Guest blog by Erika Junco, BirthSource Georgia
During pregnancy, many pregnant women experience stress, anxiety, physical discomfort and can have trouble sleeping. These are all normal, but taking a prenatal yoga class can provide a safe and effective way to build strength, reduce stress, and reduce many pregnancy related aches and pains.
Even if you have not been active before getting pregnant, yoga is safe to begin doing and can be a great addition to your daily life and your birthing preparation checklist.
Prenatal yoga cannot only help alleviate, but may actually help prevent many common ailments such as nausea, round ligament pain and back pain. Breathing practices, stretches and positioning learned in prenatal yoga can help with the physical discomfort and allow you to sleep better, and the mental exercises and deep breathing can help eliminate stress and anxiety, so you feel better and more prepared for the changes to come.
In addition to providing relief from physical and emotional stress, prenatal yoga can also help prepare the body for the process of birthing! A skilled yoga teacher can help you strengthen your pushing muscles and safely stretch and strengthen your hips and joints for greater ease during birth.
Many classes go even a step further, explaining the changes in your body during labor and birth, and lead you through physical and mental exercises to use during labor. You will learn to calm your mind, breathe, and feel confident in your ability to birth your baby.
