Yoga in pregnancy: how to practice it correctly and why is it beneficial?

Wondering if yoga is safe to practice during pregnancy? Prepare your body and mind for birth with these tips from YogaBellies founder Cheryl MacDonald. Pregnancy yoga classes involve much more than just adjusting the poses to keep you and your pregnancy safe.

"A lot of what we do is about making you feel comfortable in pregnancy and preparing your body for birth,"

explains Cheryl MacDonald, pregnancy yoga expert and founder of YogaBellies, which offers in-person classes and live online sessions.

"We support women with pelvic pain, sciatica, high blood pressure and pre-eclampsia and help with balancing hormones, calming the central nervous system and lowering cortisol levels to help mums relax and not worry about birth. And of course it's beneficial to be around other women in a similar situation and provide support for each other."

Are you expecting a baby? Whatever stage of pregnancy you're at, read our step-by-step guide to prenatal yoga!

A guide to prenatal yoga

During the first trimester, when you may feel very nauseous, MacDonald recommends spending a lot of time resting. You can start or continue a yoga practice, but it should be very restorative, using blocks, bolsters and pillows and focusing on your breath. If your feet itch, the second trimester is the best time to be more active as your tummy is not too big yet, so you are not too restricted in movement and hopefully you won't get sick. You're also less likely to be as tired, so you can be a little more energetic when you exercise.

"It's time to strengthen your calves, hamstrings and the whole area around your pelvic girdle. Gentle core work will also help prevent back pain and strengthen the pelvic floor," says MacDonald. "I always say you wouldn't come to a marathon without training, and the same goes for childbirth. It's hard on the body and you need strength and endurance."

Positions to focus on include the triangle position and warrior position (against the wall), butterfly position and child's pose with wide knees, and you can try a modified sun salute, but it's important to follow some general guidelines. Avoid positions that put pressure on the abdomen (e.g. lying on your stomach, hip flexors or deep turns) as you want to avoid anything that compresses the uterus. Also make sure that any twists are not too deep as they can cause pressure on the lower back.

It's also important to remember that your body will produce a lot of relaxin, which softens ligaments and opens the pelvic girdle in preparation for labour, but it also means you'll be overly flexible.

We often hear people in the second trimester say:

"Wow, I've never been able to get into this position before."

This is very important to me. But if that's the case for you, pregnancy is not the time to start doing it because you could easily overstretch and damage yourself. You can still exercise vigorously, but it's not the time to start new things."

When you enter the third trimester, everything changes again and it's time to go back to recovery positions. You are likely to be less mobile and this is when pelvic and lower back pain often occur.

We work on strengthening your legs and focus on finding comfortable positions for birth. Do lots of squats (try the wreath position) and warrior positions, but use support. Try the warrior II position with your back against the wall or rest your front thigh on a chair.

Adapting yoga sun salutations for pregnancy

Adapt sun salutations to the growing belly. Above all, be gentle and move with the breath - inhale as the body expands and exhale as it contracts. If you ever feel dizzy, descend into the baby position.

• Mountain Pose - Put your feet further apart to accommodate your expanding hips.
• Bent over - Try the chair position instead to preserve space around your bump. If your tummy is still quite small, slouch forward but rest your hands on high blocks.
• Downward dog - Focus on pulling the sit bones in, not the impact of your heels on the mat. Put your hands and feet a little further apart.
• Chaturanga - Keep your knees resting on the mat.
• Upward dog - If you are comfortable being on all fours, perform a cat/cow. Otherwise, sit in a light position and gently rock back and forth.

Source: womensfitness.co.uk