Yoga is not just a physical practice; it’s a philosophy that emphasises the mind-body connection with breathing techniques and meditation, each offering numerous benefits for both physical and mental well-being. When applied to pregnancy, yoga offers a holistic approach to preparing for childbirth, including teaching movements and positions that can make labour more comfortable and efficient. Practising yoga consistently throughout pregnancy can be a powerful tool to prepare for childbirth, “which can have a positive effect on anxiety, mode of birth and duration of labour” (Corrigan et al, 2022) .
Here are five ways yoga can help you prepare for birth:
1. Strengthens the Body for Labour
Yoga poses, or asanas, help strengthen the muscles used during childbirth, such as the pelvic floor, back, and core muscles. Regular yoga practice can improve flexibility, balance, and stamina, making it easier to navigate the physical demands of pregnancy and labour. Certain poses, like cat-cow pose and pelvic tilts, can help alleviate back pain and prepare the body for the birthing process.
- Pelvic Floor Strength: The pelvic floor muscles play a crucial role in childbirth. Yoga poses like squats, lunges, and bridge pose help strengthen these muscles, improving their ability to support the baby during labour and aiding in postpartum recovery.
- Core Muscle Activation: A strong core is essential for maintaining good posture and stability during pregnancy.Yoga poses like plank, boat pose, and twists engage the core muscles, helping to prepare the body for the physical exertion of labour.
- Improved Flexibility: Increased flexibility can make labour more comfortable by allowing the baby to move through the birth canal more easily. Yoga poses like child’s pose, forward fold, and hip openers can help stretch and lengthen the muscles of the hips, pelvis, and lower back.
2. Calms the Mind for a Peaceful Birth
Prenatal yoga often incorporates relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing and meditation. These practices can help reduce stress and anxiety, which are common during pregnancy. A calm mind can lead to a more peaceful birthing experience, as it allows you to stay focused and relaxed during contractions.
- Stress Reduction: Yoga’s emphasis on mindfulness and relaxation techniques can help reduce stress hormones like cortisol. This can lead to improved sleep, reduced anxiety, and a more positive outlook on the birthing process.
- Mental Clarity: Meditation and breathing exercises can help clear the mind and improve focus. This mental clarity can be beneficial during labour, allowing you to stay present.
- Positive Visualisation: Prenatal yoga often incorporates visualisation techniques, where you imagine a positive and empowering birth experience. This can help create a mental blueprint for a calm and confident labour.
3. Improves Breathing Techniques for Pain Management
Proper breathing is crucial during labour. Yoga teaches various breathing techniques, which can help to regulate the nervous system and promote relaxation, manage pain and conserve energy during contractions. These techniques can also help regulate your heart rate and blood pressure, promoting a smoother birthing process. One of my favourites to teach is below.
- Golden Thread Breath: Breathe in for a count of 4 through the nose and slowly breathe out through the mouth softly for a count of 4 or more, this focused breathing involves taking slow, deep breaths and focusing on the sensation of the breath entering and leaving the body. This technique can help to anchor your attention and reduce feelings of fear or overwhelm during labour (and any other time you need to find some calm). This breathing technique is great to use when riding the waves of surges (contractions) during labour. Top tip, if you teach this to your birth partner and practice during pregnancy this is something they can support you with by counting the breaths for you, which can help you focus and know you aren’t in this alone.
4. Learn movement and positions for a Labour and Birth
Yoga poses, or asanas, often mimic the natural positions the body adopts during labour. By practising these poses regularly, you can become familiar with them and feel more confident in your ability to find comfortable positions during childbirth.
- Squatting: This position opens the pelvis and can help gravity assist the baby’s descent. Yoga poses like Malasana (Garland Pose) and a deep squat can prepare you for this position.
- Lunges: Low lunges are a great position to invite more movement rocking forward and back creating space as your baby makes their way down the birth canal. You can also use a chair or a yoga ball to support you and keep your upper body more upright, again utilising gravity to get the most out of each contraction.
- Hands-and-Knees: This position can help relieve back pain and encourage the baby to move into an optimal position for birth. Yoga poses like Cow Pose and Child’s Pose can help you practise this position.
5. Connection to yourself and your Baby
Prenatal yoga often includes visualisation and relaxation techniques that can strengthen the bond and connection between you and your baby, promoting a sense of peace and love. So often life continues at warp speed while you’re pregnant. Pregnancy yoga classes provide you with time to really connect to the journey you are on, give you some headspace to slow down and honour your pregnancy, and feelings. Which helps build connection to yourself and your baby as you breathe and move together. Yoga also encourages you to tune in to your body and intuition which is strengthen over time and will serve you well as you begin to labour prepare to meet your baby.
Stacey Epstein – Breathe & Birth Brooklyn
Stacey is a Pregnancy and Postnatal Yoga teacher and Hypnobirthing Teacher.
She is passionate about supporting women through their journey to motherhood, body and mind with the powerful practices of yoga having experienced the benefits herself with the pregnancies of her two daughters and helping them get informed and prepared for birth teaching Hypnobirthing techniques.
Stacey provides 1:1 classes in person in Brooklyn NY and online!
