Pregnancy triggers physical and hormonal changes within your body. Weight gain and shifting muscles may cause lower back pain and discomfort. Different yoga stretches alleviate muscular tension in your lower back, increase your joint mobility and help build endurance for labor. Listening to and respecting your body's needs during pregnancy helps prevent you from overdoing stretches or exercise. Stop if you feel fatigue or overexertion while doing the yoga poses.
Cow Pose
Cow pose stretches the muscles surrounding your spine and alleviates tension in your neck and stomach. Kneel on all fours, positioning your knees directly under your hips and your hands directly under your shoulders. Straighten your back so that it forms a straight line with your shoulders and hips. Maintaining neck and spine alignment, gaze at the floor below you.
Inhaling, lift your tailbone and chest toward the ceiling, allowing your belly to sink toward the floor as you do this. Lift your head and gaze forward. Exhaling, return to the start position and repeat for 10 repetitions.
Cat Pose
Cat pose stretches your lower back muscles, your neck and your spinal muscles. Both cat and cow pose teach you how to control tilting your pelvis, an action often necessary during labor. Kneel on all fours, aligning your knees with your hips and your hands with your shoulders. Straighten your back, align your neck with your spine and gaze at the floor below you.
Exhaling, round your spine without moving your shoulders or knees. You should feel a stretch in your lower back when you do this. Relax your neck and release your head toward the ground. Inhaling, return to the start position and complete 10 repetitions. Alternate between cow and cat pose if you want to combine the stretches.
Marichi's Pose
Marichi's pose alleviates back tension and Yoga Journal's website recommends doing it to relieve lower back pain during your first trimester. Sit on the ground and extend your legs in front of you, toes pointing toward the ceiling. Bend your left knee and position your left heel next to your right sitting bone. Slightly rotate your right leg inward and press your right thigh firmly against the ground. Press your right heel and big toe away from your body and push your left thigh against the ride side of your torso.
Turn your torso to your right and press the back of your left shoulder against your left knee. Extend your left arm in front of you and turn your palm to your left. Lengthen your torso and press your left shin against your left armpit. Wrap your left arm around the outside of your left leg, resting your hand on your left buttock. Wrap your right arm around the right side of your back and clasp your left hand's wrist, if possible. If not, rest your hand on your buttock. Lowering from your pelvis, slowly drop your torso toward your right leg. Stop when you feel a stretch in your lower back. Avoid lifting your shoulders to lower further. Hold for 30 seconds and do the same movement on your opposite side.
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