Yoga cares for Mums

by Jenny Schellhorn - Doula & Prenatal Yoga Instructor 

BENEFITS OF YOGA IN PREGNANCY, BIRTH & BEYOND

• Nourishes body, mind & soul
• Provides mental calm – helps adjust to the new condition
• Gradually strengthens the body
• Tones inner organs & may help prevent uterus prolapse
• Helps relieve back pain & joint pain
• Can help alleviate morning sickness
• May prevent high blood-pressure & toxaemia
• Provides relief from fluid retention
• Enhances the mother’s awareness of her own body and builds confidence in her abilities.

PHYSICAL HEALTH

Maintaining optimum health is important for everyone, especially the pregnant woman. Regular practice of Yoga postures specific for pregnancy helps to relieve body fatigue, release tension, increase flexibility and promote strength, by the gentle stretching of muscles, extending of limbs, rotation of joints and mobilizing the spine. These practices also significantly benefit the internal function of the body’s organs thereby aiding circulation, digestion, respiration, heart function, as well as regulating the nervous system. Many of the Yoga practices are utilized by pregnant women to address common ailments that arise during pregnancy such as insomnia, lower back pain, leg-cramping, fatigue, digestive upsets etc.

The increased flexibility and strength gained from practising Yoga helps the mother’s body become comfortably balanced and prepared for an active birth. As pregnancy progresses and the weight of the baby places pressure on the spine, Yoga will support these changes by helping to improve a woman’s posture. Also the practice of Yoga can encourage the baby into optimal birthing position. There are many anecdotes of baby’s turning into optimum position with the aid of some Yoga postures and in the same way, birthing mothers frequently instinctively use certain Yoga postures during labour. I have certainly witnessed this in my experience as a Doula.

A recent testimony from a Prenatal Yoga practitioner: “I practiced Yoga throughout pregnancy and when I went into labour I calmly made my way to the hospital, expecting a long and painful experience. When I got there the hospital was full and I had to stay in the Birth Centre until a room in the Labour Ward became available. However, I ended up birthing my son naturally in just 4 hours. I truly believe it was through the help of Yoga and breathing properly and keeping calm that allowed me to birth so quickly and calmly.”

Even after birth, the practice of Yoga supports the mother, as these testimonies show: “I have found some of the simple Yoga moves such as shoulder rolls and working with the breath helpful in relieving my aching shoulders and neck whilst breastfeeding, I also enjoy meditating or just simply focusing on my deep breathing whilst breastfeeding and feel so relaxed and connected with my daughter in this way”.

“Through out my pregnancy I practiced Yoga and Relaxation and now am using these techniques during in mothering. I am especially practicing Pranayama breathing each afternoon and it has been a God-send and helps me to clear the cobwebs from lack of sleep and reenergize myself, helping me to cope with the demands of my new baby.”

In the Prenatal Yoga class, all postures are practiced mindfully and participants are encouraged to close the eyes in order to heighten observation of one’s own body. In this way the pregnant woman increases awareness and learns respect for any limitations or changes, rather than ignore, push or strain the body. Yoga combined with a healthy diet, good eating habits and sufficient rest, will result in sustained levels of energy and a positive disposition throughout pregnancy and childbirth.

Negative thoughts, worries and fears unsettle the mother’s nervous system and other bodily functions too, thereby influencing the foetus.

MENTAL HEALTH

It is said that a mother’s thoughts and emotional health directly affect the physical and emotional wellbeing of the unborn child. Negative thoughts, worries and fears unsettle the mother’s nervous system and other bodily functions too, thereby influencing the foetus. In the same way, positive thoughts, clarity, contentment and a healthy self-confidence offer both mother and unborn child the basis for optimum physical and mental health and the practices of Yoga, relaxation and breathing exercises easily sustain this positive wellbeing.

The mind and the breath are inextricably linked and nowhere is this more apparent than when practicing Yoga. Normally the frequency and depth of our breathing is an unconscious mechanism governed by the brain however, we can also exert conscious control over the breath and thus alter its rhythm. The effect of slow, deep breathing is due to the greater expansion of the lungs with an increased absorption of oxygen and corresponding release of carbon dioxide. The physiological result is a calming of the nervous system and heart rate, relaxation of muscles and calming of the mind, which means mothers can utilise this breathing technique at will. This powerful technique truly empowers women in any situation (pregnancy, birthing and parenting), providing the capacity to derive control.

Here are two testimonials: “Yoga helped me to stay focused calm and alert through my long induced labour, I was still very determined to have a natural birth. Yoga helped me be aware enough of making the right choices during my difficult and long labour when things did not go as I had hoped. I was able to accept the needed Caesarean for the safety of myself and baby and used the breathing techniques to help cope with my anxiety about the operation.”

“Thank you for the Prenatal Yoga classes. I practiced the breathing techniques during my early labour at home. This helped me stay calm and focused, and by the time we got to hospital I was 8 cm and only a couple of hours later, gave birth naturally to our beautiful baby boy.”

In addition, mental health is gained through the regular practice of Deep Relaxation and Meditation which helps reveal the type of thoughts that create restlessness and unease. Awareness of these is the first step in eliminating them and thus acquiring a serene and positive state of mind.

SOCIAL HEALTH

Yoga prepares Mums

SPIRITUAL HEALTH

Spiritual health is about awakening to the essence of our human nature – our Soul or Self. This can be discovered during states of Deep Relaxation and Meditation when the mind is still, peaceful and calm. Unique to the Yoga in Daily Life system is the Self-Enquiry Meditation technique which is a tool to better understand ourselves and others, and to learn the purpose of our life. With spiritual health being the birthright of every human being it is essential for mothers to nurture this aspect of her life. 

My personal testimonial supports this: “It was at my third trainee birth as a Doula and the birthing mother was a very vocal Russian lady determined to have a natural birth in the Birth Centre of RPA Sydney.  At one stage she was checked for the third time and told she was just 5 cm dilated after 9 hours of labour - this caused her great stress. She yelled help at me so many times throughout these checks and I was wondering what I could do to help. This being only my third Doula experience I felt helpless and unsure. I sat quietly and patiently holding her hands and while she begged to God, I prayed to God too thinking “God what can I do?” and thanks to God it came to me. I just simply said Trust in yourself that you will be OK, all is OK”.  I felt sure these words were for me as much as for her. Well a couple of hours later she was pushing her baby out, all natural birth. Weeks later in her testimonial to me, she said it was these exact words that had reassured her and given her the strength to go on.”

YOGA OFFERS SUPPORT FOR A NATURAL BIRTHING EXPERIENCE

Birthing mothers have found that many Yoga postures are quite natural for her body to position itself in during labour. The more familiar birthing mothers are with the Yoga and Breath techniques, the more easily she may use them to adapt to the different stages of birth. For example, using the ability to mentally and physically relax at will is very helpful in recovery between contractions.

Each mum-to-be will have her own unique experience during pregnancy and the birthing process.
During this special time in life, the practices of Yoga will provide nurturing support for her body, mind and soul.

'Yoga in Daily Life' offers specific Prenatal Yoga Classes with qualified instructors.  

SYDNEY: Annandale (Inner West of Sydney)  &  Dee Why (Northern beaches of Sydney)

QLD: Brisbane    &    Sunshine Coast 

VIC:   RICHMOND in Melbourne

Join us on Facebook for more prenatal information.