What are the benefits of a prenatal yoga practice?

1. Relief from pregnancy symptoms. Getting active — including during prenatal yoga — helps relieve symptoms including constipation, back pain, bloating, swelling and fatigue.

2. Better sleep. As you likely know, a good snooze is extra tricky when you’re expecting — but gentle exercise has been shown time and again to improve sleep.

3. Lower blood pressure. Studies have shown that pregnant women’s heart rate and blood pressure lowers after doing prenatal yoga — even more so than after doing other low-impact exercises like walking.

4. Reduced risk of preterm labor and other complications. High stress levels have been shown to increase miscarriage and preterm birth rates, and yoga is a great stress-reducer. In one study of 335 pregnant women, half the women did yoga — including breathing exercises, posture positions and meditation — for one hour a day, while the other half of the women walked for 30 minutes twice a day. Though both groups spent the same amount of time active, the yoga group had a lower preterm labor rate as well as lower risk of pregnancy-reduced hypertension.

5. Stabilized moods. Another study showed that integrated yoga — that is, exercise-based yoga combined with meditation, deep relaxation and breathing exercises — significantly decreased levels of depression in moms-to-be.

6. Weight management. Like all physical activity, yoga keeps you active, which helps you to better manage your prenatal weight gain.

7. An improved delivery experience. The breathing exercises you’ll practice in yoga can be calming when it comes time to push baby out. Plus the mobilizing and strengthening aspects of the practice can improve your delivery experience and your recovery (from either a vaginal birth or C-section), since your core and other important muscles will be stronger and more balanced. In fact, one small study found that women who participated in a yoga routine involving just six sessions before birth spent less time overall in labor than those who did not. They also reported they felt less pain and more comfortable during and immediately after labor.

Can prenatal yoga be my first experience of yoga?

Yes! You don’t have to be a yogi before you begin prenatal yoga. As long as your doctor has given you the green light to stay physically active during pregnancy, yoga is an ideal activity for all expectant moms: It’s gentle and designed for pregnancy, which means it helps prepare you for the mental aspects of childbirth. But remember, it’s always a good idea to check with your doctor before starting any new exercise during pregnancy. 

At what point in my pregnancy can I start taking specific prenatal classes? 

Generally my advice is to wait until your second trimester to begin a specific prenatal practice. If you are already active and practice yoga then the chances are that you won’t need to adapt your practice until this time. During the first trimester, experts agree that if you are not already active then the first few weeks of pregnancy are not the time to begin anything new. 

Can I continue to practice right up until my due date?

Absolutely yes! So long as you and baby are both doing well then keeping up a regular,  gentle practice right until baby comes can have many benefits for both of you. Remember to continue to listen to your body and due dates are only a best guess at when your baby will arrive!

What if my baby arrives before I have finished the course? 

 If your baby arrives before you have had a chance to complete the course or workshop that you booked then please reach out and let us know! In most cases a partial refund or discount off future services can be arranged. 

There are complications effecting my pregnancy. Can I still attend? 

In most cases the answer will be ‘yes’ depending on your personal circumstances. In some cases I may require you to obtain written confirmation from your healthcare provider that you are able to partake in light exercise. There are a very few ‘high risk’ conditions which unfortunately would exclude you as it would not be in your best interest for you to partake. If you know your pregnancy is considered ‘high risk’ please do let me know on your intake form and we will arrange a time to chat about your personal situation and how I can accommodate you.

Contraindications

(The following is an excerpt from 2019 Canadian guideline for physical activity throughout pregnancy.)

Women with absolute contraindications may continue their usual activities of daily living but should not participate in more strenuous activities. Women with relative contraindications should discuss the advantages and disadvantages of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity with their obstetric care provider prior to participation.

The following are absolute contraindications to exercise (These conditions would exclude you from partaking in public classes)

• Ruptured membranes.

• Premature labour.

• Unexplained persistent vaginal bleeding.

