Prenatal Yoga

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some answers to common questions pregnant yoga practitioners ask:

Can I do inversions while pregnant?

Many women who have regularly included inversions in their practice before becoming pregnant wish to continue doing inversions while pregnant. Women should listen to their bodies. If it doesn’t feel good they shouldn’t do it. It is not recommended that women who do not regularly practice inversions before pregnancy do inversions while pregnant.

Can I do backbends while pregnant?

As with inversions, if they haven’t been doing backbends before pregnancy, women should listen to their bodies and shouldn’t start doing intense backbends while pregnant. Moreover, because there is more weight being put on the spine during pregnancy, especially in the late second and third trimesters, intense back bending is not recommended. (demonstrate with the ball)

Why can’t I lay flat on my back while pregnant?

After about four or five months of pregnancy, women should not lay on their backs for more than a minute at a time. The reason for this is that one of the major blood vessels called the vena cava runs along the back. The vena cava is responsible for bringing blood to the heart from the rest of the body. When a woman lays on her back the heaviness of the uterus can compress the vena cava, thereby diminishing the blood supply to the heart and to the baby. The results of lying on the back for a prolonged period of time are dizziness and lightheadedness as well as decreased blood flow to baby.

Can I use yoga to help turn a breech baby?

One of the most effective ways to turn breech babies after 36 weeks of pregnancy is to use yoga positions. The most effective position is the supported bridge. A woman should place a large stack of pillows under her hips making the angle of her hips to head at least 45 degrees. The higher she can get her hips, the better. She should stay in this position for a minimum of 10-15 minutes two or three times a day. This position will not be very comfortable and the baby will probably move quite a bit. To make this position even more effective, the woman should place an ice pack on top of the uterus, near the sternum where the baby’s head is. This encourages the baby to move away from the cold into the head down position. Note: Once the baby moves into a head down position, the woman should frequently sit in Bound Angle pose, with her feet together and knees out. This position encourages the baby’s head to engage in the pelvis. Women should avoid this pose while the baby is breech.