This is what’s missing from most prenatal yoga classes
From where I sit, we’re doing a real disservice to women and birthing people when we’re simply adapting postures to pregnancy and labeling it “prenatal yoga.” Of course, it’s important to practice postures that are safe for the pregnant body, and to make adjustments and adaptations as the belly/baby grows (i.e. at some point, it may be uncomfortable to lay flat on the back, do “closed twists,” overstretch the belly, move too quickly from kneeling to standing, etc.).
Photo by Alexander Krivitskiy on Unsplash
And yet, prenatal yoga teachers, yoga therapists and providers can offer so much more. Community. Connection. Childbirth Education. Emotional support and resources. Encouragement of your own intuitive knowing and your body’s wisdom (I do know a handful who do this well).
Prenatal Yoga and much of prenatal care in general in the West, is solely focused on the physical body: Weight gained, blood pressure, measurements, heart rates, blood sugar, movement adaptations, etc. And these are necessary, BUT pregnancy and the upcoming postpartum period are full human experiences - the needs of the body, the mind, the heart are all intertwined and we must address all of them when guiding a pregnant woman or person during their prenatal journey, towards and through birth, and as a new parent.
Here’s what’s missing from most Prenatal Yoga classes:
A focus on overall mobility, rather than “stretching” and “opening:” Pregnant bodies are often way MORE flexible due to a hormone called Relaxin that starts pumping through the body during the first trimester. Relaxin is what helps the pelvis become more mobile and malleable for birth, but its effects are felt all over. Too much stretching can create injury and further discomfort for a pregnant individual.
Further, I’ve taken many a yoga class myself where the emphasis is on opening the hips, rather than on overall hip mobility. During birth, especially if you choose to labor without medication, we want access to a full range of motion - internal rotation, external rotation, and overall ball and socket joint mobility. To open the inlet of the pelvis during labor, you might practice more external rotation (hip opening), but to open the outlet (like during the pushing phase or to help baby drop), you’ll need internal rotation (knees together). We talk more about this in the Prenatal Yoga + Pregnancy Care Course.Experimenting with coping mechanisms, laboring positions, and breathing techniques: Prenatal Yoga is the PERFECT environment for digging into the ways we cope with sensation, rushes, and pain, and can help you understand how your body responds and what it needs. Here’s a time to practice things like the “mock contraction,” which will evoke sensation that we can learn to cope with and develop a ritual around - things like breathing, touch, sound, mantra can all be helpful, but we have to practice. It’s also a great time to build muscle memory with various laboring positions, because birth can happen so many other ways than on the back in a bed. Different forms of squatting, side lying, lunging, all four’s, working with a birth ball, and more are great options for labor.
Childbirth Education: We come to prenatal yoga, because we want to feel better in our bodies, to connect with our babies, and to learn more about the birth process. In our culture, birth is shrouded in mystery for many (we don’t grow up in villages for the most part where we see birth or breastfeeding women). We don’t know what we don’t know. I also say this for second, third, and fourth pregnancies, too, as many women I’ve worked with seek a different experience than they had with their former births. Here’s a time to learn about the anatomy of the pregnant body, to discover the intricacies of the pelvis, to learn about how to select the care providers that are right for you and your family, to develop birth preferences, to know your rights during birth, and to prepare for the postpartum experience - breastfeeding, infant sleep, transitioning back to work, etc. These conversations are necessary, and from my experience, incredibly rich and rewarding when coupled with a prenatal yoga community.
What do you wish you would’ve known during your pregnancy? What are you looking for to support you in your pregnancy now or in the future? I’d love to hear it. We have a course called: Prenatal Yoga + Pregnancy Care up on the online programs page that I lead along with my dear friend, Dr. Mariah Stump. Dr. Mariah is an MD and medical acupuncturist, practicing at the Women’s Medicine Collaborative in Rhode Island. Please check it out if you’re pregnant and would like to develop a relationship with your body, ease fear and overwhelm about the pregnancy/birth/postpartum process, and alleviate aches and pains now.
With love,
Leanne
P.S. To read more about the Prenatal Yoga + Pregnancy Care Course (and to preview some of the lessons), please click here.
