Prenatal Yoga

*As I am reading "The Birth Partner" third edition by Penny Simkin I am trying to record thoughts that I have that may be helpful in my doula work.

One of the best things I did during my second pregnancy was prenatal yoga.  As I did not have the funds or someone to watch my older son during a class I used video tapes from our library.  After going through several dvd's I finally found one that I really liked.  I liked it because it had different modifications for each trimester. A lot of the other instruction dvds were just general pregnancy yoga and were either way to difficult with a larger belly or too easy.  Prenatal Yoga with Shiva Rea was on my TV every night from abot 25 weeks on.  Ok, not every night but I did my yoga 3 to 4 times a week and I think it really helped to keep my muscles toned and flexible.

Exercise is something that is not really focused on during pregnancy, but is so important.  I think we often say "oh, I am pregnant so I can't do that" but our bodies need help gearing up for the work they must do during the birth of our babies. Yoga is an especially nice exercise because it helps you learn to focus, to find a calm place in your mind.  It also has many positions that take the pressure off your back and a lot of other places that get sore during pregnancy.  A few of the various exercises I learned from my yoga dvd I would do throughout the day  because they would alleviate stress so well.  Controlled breathing taught in yoga is also beneficial during labor to draw your focus in on yourself as your body labors.