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Pregnancy & Birth -
Exercise
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Written by Lauren Jacobs
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One of the most common pregnancy related complaints I hear from my pregnant clients and prenatal yoga students is back pain. Low back pain, mid back pain, shoulder and neck pain...you name it, most pregnant women feel it at one point or another! What pose comes to the rescue?? Cat/Cow stretches!
This flow of movement between two poses works on stretching your entire spine, releases low back tension, helps gently tone the abdominal muscles, and helps lubricate the spine. This post is safe for all trimesters and can also be extremely beneficial during labor to alleviate tension or to help with “back labor”.
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Pregnancy & Birth -
Exercise
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Written by Lauren Jacobs
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Squatting, in my opinion is the most valuable pose for pregnancy and childbirth. In a full squat position, your pelvis opens up about 20% more than any other position your body can be in, it shortens the birth canal, and employs gravity to encourage the baby to move down.
Squatting is important for many reasons. It helps open the hips, strengthens & stretches the thighs, elongates the spine, and can even assist in breaking up scar tissue in the cervix (caused by previous cervical procedures or previous births), in addition it can bring relaxation to the pelvic floor muscles. During labor and birth, squatting can help by opening the pubic symphysis in the pelvis making more room for the baby.
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Pregnancy & Birth -
Exercise
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Written by Lauren Jacobs
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When thinking about the actual act of birthing a child, what muscles do you think we use the most? To me, the most obvious are the abdominals, the muscles of the pelvic floor, and the legs... well thank goodness for Warrior II, because that is just what this pose is for. In addition to strengthening these areas, it also increases the flexibility in the hips and groin, it increases stamina, and stretches the back and the legs.
Warrior II is probably one of the most well known poses in yoga and is one of the most beneficial for pregnancy, both for strengthening the body and alleviating prenatal discomforts. Done right, this pose can build up muscle in the inner thighs, help keep the abdominal muscles strong, can help maintain good posture, and can encourage you to engage and strengthen the pelvic floor.
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Pregnancy & Birth -
Exercise
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Written by Lauren Jacobs
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The Many Benefits of Prenatal Yoga
by: Lauren Jacobs, RYT, CD, SM
Growing that “baby belly” can be a wonderful, joyous experience, but it is often mixed with challenges for the body and mind. Developing a consistent yoga practice during pregnancy is probably one of the most beneficial things you can do for your body & your baby in preparation for childbirth. By linking yoga postures with breath as well as the use of guided meditation, yoga during pregnancy can help bring awareness to the mind, body, & spirit, as well as help connect you to the spirit of your baby.
Prenatal Yoga is specifically designed to help alleviate the most common pregnancy ailments. The postures chosen by an experienced, educated teacher will assist in adapting to the many emotional & physical changes that occur during pregnancy. Specific postures help strengthen & tone the uterus and pelvic muscles, they improve circulation in the legs & pelvic area, they aid in digestion, exercise the spine, and increase overall comfort during pregnancy. Yoga can also help alleviate other discomforts such as low back pain, sciatica, swelling, varicose veins, and nausea.
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