Using Yoga Props

Pregnancy Safety Tips - Using Yoga Props

Okay, it won’t be long before you notice that your center of gravity is changing, so there’s no shame in using props to help keep your balance.

You can position yourself close to a wall or use a chair or other stable item to hold on to while you do some poses.

Using a Yoga ball can also be used to help you in some of the Yoga Poses to make it easier for future moms.

Pregnant Women Using a Yoga Ball
(Amazon)

Even if you’ve done some of these poses for a long time and could do them in your sleep, your body isn’t the same as it was.

There’s no shame in using something to stay steady. Related to that is where you place your legs.

When doing yoga during your pregnancy, instead of holding them close together, widen them apart a little more. It will give you more stability.

Also, it might help to limit poses where you raise your legs up high, or raise one and stand on one leg.

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Early in the pregnancy, you might do those by the wall or chair, but it would probably be better to not do them in the second and third trimesters.

Keep the legs apart for forward bends, as well, and don’t bend as far forward or backward as you used to.

You now have extra pressure on your back and abdomen because there’s a little tenant living there, so the extra weight will be hard on those areas.

Pregnancy Safety Tips – Poses to Avoid When Pregnant

Pregnancy Safety Tips - Poses to Avoid When Pregnant

Which yoga poses are unsafe during pregnancy? There are some poses and positions that are not advised during your pregnancy.

There are poses that may have a bad effect on either you or the baby and perhaps both.  Some of them are…

  • Don’t Lay on Your Stomach
  • Don’t Lay on Your Back
  • Limit Back and Forward Stretches
  • Do Not Do Many Twists
  • Limit Ab Poses
  • Don’t Do Revolved Poses
  • Cut Back on Inversions

We give some more details below on these Yoga poses to avoid during your pregnancy.

Don’t Lay on Your Stomach

Do Not Lay on Your Stomach

Is it Safe to Lay on Your Stomach When Pregnant? After the first trimester, you shouldn’t lay on your stomach.

This will, again, put pressure on the abdomen and create an uncomfortable or constricting situation for the baby.

Instead, do any poses that are done lying on the stomach in a tabletop, or on hands and knees style.

This gives plenty of room for your growing stomach and will keep you and the baby in comfort.

Don’t Lay on Your Back

Do Not Lay on Your Back

Can you lay on your back while pregnant? It is advised that from 14 weeks on not to lay on your back when you are pregnant. It is advised not to sleep on your back.

What is not recommended from week 14 and onwards in your pregnancy is sleeping directly on your back.

At that time sleeping on your side and in particular, your left side is highly recommended.

There is a vein called the inferior vena cava located in the lower part of your body that carries oxygen in your blood to your heart.

It is located on the left side of your body and lying on your back with the extra baby weight could compress it or slow its flow.

Not only could this compromise the heart’s functions, but it can also reduce oxygenated blood from getting to your organs or to the baby.

So, what’s left, if you can’t lie on your stomach or back?

Why the side of course. Specifically, the left side, since the vena cava is on the right.

You can do most stomach or back poses this way with a little adjustment.

You’ll still get the benefit and it won’t be for that long, even if it seems that way.

You’ll be back to your old routine again, soon.

Limit Back and Forward Stretches

Limit Back and Forward Stretch

You won’t be able to bend as far forward and backward as you used to.

That changed center of gravity thing again. Use very gentle bends either way instead.

A small bend will relieve pressure on the back rather than put pressure there as a more severe bend would do.

Now’s not the time to push into a stretch or bend.

You’ll get the benefits of yoga with a more refined version right now.

Your body’s needs are different now, so you can be assured that you’re still getting what you need even if it doesn’t feel like it.

A good teacher can show you some pregnancy yoga stretches that are safe to do.

Limit Body Twists

Limit Back and Forward Stretches

We basically always want to make sure that we don’t squeeze our little passenger, and twisting our bodies is another way that we can constrict our abdomen.

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Remember, there’s somebody in there.

A twist can cut off circulation and we need that flow open so that baby can get the oxygen and nutrients he/she needs.

Slight twists to the upper body that don’t include the lower part of your body may be alright, but really be sure not to twist too far.

It’s recommended that you twist away from your bent leg in some reclining poses. Even then, do those poses gently.

Limit Ab Poses

Limit Ab Workout Poses

Related to the last tip is this one. Limit the number of poses that work your abs.

Ab work presses, pinches, and squeezes the abdomen. But now that abdomen is housing someone.

Think of it this way. What if your house suddenly pressed in on you, squeezed you between its walls, and collapsed itself inward.

And you’re in there. Ouch. Baby feels the same way. You’ll have plenty of time to work those abs after the baby is born.

The baby will even be how you work your abs sometimes with all the lifting and carrying you’re going to do.

So you can give most of these a pass for now, without feeling like you’re missing anything or depriving your body of anything it needs.

Don’t Do Revolved Poses

Do Not Do Revolved Poses

What are revolved poses? Revolved poses are like twists. You don’t do these for the same reasons as twisted or abdominal poses.

They are poses that are variations on standard straight poses, but then you revolve one way or another to hold the pose in a different, twisted position.

They will constrict the abdomen or uterus and squeeze the baby and the umbilical cord.

Just stick with the regular versions of these poses for now.

Cut Back on Inversions

What are Yoga Inversions?  Yoga Inversions are poses in which the heart is below your head.  One of the ones you would probably recognize is the supported Shoulder Yoga Stand or even Downward Facing Dog.

These might be okay in the first trimester but as you go on you may just want to say goodbye to anything that has you standing on your head or flipping over heels overhead.

Being upside-down can take some pressure off of the spine and stretch it out a little, which can make it feel good.

But the baby is getting ready to position later in the pregnancy and this can interfere.

Not to mention, your center of gravity is different and there’s an increased chance of falling. For now, just stay upright.

There are still plenty of poses to include in your practice and gentle stretches can help to stretch your back at least a little for relief.

Check out these Pregnancy Yoga Related Articles Below for more info.


We Hope You Like This Post About Yoga Pregnancy Safety Tips

Using Yoga During Your Pregnancy Safety Tips

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Even though you have to modify your yoga practice to accommodate your pregnancy, it doesn’t mean that you miss out on any of the benefits that come with it.

Also, because your body is changing its needs are different as well, so changing your practice with it makes sense anyway.

Go ahead and continue or try your first practice. Let your teacher know about your pregnancy.

Check with your doctor at each stage and check out prenatal yoga classes in your area.

You’ll make new friends, get extra help and attention, and have someone to answer any further questions you may have.

Oh, and congratulations on your new baby.  Namaste!

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This article was made in CATEGORIES: Posts About Yoga – DESCRIPTION: Pregnancy Safety Tips that you should be aware of when you practice yoga. Yoga is safe and we’ll explore which yoga poses are unsafe for you.

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