Stretching during pregnancy is essential to help you stay free of aches and pains and to put your body in the best position to be well prepared for labor and delivery.
Your body goes through enormous changes during pregnancy and can put a lot of strain on your hips, lower back and spine in particular.
In fact, pregnancy changes your posture which can cause a lot of discomfort.
Stretching in the lead-up to labor in particular can help prepare your body for the marathon that is labor and delivery.
In this class we focus on opening and releasing tension from your hips, inner thighs and lower back.
These pregnancy stretches can bring your body into the optimal position for labor.
They can also help to drop your baby lower into your pelvis and get the head engaged.
Practicing these exercises coupled with mindful breathing is a wonderful way to prepare you for labor and delivery.
There can be some anxiety and fear in the lead up to labor. As much as possible you don’t want to take that fear into birth with you.
Yoga is a magnificent tool to bring calm, clarity and focus into your mind. It calms your nervous system, reduces blood pressure and helps with anxiety and depression.
Practicing this class prepares both your physical body and mind to bring your sweet babe into our world.
You only need 12 minutes to do today’s pregnancy stretch class and you’ll see that not long is needed to take care of your body and mind. It really does make the world of difference.
If you are early into your pregnancy, that’s wonderful. Continue to practice these stretches regularly throughout the entirety of your pregnancy and you will be in a wonderful position.
If you’re in the later stages of your pregnancy, try to practice this as often as you can. Up to three times a week in the last month of pregnancy is great.
For a well rounded healthy pregnancy, you’ll need to practice strength exercises as well. This is important to create stability in your body.
During pregnancy you have a large amount of the hormone relaxin in your body which can cause your joints and ligaments to become unstable (especially if you over stretch) therefore stretching with strength based work is the perfect balance.
I wish you a very happy pregnancy and birth. I hope you enjoy the class.
Once you’ve finished the class, leave me a comment below. I love to hear from you!
And of course, if you do join the class, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Seeing photos of you all working hard to be the healthiest version of yourself is my favorite!
If you’ re looking for more pregnancy yoga classes, check these out below:
