Eight months pregnant and I feel like I could carry this bun in my oven for another 8 months. Sound crazy? I love being pregnant.
My back doesn’t hurt. Sleeping is easy. I haven’t retained any water.
Am I just lucky? Perhaps.
Is it because I’m relatively young? Maybe.
Prenatal, 2010 @Bliss Photo by Luna
Has this pregnancy been such smooth sailing because I started prenatal yoga early on? That’s what I believe.
In November, 2010, I interviewed yoga teacher Jill Campbell for a story about the benefits of prenatal yoga. (You can read the Suburban article here.)
She told me one of the top reasons for practicing yoga throughout a pregnancy was to build up important stamina that would be needed in labour. She said prenatal yoga is very empowering and it helps us to mentally prepare for what’s to come.
Other benefits? There are many postures that help typical pregnancy symptoms like insomnia, water retention, carpal tunnel, lower and upper back pain.
Prenatal yoga helps us tap into important energies that will help us through possible panics, anxieties, worries and depression as a pregnancy progresses.
We can practice many types of yoga during pregnancy, though it’s always advised to take classes with teachers who have their prenatal certification. At Studio Bliss, prenatal-trained teachers include Jill, Virginie, Leah and Frances.
I particularly enjoy Leah’s Yin classes.
Whichever type of yoga you end up doing during your pregnancy, prenatal (which runs Thursday nights at 6:30 with Jill) is a very special experience. There is a lot of community built in the classes. We share aches and pains and what we are experiencing, and the class is 100% geared towards women who are expecting.
If you’re experiencing a particular problem related to pregnancy, Jill will give you the tools you need to fix the problem. There is an emphasis on connecting to your baby and also very important–perineum exercises!
Last night was the first night back to prenatal classes after Christmas break. There were a lot of new faces, new moms-to-be. A couple of women didn’t show because their babies had been born while on Christmas break!
I’m sure that prenatal yoga is one of the big reasons my pregnancy has gone so well. I recommend it to any woman whether you have done yoga before or not.
It’s always important, if you are in a non-prenatal class to let the teacher know you are expecting. There are many postures that are counter-indicated, and a trained teacher will be able to give you modifications which are good for you and safe for baby.
Happy pregnancy!