• Placenta previa after 28 weeks’ gestation.

• Pre-eclampsia.

• Incompetent cervix.

• Intrauterine growth restriction.

• High-order multiple pregnancy (eg, triplets).

• Uncontrolled type I diabetes.

• Uncontrolled hypertension.

• Uncontrolled thyroid disease.

• Other serious cardiovascular, respiratory or systemic disorder.

The following are relative contraindications to exercise: (doctor’s note required to participate)

• Recurrent pregnancy loss.

• Gestational hypertension.

• A history of spontaneous preterm birth.

• Mild/moderate cardiovascular or respiratory disease.

• Symptomatic anaemia.

• Malnutrition.

• Eating disorder.

• Twin pregnancy after the 28th week.

• Other significant medical conditions.

Is coming to class once a week ‘enough’ ?

The specific recommendations in the 2019 Canadian Guideline for Physical Activity throughout Pregnancy are provided below with corresponding statements indicating the quality of the evidence informing the recommendations and the strength of the recommendations (explanations follow).

1. All women without contraindication should be physically active throughout pregnancy. Strong recommendation, moderate-quality evidence.

Specific subgroups were examined:

• Women who were previously inactive. Strong recommendation, moderate-quality evidence.

• Women diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus. Weak recommendation, low-quality evidence.

• Women categorised as overweight or obese (prepregnancy body mass index ≥25 kg/m2). Strong recommendation ii , low-quality evidence.

2. Pregnant women should accumulate at least 150 min of moderate-intensity physical activity each week to achieve clinically meaningful health benefits and reductions in pregnancy complications. Strong recommendation, moderate-quality evidence.

3. Physical activity should be accumulated over a minimum of 3 days per week; however, being active every day is encouraged. Strong recommendation, moderate-quality evidence.

4. Pregnant women should incorporate a variety of aerobic and resistance training activities to achieve greater benefits. Adding yoga and/or gentle stretching may also be beneficial. Strong recommendation, high-quality evidence.

5. Pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) (eg, Kegel exercises) may be performed on a daily basis to reduce the risk of urinary incontinence. Instruction on the proper technique is recommended to obtain optimal benefits. Weak recommendation iv , low-quality evidence.

I highly encourage all my students to take advantage of my online Mommy Moves membership in order to keep their practice and activity levels up throughout pregnancy.

How soon after my birth can I take part?

Your lochia (blood flow) must have completely stopped AND you must have received the ‘all clear’ to return to activity from your healthcare provider. Below is a rough guide to post-birth healing times. Every birth is different and you may need more time to heal than the suggestions below, please be mindful.

Vaginal birth with no significant tearing - 6 weeks

Vaginal birth with significant tears or episiotomy - 8 weeks

C Section birth - 10 - 12 weeks (scar must be well healed)

My baby is crawling. Can I still take part?

You are more than welcome to attend class with a crawling baby. However many moms feel that once their little one is on the move it becomes increasingly difficult to get much yoga done. There are still great social reasons for attending class if you wish to keep coming and I encourage moms to keep coming so long as they feel they are getting something out of the practice.

My baby has ‘colic’. Can I still take part?

My advice to moms in this situation is to drop in, give it a go and see if it works out for you. Some colicky babies may love the soothing atmosphere and the attention but for others, it may be overwhelming. You could also try wearing your colicky baby to class in a baby carrier. If it isn’t working out for you then I have no problems refunding for the remainder of the course.

Do we do ‘core work’ in Mom & Baby yoga?

Yes absolutely, gentle, restorative core work will come up in most classes. The emphasis is on building a positive connection to your postpartum body rather than ‘getting back in your skinny jeans’ though.

What should I bring to class?

Please feel free to bring anything at all that will make your life easier and help keep you and your baby comfortable. Please no phones or screens on the mat. Here are some suggestions of items that may be of use:

• Water bottle

• Snacks

• Baby’s favorite toys

• Baby blanket

• Baby carrier for wearing baby