The Benefits of Practicing Prenatal Yoga

By: Adabelle Quintana

For a period of about 40 weeks, women endowed with the miraculous power of bringing life into the world, foster the physical and emotional development of the world’s children – the inheritors of the future. This brings about an enormous responsibility, as well as physical exhaustion, to mothers during this prenatal period. The miracle of birth does not come without a price; it is accompanied by physical discomfort such as swollen feet and aching backs. As women’s bodies, undergo the most drastic changes, hormones fluctuate affecting their mental and emotional levels of vulnerability. And to top this off, most women having children in the 21st century have full time jobs in addition to the full time job of being or becoming a mother. How can women balance this immensely consuming change into their lives?

Prenatal yoga is an excellent option for mothers-to-be for three specific reasons: physical, mental and spiritual health. Because yoga is a practice that balances these three dimensions of the Self, it benefits both mother and child. For starters, yoga is a form of exercise that reduces the discomfort associated with pregnancy, such as constipation, leg cramps and back pain. But not only that, keeping a light exercise routine during pregnancy will help prepare mothers for the labor and delivery process, as well as keep them in good physical condition for postpartum recovery. Additionally, prenatal yoga helps to stabilize mental and emotional stresses experienced throughout pregnancy.

According to Dr. Fredrick Wirth, associate clinical professor of pediatrics at Tufts University School of Medicine, and author of the book Prenatal Parenting, “inside the womb, the infant indirectly experiences his mother’s external circumstances. In addition, his brain is washed by neuropeptides (…molecules of emotion…) that reflect his mother’s emotional reactions to the external environment.” In other words, mothers cannot hide any secrets from the child during the prenatal period. Any emotion, worry, stress or agitation the mother experiences, sets forth a physical manifestation of hormone release that inevitably affects her child. While the effects of stress on mother and child are not yet fully understood, it is highly recommended that mothers receive plenty of rest and relaxation to ease emotional and mental pressures. Prenatal yoga provides this relief by inducing deep conscious relaxation through breathing and visualization techniques. Practicing relaxation is beneficial because part of the mother’s brain remains aware of the effects, thereby reducing her stress responses. Thus, a consistent yoga practice consequently helps improve mood and sleeping patterns.

Finally and perhaps most importantly, prenatal yoga offers families (not just moms) the opportunity to nurture a bond with the baby. It’s important to note that prenatal yoga is not restricted to pregnant moms. Everyone, from spouses to friends to relatives are welcome to join moms in their prenatal yoga class. Prenatal yoga can be practiced through supportive partner stretching and mutual meditation, indulging in what Dr. Wirth calls “fetal love breaks.” Taking a moment to send positive, loving energy into the womb improves the baby’s emotional development. Pregnancy is a journey and a lifetime change that affects the mother and her family. It’s important that the mother feel supported by her loved ones, not only to help reduce her stress levels but also to increase her joy in the process of motherhood.

While at first glance, it may seem that all of these benefits are only enjoyed by mom that is a misconception. Mothers that begin or maintain sensible lifestyles during pregnancy improve their baby’s overall well-being. A healthy and happy mom is more likely to have a healthy and happy baby.

Informational Sources:

Wirth, Frederick, M.D. Prenatal Parenting. New York: Harper Collins books, 2001

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Planning Your Pregnancy and Birth. Third edition. Washington, DC: ACOG 2000