Hello darling flow friends,


This blog today is one for the mummas to be, and an interesting read for Yoga teachers too.


I know when I finished my first teacher training, I felt that there was a real grey area when it came to giving the right support to my pregnant students, so later I went on to study pre/post natal yoga, and now I also teach this module on teacher trainings.


These common concern and recommendation are just some of the things that pop up through pregnancy, and you may not encounter any issues at all, but this just a great read to educate and bring a little insight to the colourful world of the Mumma to be.


Pregnancy is often the first introduction to the world of yoga for many of us, as its such a wonderful opportunity to tune into your changing body, and create relationship with your baby.


But what is the best practice, and recommendations for the Mumma to be?  


What might be experienced over the 40 weeks?


Lets jump right in!





Blooming beautiful Alina
Blooming​​ Alina

"A baby makes your love stronger, the days shorter, the nights longer, and your heart full"

Anon

First trimester of pregnacy

If you are lucky you may sail through the first trimester, its often a time where you are bubbling over with a heady mix of hormones, excitement, trepidation and forward planning.


Things that you may experience are morning sickness (that may last all day unfortunately) food craving and often eversions, I was a vego and completely went off vegetables?! apart from mashed potatoes, and opted from honey and banana milkshakes, which normally I would never choose.


Other changes may include 

  • Extreme tiredness
  • Tender swollen breasts
  • Mood swings
  • Constipation, and or frequent peeing!
  • Head aches
  • Heart burn
  • Weight gain or loss

In this first trimester if you have had a regular yoga practice, are feeling ok, with no history of complications like miscarriage, by all means continue with awareness and just avoiding getting to hot, closed twists and strong ab work.


If you are new to yoga, maybe start in the second trimester just to play it safe.




Second trimester of pregnacy

The second trimester is often called the honeymoon phase and if you have manged to shake the morning sickness, you might even start to receive that age old compliment that you are glowing :) 


Towards the end of the trimester you will start to feel your bub moving and most likely you finally start to look pregnant not just like you've had a big lunch!


Other things you may now experience are

  • Body aches
  • Stretch marks
  • A dark line running south from your belly button.
  • Your face may start experience blotchy pigmentation.
  • Itching on the belly, palms and soles of the feet are common.
  • Swelling of the ankles, finger and face.

Third trimester of prenancy


The home stretch, literally!!

Many woman find breathing difficult, and movement more awkward due to the baby getting bigger and compressing the lung and organs.


Some of the same discomforts from the second trimester may continue, and often you may notice new challenges such as.

  • Haemorrhoids
  • Leaky breasts
  • Belly button popping out
  • Trouble sleeping 
  • Braxton hicks contractions (false labour)
  • Needing to pee alot!
  • Diastasis recti (ab separation)
  • Symphysis pubis dysfunction (Shooting pain in the pelvis)
  • Sacroiliac joint pain (pain shooting down the back of the legs) 
  • Carpal tunnel (pain in the wrists)
  • Leg Cramps 

Chat to your health care provider and yoga teacher if any of the above is happening, there is often a lot they can do or recommend to help remedy these issues.


"Everything grows rounder and wider and weirder, and here I sit in the middle of it all, and wonder who in the world you will turn out to be"

-Carrie Fisher 

Beauty in motion
Yoga for ​​2

What should i change in my yoga practice

You will find moving more challenging so slow you practice down, let go of the and know that this moment in time will pass so quickly.


In your practice you will need to make room for your bump by having your feet hit distance our wider in forward folds, no more laying on your belly, or on your back for more than a minute or so, avoid all closed twists, jump backs, getting to hot, and only gentle back bends.


In Savasana laying on your left side which is best for blood flow to baby.


Post natal

Its recommended if you had a straight forward vaginal delivery to wait 6 weeks before resuming practice.\


If you had a C section it is recommended to wait 12 weeks until everything has knitted back together, and you have stability again.



Embrace your evolution

Life as you know it is about to change for ever, you will be reborn as a mother, and your internal compass will shift irrevocably, my advice is to go with the flow, trust you instincts, lean on your friend and family for support, rest as often and you can, and ask for help if it all gets to much, in India they also honour a 4th Trimester, where all the mother does is feed her baby rest and repair, the village steps in and takes over the cooking and cleaning, what a blessing! this in hindsight this would have saved me personally, the heartache I caused myself trying to do it al still was so unnecessary. 


Sending love and blessing till next we meet.


Hollie x




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