If you are hoping to become pregnant in the coming year, it’s a good idea to start preparing your body for the upcoming changes now. That’s because your body will undergo dramatic adjustments to make room for your growing baby as well as to prepare you for labor and delivery. The more you can prepare your body for what’s ahead, the smoother the journey can be for both you and baby. Yoga can play an important role in this adventure! We love helping women develop healthy habits for their body and mind that will not only help them before and during their pregnancy but long into their journey of motherhood as well.
YOGA FOR EVERY BODY
How Yoga Can Help Prepare Your Body For Pregnancy
USING YOGA BEFORE YOU GET PREGNANT
How Your Body Will Change With Pregnancy
It is truly amazing how the body changes and adapts to create a welcoming home for your growing baby. Some of these changes are dramatic and unexpected, while others will feel natural and even pleasant. Each woman’s journey is different and how she experiences these changes may be very different from her family and friends. The uniqueness of the journey is something to be celebrated! It’s wise to learn about what changes happen, though, so you can know what to expect as your pregnancy advances. Some of the most common and biggest changes include:
- Your hormone levels will change. In fact, your body will be flooded with hormones that tell it what to do and how to act now that you are pregnant. These hormones can affect your mood, make you more tired than normal, cause nausea, and cause your breasts to swell and feel tender.
- As the baby grows in your uterus, you’ll start to develop the baby bump. As it grows, your internal organs will be pushed up and back to make room for the baby. This can cause you to feel more out of breath than normal. Heartburn is also common and the increased pressure on your bladder may mean more frequent trips to the bathroom.
- Your body will start to move differently to account for the increased weight on your front. You might waddle when you walk, especially as your belly grows larger. Your spine will also realign to account for the changes in your body.
Of course, these are just the big ones; there are many more changes that can happen to your body, including changes to your oral health, hair and skin texture, and even how flexible you are!
How Yoga Can Help Prepare You For Those Changes
The more you prepare your body now, the easier it’s going to be to transition through all of these changes. Yoga can be an important part of this preparation!
It Helps You Manage Stress.
Yoga is a great way to help ease stress and anxiety, both of which can run high when you are trying to conceive. Yoga encourages mindfulness as well as controlled breathing exercises that can help you focus on the present. It also releases important hormones that can reduce your stress level and help you feel happier.
It Can Increase Fertility.
Getting pregnant can take time, so everything you can do to increase your fertility is a positive. Yoga is one of those things. Not only does yoga help increase your chances of conception by lowering your stress levels, it can direct more nutrient-rich blood flow into your reproductive system. It can also encourage your glands to work at optimum levels, giving your body the hormones it needs in order to become pregnant.
It Strengthens Your Body.
Yoga is a wonderful, low-impact way of building your strength. The control needed to get into and maintain specific poses can help you strengthen your core muscles, which will be so important when it comes to labor and delivery. Getting tones before motherhood will help you recover after delivery faster, too. Getting into healthy habits now makes it more likely that you’ll continue them after you have your baby, as well.
It Stretches Important Muscle Groups.
Many women experience back and hip pain during their pregnancy as their body starts to move in different ways. Some of this discomfort can be eliminates by stretching certain muscle groups, giving your back and hips the flexibility that they need to move in these new ways. You might discover that you are actually more flexibile during your pregnancy, too, as your body releases a hormone that relaxes your ligaments in preparation for delivery.
It Helps You Stay Balanced…Physically And Emotionally.
Your balance is going to be off during your pregnancy, and that might be true for you physically as well as emotionally. As your uterus expands for body, it’s going to shift your center of gravity forward and could make you clumsier than normal. Yoga can help you regain that balance, strengthening core muscles to give you more control and keep you steady on your feet. The emotional benefits can help keep those hormone swings in balance, too!
OTHER WAYS TO PREPARE FOR PREGNANCY
- Eat a healthy, nutrient-rich diet.
- Eliminate unhealthy lifestyle habits like smoking and excessive drinking.
- Spend extra time with your partner.
- Enjoy activities that will be difficult to do when you have a baby.
- Focus on building a strong network of support.
- Be active for at least 30 minutes every day.
- Start taking a prenatal vitamin.
- Check in with your doctor and get a physical.
Are you looking for yoga classes near you in Virginia Beach? We’d love to welcome you to Collective Yoga. We love working with both those who are new to yoga and those who have been practicing it for a lifetime. Our studios are state-of-the-art and safe, supportive environments where you can explore yoga and how it can benefit your body and mind. Check out our current schedule with over 30 different yoga classes, each one ready to welcome you and join you on this journey. If you have questions about our classes or aren’t sure which one is right for you, get in touch with our team. You can give us a call or contact us through our website today.
