Prenatal Yoga- A Rewarding Experience for Expectant Mothers

Posted on May 28, 2014 By Monirul Hoque Styles of Yoga

Mothers to be often feel anxiety towards the changes their body goes through, especially during the first two trimesters. As any OB-GYN would recommend, daily exercise is necessary in order to keep oneself fit and ensure the health of the developing infant. While most women would prefer to take long naps in order to cope with the physical changes, healthier activities such as prenatal yoga are much more beneficial.

 

Benefits of Prenatal Yoga

Strength and Stamina Development

The female body goes through external and internal changes during the 9 months of gestation. As a result, parts of the anatomy such as the bone structure, muscles, and even the immune system can become compromised. Yoga helps the body prepare for the challenges agead, specifically the burden of carrying extra weight.

Some studies have pointed out that doing yoga is one of the best ways to enhance one’s immune system. Pregnancy has the potential to wreak havoc in a woman’s health, which is why prenatal yoga is such a valuable tool to use in order boost the body’s defenses against infection and diseases.

Helps Fortify the Pelvic Muscles

The Pelvis, specifically the pelvic floor, is one of the most important part of the female body when it comes to labor and birthing. The PC muscles need to be in top shape in order to facilitate natural birth with as little trauma as possible. Pushing out a seven-pound infant is no laughing matter, and doing pre-natal yoga helps prepare the pelvic muscles for the rigorous process of labor.

In addition, strengthened PC muscles also allow pregnant women to engage intercourse safety and pleasurably. If/when deemed safe by the OB-GYN, women in their first or second trimester can still have intercourse, provided their pelvic floor is strong. Otherwise, they can expect a lack of orgasm or even experience pain during intercourse.

Alleviates and Prevents Lower Back Pain

As the belly expands and gets heavier, the lower back becomes more vulnerable and susceptible to stress and pain. Most pregnant women start to experience lower back pain once they start their second trimester. The pain and discomfort can very well last until delivery, which can cause increased stress level and the potential for developing Pre-eclampsia.

Other aches and pains involve the thigh and leg muscles, which would sometimes become swollen due to the extra weight. Walking around can become quite a chore for women in their third trimester, but this can be prevented by doing flexibility exercises. The lower extremities usually do to not get much exercise as pregnant women tend to stay off their feet once they hit the sixth or seventh month.

Prenatal stretches will not only loosen muscles of the lower body, but also allow better blood flow and oxygenation.

Calming Effect on the Nervous System

Pregnant women can learn various breathing techniques, each of which are tools for relaxation that facilitates the process of labor. Nine months may seem like a long time, but most first time mothers would find out that time actually flies by really quick. Learning about pre-labor breathing techniques would help reduce the anxiety, especially for those who have not yet been through the process.

The nervous system needs to be as calm as possible, otherwise pain can become amplified. This is something that you would want to avoid if you are about to deliver a child naturally.

Making a Connection with Your Baby

What every mother hopes for is to bond with their little one even before the baby is born. This can be achieved though prenatal yoga, as it does not only bring balance in the female body, but also allow for spiritual enlightenment. The connection between mother and child goes beyond bilogical bonds, and yoga allows the unfettered exploration of such relationship.

Strong Sense of Community

Going to yoga classes for expecting mothers gives you a chance to share the experience with women who can appreciate your journey, as they are pretty much in the same boat. You can take a few friends who are also expectant mothers on your trip, or meet new friends from the yoga classes. Either way, you can certainly find like minded women who are also looking to find inner peace and confidence that can help them get through the pregnancy.

Safety Concerns

Many first time mothers are apprehensive about taking up high impact activities for fear of endangering their unborn child. Those who have never tried doing yoga before, there is nothing to be concerned about when it comes to your safety and that of the baby. Prenatal yoga is specifically designed to be safe for women, even in their third trimester.

The poses are a little different from what you might expect from other types such as Bikram or Tantric yoga. While some poses may be challenging, none of the exercises will pose any kind of danger to the baby. More importantly, the teacher will ensure your body is properly warmed up before tackling advanced poses.

Prenatal Yoga in Costa Rica

Costa Rica has become a premier destination for wellness vacations. Sarah Zen is one of the excellent Yoga gurus in Costa Rica who teaches prenatal yoga to would-be mothers. A yoga retreat would not be complete without getting the best instructions and insight from a guru who has spent a better part of her life teaching and writing about yoga.

When planning a trip, you can also take a look at some of the healthy dining destinations around Costa Rica. In addition to enrolling in prenatal yoga classes, it would also be great to experience organic dining at its best.  It is quite rare to find a place where you can keep fit and still enjoy good food.   Pregnancy does a lot of things to a woman’s appetite, which usually means indulging too much in fat-laden foods and sweet treats.  What Costa Rica offers is a chance to not only reap the benefits of prenatal yoga, but also immerse oneself into organic cuisine that is unique to this part of the world.  Eating healthy and exercising has never been this accessible.