MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH YOGA IN PREGNANCY
written on Saturday, 21 Jul 2012 by Inner Smile Yoga & Health
As a mum of two sons I experienced the benefits of yoga for pregnancy and birth twice – although I never attended a real prenatal class. However, I learned a lot of useful exercises and breathing techniques in a birth preparation course led by my wonderful midwife when I was pregnant with my first child. The same time I had just started the second year of my yoga teacher training, where I learned from other teachers about their experience with yoga in pregnancy. With this knowledge I was able to adapt my personal yoga practice to my needs.
Both times I had no complications during pregnancy and felt fit and healthy all the time. I was even able to teach (normal!) yoga classes until three weeks before delivery!
Mentally yoga helped me to accept and – most times – to enjoy what was happening. I didn’t fear the birth process, as I knew I could trust my body, and that my midwives and doctors will support me.
Being prepared even better when giving birth to my second son I realized how powerful breath can be as a painkiller, and how important physical health is to support your baby when travelling into the real world. I was focused all the time during labour, listening to my body and intuitively doing the right things at the right time. There was no need to take drugs for improving the birthing process. My midwife later told me, she only needed to catch the baby and stop it from popping out too fast!
In both cases I was strong enough to return back home only hours after delivery, which was amazing. I know that I have always been blessed with good health, but I also know, that without yoga I wouldn’t have enjoyed my pregnancies that much!
Carmen Weghaus, Yoga teacher at innersmile Yoga & Health